Brief Description of the Broadus Wood Library

The Broadus Wood Library program is a fully integrated part of the instructional program of the school.  It is proven that a library program improves student achievement in all subject areas. Our mission is: We want to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.  The library collection houses a wide range of materials and currently, there are around 13,000 titles/materials in the library.  

 

If you are interested in learning more about the Albemarle County Public School's library program, please view the Albemarle County Library Media Center Handbook.  (The handbook is currently being revised and updated.)

ALBEMARLE COUNTY LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER HANDBOOK

 

What happens in the library?

Our time together is balanced to include whole group instruction (such as story sharing, research projects, and technology instruction) and Choice Time. During Choice Time, students choose books to checkout and then explore the many different options within the library. Some of these choices include: reading, writing, playing games, using technology or “making” in the Tinkers and Thinkers Studio. Students are encouraged to check out at each library visit and return their book(s) for a fresh one when ready, even if that is not their usual library day. I strive to maintain open access to the library, at all times, so students may visit as frequently as needed.

 

How many books can my child borrow per visit and how long can s/he keep them?

Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade start the year borrowing one book at a time. Third grade may borrow two books at a time.  Fourth grade and fifth grade may borrow three books at a time.  They are encouraged to return their books as soon as they are ready for a new one. Teachers may provide time throughout the day for students to visit the library individually or in a small group to exchange books as needed.  As students move up through the grades, they often require multiple resources; informational books for research and projects, as well as self-selected topics for personal reading.

 

The standard loan period for books in our library is one week. Books may be returned to the library and renewed for one additional week. This policy keeps our materials circulating and available for those who are next in line. Many times, if a child needs to keep a book longer than two weeks to finish reading it, that is a cue for me to work with the classroom teacher to help this student select a better fit choice, (or to work with the student to find something so interesting it is worthy of flashlight reading in bed at night!)

 

Responsible Reading

The library contains thousands of books to meet the reading interests and academic needs of the Broadus Wood students.  In a library that serves students ranging in ages from five to ten, a wide variety of materials are needed. Obviously, what is interesting and appropriate for five-year-olds may not be interesting and/or appropriate for ten-year-olds and visa versa. Our standard advice is:  "If you choose a book that makes you uncomfortable or that would make your parents uncomfortable, return it." The beauty of libraries is that they are all about choice. We want students to find books they can completely "enjoy."  Parents can help students enjoy the library and help them select good books by asking students what they are reading and talking to them about their choices.

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What happens if there is an accident with a book?

We spend a good deal of time at the beginning of the school year learning how to be responsible for items we borrow from the library. I encourage students to prevent loss and damage by keeping library books in a designated “safe place." Here is the good news: very few library books actually disappear - most are hiding in plain sight at home (under the bed, mixed in with personal books on the bookshelf, forgotten in an old backpack, left at the babysitter's house, etc.) Some do get returned to a JMRL library. They send them to me periodically throughout the year. So lost books are not of any immediate concern. At the end of each school year, students are asked to replace any books that are actually lost.

 

Inevitably, book pages suffer accidental damage (they are made of paper, after all!)  I teach my students to bring damaged books back to the library and I will make the repair. Unlike the clear cellophane tape we have at home, libraries have special book tape that resists yellowing and is longer-lasting.  For damage caused by liquid (bathwater, rain, a leaky juicebox in the backpack, etc.), most books need to be discarded. The pages wrinkle as they dry and unhealthy mildew grows on the paper. Please contact me (or I'll contact you) to make arrangements for sending in the replacement cost of a soggy/damaged book (usually $20.00 or less).