Student Guidelines

This sheet will help you use the McGee Library-Media Center.  Please let us know if you have any questions.  Have a great year!

Mrs. Dygus, Library Assistant, ext. 257        Ms. Averill, Library-Media Specialist, ext. 258 Library-Media-Center E-Mail Address:  LAVERILL@BERLINSCHOOLS.ORG

You are welcome to use the library during any period of the day, but you need permission from your teacher or the library staff before you can visit. 

10-Minute-or-Less Visits & No Computer Use
Get Permission from Your Teachers

If you need to use the library for ten minutes or less and do NOT need a computer, fill out your Hallway Passport with the Library as your destination.  Be sure your teacher signs the line and bring your passport with you to the library.  Use this for short visits to the library.  For example, you may need to select a book, return a book, make an appointment, arrange to use the library during H-Period or after-school. However, it does not give you permission to use a computer.

Longer-Than-10-Minute Visits & Computer Use for Any Amount of Time
Get Permission from the Library Staff

During Period H if you need to use the library for more than ten minutes or use a computer for any amount of time, you must obtain permission from Mrs. Dygus or Ms. Averill before the end of the Period prior to H.  Get permission from your teacher to come to the library to arrange for use during Period H.  Fill out your Hallway Passport and ask a library staff person to sign it.  Be sure to have your Period H teacher sign your passport before you come to the library as you must see him or her first.

The following rules apply: 

1.  Come to the library to get permission before the end of the Period before H. 

2.  Use the library for research purposes. 

3.  Be prepared to stay for the whole period. 

4.  Stay on task.

After School – Get Permission from the Library Staff

The library is open after-school until 3 P.M. on late-bus days to students who have been given permission by Mrs. Dygus or Ms. Averill before bus call.  To be admitted to the after-school, independent study, you must have permission from the library staff and work on a project that is approved by them.  Each day before you leave, you must show what you have done.  If you have made good progress on an approved activity, you will be welcomed back.  If you do not, you will be referred to different after-school study program or for help from your teachers.

All Visits

Important:  Always sign in on the clipboard at the circulation desk and show your passport to the library staff when you arrive at the library.  We must know who is in the library at all times.  Be sure that your passport is signed by a library staff member before you leave.  Food, drink, makeup, balms, ointments, lotions, chewed gum can soil and damage library materials, equipment, and furnishings.  Help to take good care of your library-media center by using these items in more appropriate locations.  Please check around your work area before leaving so that you do not forget any of your belongings or materials that you may have dropped.  The work area will be ready for the next person, and you do not loose your possessions and school work.

You may also request permission to use the library for extended times or computers during Period H and after-school on-line.  After you have registered as a user in moodle.mcgee with Ms. Averill, you can request Period-H and after-school use for the next school day on-line from home during the evening at http://moodle.mcgee.berlinschools.org . 

You may check out two items at a time.  If you have borrowed one book and it is overdue, you may not borrow a second book.  Library borrowing privileges are suspended until you return the item or pay for it if you cannot find it.  If you do not return the item after receiving a second overdue notice, you will receive a two-hour office detention.  Materials usually circulate for three weeks and you may renew them, if no one has requested them, by bringing the items to the library.  Sometimes you may be allowed to borrow a book for overnight only.   Overnight books must be returned to the library first thing the following morning.  Reference books do not circulate, but small sections can be photocopied for you.  Sign out and return materials at the circulation desk.  Some reference materials are available 24/7 on the Internet through subscriptions made for by McGee and the Connecticut State Library, so you may access them at home and at school using the password and account names that Ms. Averill has posted under Digital Resources at http://moodle.mcgee.berlinschools.org

 Please participate!  All you need to do is read!  The program works as follows:  1. Sign out a book on the Accelerated-Reader list from this or other libraries.  2.  Read the book.  3.  Make an appointment to take the test on the computer.  4.  If you pass the test, you will earn points for items in the showcase.

If you are interested in volunteering in the library during Period H once each week, please fill out an application form and return it to Mrs. Dygus.

You can use any computer connected to the McGee network to access the on-line catalog and search for materials in the library-media center by author, keyword, subject, title and more.  Click on the lower half of the book icon of the McGee home page for the link.

 Passwords are available in  the library-media center or under digital resources in Moodle.McGee .

• Grolier Online—Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana, Lands and Peoples, dictionary, links to periodical articles and Web sites http://dev.mcgee.berlinschools.org/on_line_resources   
  
• Marshall Cavendish Digital –Growing Up with Science, Aquatic World, Exploring Ancient Civilizations, Exploring the Middle Ages have been created specifically for middle school students http://www.marshallcavendishdigital.com/   
  
• Moodle.McGee—On-line book discussions, class Web sites, user names and passwords for digital resources, sign ups for library use  http://moodle.mcgee.berlinschools.org
  Check with the teacher who created the site for the enrolment key to enter their sites.  Username: 
• Noodle Tools—On-line database to help you with your on-line and library research.  It helps you take notes and make works-cited sheets at http://noodletools.com
  
• United Streaming—Video-on-demand service streams videos on almost any topic to your computer at http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm
  
• Connecticut Digital Library at www.iconn.org –-Magazine and reference databases and e-books on that give you access to information at a variety of reading levels about almost anything.  At school no user name or password is needed.  At home your username and password is your 14 digit public library card number.
• Issues and Controversies—Database of essays and articles from Facts on File about currently controversial issues purchased for you by the Berlin-Peck Library at http://www.2facts.com/   It’s great for debates.
  
• Classical Music Library—Database of streaming classical music purchased for you by the Berlin-Peck Library at  http://www.berlinpeck.lib.ct.us/music_on-line.htm
• Smithsonian Global Sound—Database of streaming music from around the world purchased for you by the Berlin-Peck Library at http://www.berlinpeck.lib.ct.us/music_on-line.htm
  

1. Read, sign and follow the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).   Violation of the AUP can result in loss of computer privileges.
2. Before using a computer, ask permission from Ms. Averill or Mrs. Dygus.  Only the library staff can give you permission to use library computers. 
3. Sign in on the purple sheet.
4. Place the card for the computer in the pocket on the computer with the same number.
5. For full network access, always log onto the computer using your own account number and password.
6. Give credit to the people whose ideas, images, and words that you use.  Use the work of others ethically.  Do not plagiarize.  Take notes and list your sources with Noodle Tools, an on-line note-taking tool and works-cited generator.
7. Complete only your own work.  Unless you have written permission from your teacher naming the people working on your group’s project, you must work individually. 
8. During class and independent study times, you may not use the computers to play games, access personal Web pages unrelated to class assignments, instant message, e-mail, blog, chat, list- serve, and so on.
9.  Practice cyber safety.  Never save passwords on public computers.  Never allow another student to use a computer onto which you are logged or share your account number and password with another student.  These actions violate McGee computer policy.  Never give personal information on the Internet!
10.  If you find yourself accidentally at an inappropriate site on the Internet, report it immediately to Ms. Averill or Mrs. Dygus.
11. Respect the computer equipment and network.  Changing or personalizing settings on the computers, reconfiguring equipment, shaking the equipment, repetitive or purposeless keystrokes do not demonstrate respect.  Changes and damage result in problems for other users, the loss of your computer privileges, and a bill to your parent/guardian for the cost of returning the computer to its previous condition.
12.  Ask permission each time before you print from Ms. Averill or Mrs. Dygus.
13.  When you are done, log out, sign out on the purple sheet, and return the computer card to the box.

Thank you.


Updated 28 August 2008 L. Averill