General Information/Policies and Procedures

The mission of the Breakfast Point Academy Library Media Center is to prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love of reading, and the use of information technologies. In addition, the Breakfast Point Academy Media Center will strive to be an integral part of the instructional program.

1) Provide a collection of instructional materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into account the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the students being served.

2) Provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.

3) Provide a background of information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.

4) Provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues in order that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis of all media.

5) Provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups, and of their contribution to the heritage and culture of America and the world.

6) Place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of high quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library media center.

Our school features an "open-access" media center. Students may come to the media center at any time -- individually, in small groups, or with their entire class -- to check out and return materials, to read for pleasure or information, to hear stories, or research topics for reports, using a variety of resources. We also have scheduled classes that come in throughout the day for information literacy and technology collaborative lessons.

Students can checkout two items (only 1 magazine at a time).

Students in grades K-2nd may keep items for one week. Students in grades 3rd-8th can keep books for two weeks. All students are encouraged to return the books to the media center when they are finished and to ask for an extension if they need more time. All items may be renewed unless someone else requests the book. Requests or holds must be checked out within 48 hours.

We do not charge fines for overdue books; however, students must return an overdue book before additional books may be checked out.

Students who lose or damage books beyond repair will be charged the replacement cost of the book. Parents may give permission for their children to check out more books while lost books are being sought by contacting Mrs. Varshavsky. Student who habitually lose books and do not pay for them may be limited to using books only in the media center.

The library media center collection strives to meet both the curricular needs and personal needs of its students. Careful consideration has been given to providing resources in various formats and at varying levels of difficulty. It is the intention that the library will provide a resource for global perspectives and promote diversity by presenting materials of different points of view in an objective manner. The process of evaluating materials for inclusion in the collection is continuous and systematic. Professional resources and bibliographies are consulted as are the recommendations of faculty, staff, students, and parents. Recommendations for items to be purchased for the collection are always welcome and can be given to the librarian at any time of the year. Gifts of materials, or of funds with which to purchase materials, are accepted with the understanding that their use will be determined by those persons having the responsibility for the items and should be of benefit to the student's personal and curricular information needs.

For a more detailed look at our county's collection development policy please go to http://www.bay.k12.fl.us/district/policy/POLICY.pdf