Colquitt, Nimmer, Willis

Section III: School Library Media Center Services Overview

Circulation Policy
The Pierce County High Schools current circulation policy is accessible to all students.
Grade levels 9 12 follow the same rules and guidelines established by the media center.
Students enter their school ID using a keypad to bring up their account within the Destiny
catalog interface to check out books. Once the book has been checked out to the student, the
student may keep the book for a period of two weeks. Students are allowed to check out three
books at one time. If students wish to keep items longer than two weeks, they will need to return
to the Media Center and renew the item(s). Regardless of whether or not the item is late, fines are
not assessed at this point in time. However, if a book is lost then the student will be responsible
for replacing the book. Reference books and audiovisual materials are a permanent part of the
noncirculating collection, and therefore are not available for students to checkout, but are freely
accessible within the Media Center. The Media Center has a security checkpoint at the
entrance/exit. All printed materials have a security strip that will sound the alarm if the book has
not been checked out and desensitized by Media Center personnel.
In an effort to transform Pierce County High Schools students into 21st century learners,
access to e-books is available and encouraged. Students will access e-books through the online
catalog, Destiny. The online catalog, Destiny, is available via a link on the PCHS website under
the Media Center tab. Students are encouraged to use the media center before school and during
lunch for instructional purposes. Students are required to have a pass to use the media center
during lunch or any other time during the school day. Printing (of school related documents only)
is available for free in the Media Center. Parents are encouraged to monitor their childs usage of
the Media Center, and are provided with an individual login to the Destiny catalog.

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Each staff member at PCHS has been assigned a laptop, iPad, desktop computer, printer,
and a promethean board. This technology is checked out to the teacher at the beginning of the
school year and remains checked out to the teacher until termination of their employment at
PCHS. Check out of the equipment assigned to that teacher is then transferred to their
replacement. There are no late fees for teachers. Inventory will be taken at the end of the school
year to make sure the equipment is where it is supposed to be.
Both teachers and students are required to sign Teachers or students who do not abide by
the acceptable use policy that has been put in place by the Pierce County School District may
have internet privileges revoked and disciplinary or legal action may be taken by the school.
Critique of the Circulation Policy
21st Century Library
In The Role of School Library Media Center Policies, it states that Monumental
transformations in twenty-first century schools and students require school library media
specialists to be prepared with policies and procedures that include these changes before issues
and problems arise. Currently, the Pierce County High School Media Center Policy is lacking in
several areas. One aspect of a 21st century library is the fact that students should be able to access
the resources at all times. Unfortunately, students are very limited to what they have access to
after hours. They only have access to some resources that have been posted on the web site and
some e-books. Students also have access to the online databases that are linked to the homepage.
Passwords are made available for students when they are not on campus. During the school day,
students have access to computer labs, iPads, and laptops. This is one area where the media
center meets the needs of the 21st century learner. One negative is that there is not a device for

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each student to use both in school and at home. According to The Role of School Library Media
Center Policies, existing policies at the campus and/or district level should be carefully studied
as to whether or not they adequately cover the school library media center operations. The
current policy is on the right track, but revisions need to be made to the plan. Students should be
provided with a device they can check out from the Media Center and keep with them during the
course of the school year. Additionally, they should be given clear instruction about accessing
Media Center resources. Students should be properly trained on how to use the technology and
how to access the online card catalog from home, along with other resources such as subscription
databases, and GALILEO.
BYOT/BYOD
PCHS is currently piloting a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program with 11
teachers currently participating. In these classes, students are allowed to bring their personal
technology devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other internet accessible devices) to
use to assist with instruction and learning. Students and parents are required to sign a form
abiding by the rules of the program. Students are not to have their devices out unless the teacher
has given them permission. Any viewing of inappropriate content during instruction time will
result in the youths device being confiscated for the entire day. While this program is a step in
the right direction, the Pierce County High School Media Center and Board of Education are
ready to advocate for a program in which each child would be able to utilize a device provided
by the Board for instructional purposes. The ultimate goal of this program would be for the youth
to have a device to take home with them for instructional purposes in preparation for the youth to
become 21st century learners.

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Web 2.0
Currently, the Pierce County High School Media Center does not have a specific policy
on the usage of Web 2.0 tools. There are multiple links on the schools web page. The PCHS
Media Committee should undertake the creation and adoption of a unified policy to allow
teachers and students to learn more about Web 2.0 tools. Unfortunately, only a relatively small
amount of teachers at PCHS know and understand how to use some of these tools. This policy
should also address cloud computing to effectively teach youth how to store and retrieve created
items at any time or at any place.
E-books
The Pierce County High School Media Center currently lacks a specific written policy on
how to access and check out e-books. E-books are those electronic materials which can be
utilized on a tablet, smartphone, or other device, and can also refer to magazine or scholarly
journal articles. The Pierce County High School Media Committee should establish a policy
outlining checkout procedures, length of checkout, and how to access the e-book from either the
youths device or online. When the Media Specialist trains students and teachers about the
Destiny catalog, s/he must teach students and faculty how to access e-books.
Scheduling
The Pierce County High School Media Center is open during the school year daily from
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding scheduled breaks and holidays. The
schedule is flexible with regard to access to given materials. Teachers will schedule their use of
the Media Center using Schedulet, an online calendar, which allows teachers to choose the day
and class period they would like to use the Media center. Teachers desiring to cancel their

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reservation need simply to call or email the Media Center staff to cancel. Teachers can also
schedule using the iPad carts, laptop carts, and other computer labs in the building on a first
come first served basis by using Schedulet. Teachers must be highly organized and their classes
must be on time for appointments to the Media Center in order to fully access all technology and
instruction.
Critique of Scheduling Policy
21st Century Library
In order for the Pierce County High School Media Center to promote 21st century
learning, a Media/Technology Committee will need to be created to establish all manner of
policies and procedures for the Media Center. Certain areas of the Pierce County High School
Media Center are already in line with 21st century learning styles. Students and teachers
currently are able access the Media Center at any point during the day. The Media Center can
accommodate up to three classes at any given time: two classes can access the computer lab, and
the other class can work at the Media Centers tables for collaboration.
E-books
Through the Destiny catalog, students have access to eBooks, but they are only able to
check out three eBooks at a time. When limiting information, it may limit the interest of the
students. Carol Simpson states in her article, One Question Survey, Why on earth do we limit
reading? It makes no sense to do our best to encourage reading on one hand, and then limit those
that have the greatest joy of reading to one or two books at a time. Books only work if they are in
the hands of readers. (p. 46-47). The Pierce County High School Media Center Committee must
determine if this policy is implemented by Follett or by the Board of Education. If this policy is

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open to revision or change, the Committee must advocate for students to be able to access more
information so their personal interests will not be limited.
Other Critiques
As previously stated, one of the main critiques of the Pierce County High School Media
Center is that students do not have the opportunity to check out devices to use for instructional
purposes at home. This severely limits the opportunity for students to access 21st century
learning technology at home. Further, the Media Committee should investigate devices able to
access the internet via either 3G or 4G capabilities so that students who may not have access to
the internet at home will have the capability to access the internet via these devices.
Further, the Pierce County High School Media Committee should attempt to revise the
schedule of the Media Center in order to provide for the needs of the students of Pierce County
High School, rather than accommodating the schedule of the Media Center employees. In
Empowering Learners, Doug Johnson states, all policies, such as circulation policies, privacy
policies, acceptable-use policies, and rules and guidelines for student behavior, are developed
collaboratively with stakeholders. It is important that the Pierce County High School Media
Committee understand exactly who their stakeholders are and develop forward thinking policies
that will ultimately benefit the students, faculty, and staff of Pierce County High School.
Library Services
The PCHS Media Center is committed to delivering excellent service to all patrons. Staff
members are dedicated to aligning library resources and operations toward satisfying and
delighting the community served. The Media Center will subscribe to the following principles
outlined by the Ipswich Public Library, Ipswich, MA, and incorporate them into the Media
Centers patron interaction policy (http://goo.gl/jvjV8K):

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The library will offer prompt, high quality service to all regardless of age, race, sex,
nationality, religion, educational background, and physical limitations.

All patrons will be treated with courtesy and respect.

The library's rules and regulations will be administered equitably by staff.

The library supports ongoing staff training so that staff can confidently guide patrons in
the use of current technology.

Library staff will be mindful of complaints, concerns and suggestions from patrons with
an eye towards constantly improving library service.

The library will create a teaching and learning environment.

The library staff will eliminate unnecessary barriers to service.

Teachers and students currently have access to multiple online web resources through the

Pierce County High School Media Center. These web resources include:
USA Test Prep
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and READ 180
Lightning Grader
GALILEO
Brain Pop
Online Access to Library Catalog
Follett Shelf (eBooks)
Georgia Online Assessment System (OAS)
Many services are provided by the Pierce County High School Media Center. These
services include: study space for individual and group study, free printing for educational use
only (charge if not educational in nature), and instructional sessions for classes on a daily basis.

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Critique of Library Services
21st Century Library
Pierce County High School Media Center provides many 21st century items. This
includes access to different websites and access to technology like computers and tablets.
Students can access the websites from home but they cannot get the services of the technology
from home. An improvement would be technology devices that could be checked out outside of
school and individual tablets for students.
BYOT/BYOD
This is a new service the school is trying in a select number of classrooms. Eleven
classrooms currently provide the service of letting students bring their own device. Hopefully
this will lead to the whole school providing the service or students using individual tablets.
Web 2.0
The media center could improve in the area of Web 2.0 by providing training on the
tools. There is currently a list on the school website, but many teachers and students do not
know how to use this service.
E-books
The students have the service of using e-books, but it is limited to 3 at a time. An
expansion of this service, allowing multiple use of e-books at home would improve this service.
Other
Service is provided for students with disabilities such as autism, providing a conducive
learning environment. This is done through collaboration with the teachers.

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Ethics and Legal Principles
The Pierce County Board of Educations Acceptable Use and Internet Safety Policies
appear to be a bit dated, but still are adequate in assessing the needs of Pierce Countys 21st
century learners. According to the Mission of the Acceptable Use Policy, the Pierce County BOE
understand the importance of using technology in education. The BOE is also cognizant that
technology can be harmful in the wrong hands, or can be used in potentially dangerous manners.
Classrooms and media centers need to assess the varying needs of 21st century learners in ways
much different and ever evolving from earlier years.
There are many ethical and legal considerations when assessing the needs of the twentyfirst century learner. First, the conflict between intellectual freedom and not allowing a child to
access material defined as pornographic is a major consideration. The Pierce County BOE
addresses this issue through the section covering safety. Essentially, the BOE maintains that
students cannot access the Internet without a staff members direct observation. While this does
not mean standing over the student, it does mean teachers and staff members proactively
monitoring the students to ensure their safe internet usage.
Another major concern is the protection measures included in this document. The
Acceptable Use Policy incorporates the Childrens Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, to govern
the students access to quality educational content. The crux of CIPA is to use blocking software
to censor material which is (a) obscene, (b) child pornography, and/or (c) harmful to minors
(2000). (http://goo.gl/qdseDG). The BOE anticipates that even with these measures in place,
students will still be able to access inappropriate materials or objectionable communications. The
BOE subsequently refers users to the Pierce County School Districts Internet Safety Policy,
which affirms that CIPA will be enforced by using internet filtering software and students will be

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supervised by staff when accessing the internet. What are the implications of these policies on
twenty-first century learners? The Pierce County BOE, like all other boards of education, public
libraries, non-profits, and other organizations which serve children, have to balance allowing
access to scholarly materials without access to obscene or harmful materials.
The aforementioned policies do not address the concepts of bring your own technology or
bring your own device to the library or classroom. In the ever evolving world, this is a policy
which should be changed or edited. In the day and age of tablets, smartphones, and other devices,
students should be encouraged to bring their own devices to class in order to learn in a new and
vibrant way. The main legal issue with Bring Your Own Technology/Device Policy would be the
potential for theft of devices. This could easily be remedied by the BOE taking a vigorous stance
on pursuing theft charges, which would just essentially mean reporting any theft to the school
resource officer, or local law enforcement.

Critique of Ethics and Legal Principles

21st Century Library
Learners in the 21st century face challenges that are vastly different from learners who
graduated even just a few years ago. Technology is rapidly changing and there are multiple ways
in which students can be taken advantage of, or victimized. Several applications, or apps, have
been created that teenagers and other can use rather maliciously. Media Specialists and Teachers
must be hyper vigilant in order properly protect students from internet predators. Since
technology rapidly changes, the Media Specialist must be cognizant of technologies, especially
social media and Web 2.0 tools, which can lead to children being taken advantage of more
easily.

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The Media Specialist needs to have a firm grasp of the Districts Internet and Acceptable
Use Policies and how they apply to student access of online information. Further, the Media
Specialist must be aware of any restrictions the filtering software imposes upon the Media
Center, and potential overrides for educational purposes. For example, a student might have an
essay to complete for Biology class, specifically about sexual reproduction in humans. The
Media Specialist must be willing and able to assist the student with finding information to
complete this assignment, especially if the Districts filtering software might be overly sensitive
to search terms the student might be using. The Media Specialist needs to be able to balance
CIPA, the Districts policies, and providing quality reference materials to patrons. To be honest,
this can be a daunting task, but the Media Specialist is able to interpret and analyze materials
because of his/her training, education, and experience.
There are multiple ethical implications in the process of helping both students become
21st century learners and teachers gain the skills to impart 21st century knowledge. The main
issue Media Specialists have to wrangle with is that students have the intellectual freedom to
learn about any topic they want to learn about. Further, the Media Specialist must be prepared to
assist with the learning process regardless of personal feelings and provide quality reference
assistance to all patrons. In the Library Bill of Rights, the American Library Association outlines
that the librarian, or in this case, Media Specialist, should provide materials about opposing
viewpoints of a given topic, and should not censor an individuals right to use the library based
on their background, intellectual functioning, origin, age, or views (1996). It is crucial that the
Media Specialist impart quality information free from personal biases in order for patrons to
have opposing views on the subject in order to form well developed opinions about a given
subject.

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BYOT/BYOD
Many ethical and legal implications are present when students are asked to bring their
own devices for participation in the learning process. First, the Pierce County High School
Media Committee and Board of Education must outline consequences for improper use of
technology during instruction time. Whether the youth is using Facebook or Twitter, is Snap
Chatting with a friend, or utilizing the internet to view sports scores, they are not fully realizing
their educational potential due to distraction while using their devices to learn.
The Media Specialist and Media Committee should also be aware of the procedures for
dealing with potential theft or loss of the students devices. It would be beneficial for the Board
of Education to develop a protocol for dealing with any criminal situations. It is advisable for the
Board of Education to consult with local law enforcement agencies such as the local Juvenile
Court, Department of Juvenile Justice, District Attorney, and Magistrate Court to develop a
protocol for handling both juvenile and adult offenders (students age 17 and older, and adult staff
members).
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 technologies, e-books, and creative commons are not explicitly addressed in either of
the aforementioned policies. However, with a minor revision they could be easily addressed. The
major legal implication of the web 2.0 tools, e-books, and creative commons would be that they
would be covered under the CIPA. As mentioned previously, the Media Specialist would need to
vigilantly monitor and enforce the Pierce County High School Media Centers Internet policy in
order to protect their students from both being victimized and from victimizing other
students/youth.

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E-books
The main criticism present with regard to the Pierce County High School Media Centers e-book
policy are the restrictions upon access. The Media Specialist should research Folletts policies
regarding the number of e-books students can check out, the length of borrowing period, and also
the number of renewals students can utilize. It could be that these are standard policies Follett
would not be willing to augment. However, the Media Specialist should be willing to ask, simply
to advocate for the best interests of their students.
Creative Commons
Again, the main critique with regard to Creative Commons is that they are not addressed
by the aforementioned policies of the Pierce County High School Media Center. It would be very
easy to amend the policy to include information about Creative Commons. In order for students,
faculty, and staff to really understand the idea of Creative Commons, the Media Specialist must
be willing to provide instruction sessions on a regular basis to different class groups and
teachers. The Media Specialist should also be willing to create a blog entry, podcast, or vodcast
to attempt to clarify copyright and Creative Commons questions. This can be a very daunting
task, but one that the Media Specialist should be able to handle through their knowledge gained
through a quality education, multiple training opportunities, and experience using copyright and
Creative Commons.