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Welcome to the
Upper St. Clair High School
Library Media Center
2016-2017
“Today’s information universe affords opportunities for around-‐the-‐clock access to information…Citizens of this information world must have the skills and dispositions to access information efficiently and to assess critically the sources they rely upon for decision-‐making,
problem solving, and generation of new knowledge.”
Position Statement on the Role of the School Library Program American Association of School Librarians, 2013
“The mission of the library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of
ideas and information.”
Information Power 1998
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Upper St. Clair High School Library Mission Statement
The mission of the library media program is to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information. The overall aim of our library program is to work with our students individually and to create meaningful library activities in cooperation with classroom teachers. The library is an integral part of the academic curriculum and strives to provide materials on all subjects for students of all abilities.
Facility Information The Upper St. Clair High School Library, which opened in September 1999, is centrally located in the academic wing, adjacent to the Library Computer Lab and Resource Center. The Library is approximately 12,500 square feet of beautiful, warm and functional space containing over 20,000+ volumes, periodicals, computers, on-‐line services, and other multimedia resources.
Librarians Mrs. Despines and Mrs. Rentschler
Staff
Mrs. Gallo /Library Media Secretary; Mrs. Marmion/Aide After School Phone: 833-‐1600 ext. 2390 Library Website: http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/domain/95 There are many links on the left side bar of our Library web site. Be sure to check them out. J
Library Hours 7:00am to 3:50pm Monday-‐Thursday 7:00am to 3:20pm Friday
When using the Library after school,
students MUST sign-‐in at the front desk.
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Library Code of Conduct 1. All student handbook rules apply. Behavior will be appropriate for an academic
learning environment. Please have work to do or something to read. 2. Sign-‐in at the Circulation Desk upon arrival after school. 3. Personal electronic devices (PEDs) should be used for ACADEMIC PURPOSES ONLY.
Cell phones cannot be used for phone calls. Use headphones, please. 4. Whispering ONLY. Conversations should stay at your table. 5. Leave food and drink in the Nutrition Center. Small, “contained” snacks & water
only! No yogurt, pudding, applesauce, ice cream, etc. because of the carpet and furniture. All drinks must have a secure lid. Please, no coffee/coffee cups from the Nutrition Center. No soup, trays of food, salads, etc.! Eat lunch in the cafeteria!
6. Use appropriate language. Be respectful at all times to students and staff. 7. If asked to leave for misbehavior, do so in a respectful manner. 8. When asked, please give your truthful name. 9. Academic pursuits on the computers; no game playing. 10. Clean the table and floor before you leave; put away library resources. 11. During research assignment times, please be aware of others who may need to
computers for online resources. 12. Ask for a pass to leave the Library. Please remain seated until the mod bell rings. 13. Please be timely in returning materials so that others may have access to them. 14. Be conscientious of paper use: preview before printing & use the recycling bin near
the library printer. Bottle/can recycling bins are located in several locations in the library.
Change of Scenery Pass It is a privilege to spend your free-‐mod time in the library, so please review the Code of Conduct above. If necessary, you could receive a Change of Scenery Pass for inappropriate library conduct. You will be out of the library for free mods for a period of time to be determined by the librarians. Students will be permitted back in the library during free mods ONLY with a pass from an academic teacher with the name of the teacher’s assignment. You will sign a Behavior Contract upon your return to the library.
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Admission to the Library
Before School 7:00-‐7:30am Students are admitted to the library so that they may take advantage of additional access to materials before homeroom.
During Homeroom 7:30-‐7:40am Students must FIRST report to homeroom to sign in. Then they may use the library if they have notes signed by their homeroom teachers. Turn your pass into the front circulation desk (Mrs. Gallo, Mrs. Despines or Mrs. Rentschler).
During School 7:40am-‐2:20pm The library will be open primarily to teachers and their classes. Students requiring library materials to complete assignments during their independent study mods will be admitted if space is available. After School 2:20pm-‐3:50pm (Monday-‐Thursday); 2:20pm-‐3:20pm (Friday)
Students may use the Library at this time to continue research assignments, work on homework, and collaborate on group projects. Students MUST sign-‐in at the front desk to use the Library after school. Students are expected to arrive and leave the library during the change of classes. Do not leave without a hall pass! Please stay seated until the bell rings. Remember: Hall
passes are needed for those students arriving late or leaving early.
Resources Available (as of June 2016)
Ø Over 20,000+ print volumes Ø Access PA Interlibrary Loan
Service Ø Access PA POWER Library Project
databases including EBSCO eBooks & GreenFILE
Ø 50 Print magazines subscriptions Ø 30 computers/1 printer/18
laptops Ø Student Resources in Context &
Gale Virtual Reference Library (eBooks)
Ø History Reference Center Ø Points of View database Ø Literary Reference Center Ø Bloom’s Literary Reference Online
database Ø Encyclopedia Britannica Online
School Edition database Ø Country Reports database Ø JSTOR database Ø DESTINY: On-‐Line Book Catalog
and More (more information on page 5).
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Finding Books in the Library
Our online book catalog is called DESTINY. The program is the same one that you used at the Ft. Couch Library. When you log on to a computer here at the High School, click the STUDENT LINKS icon on the black banner. Make sure you choose the High School. Click on DESTINY. You can also access DESTINY at: https://uscsd.follettdestiny.com You can search for books by subject, keyword, author, or call number. The default is KEYWORD. You can use the ADD TO THIS LIST/MY LIST features to create book lists for specific projects or personal reading lists. If you need help navigating DESTINY or locating a book on the shelves, just ask!
Circulation Policy
1. A student is not permitted to sign out any new materials unless her/his library account is in good standing (fines must be paid and overdue books returned).
2. Books in the general collection are circulated for a two-‐week period. The fine for these books is 10 cents a day.
3. Magazines and non-‐book materials are circulated on an overnight basis. Overdue fines are 10 cents a day for these materials.
4. Books from the RESERVE collection are signed out for overnight use. These materials need to be available for student use during the school day. The overdue charge is 50 cents a day for these materials. Reserve materials must be returned before mod 1 on the day that they are due. Please note that MANY RESERVE books CANNOT be checked out but can be copied.
5. REFERENCE books CANNOT be checked out of the library. 6. If students borrow materials through the Access PA Interlibrary Loan service, materials
MUST be returned by the due date given. If materials are lost, students are responsible for paying the replacement fee plus service charges.
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Student Supplies & Information @ the Front Circulation Desk Lined composition paper, construction paper, and graph paper are available at the front Circulation Desk on the left-‐hand side. You can also borrow scissors, glue/sticks, tape, markers, colored pencils, correction fluid, rulers and staplers. Paper clips are there too. Information about work cited, Access PA, and other helpful tips are located at the desk as well. If you need something that you don’t see, just ask!
We have LOTS of old magazines that you can use for projects. Please DO NOT CUT OUT OF CURRENT MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS!
Another great source…The SMART Desk
The SMART Desk’s goal is to help facilitate the integration of technology within the USC High School. The SMART Desk students on staff are willing to help with any technological difficulties. The high school SMART Desk is currently located in the front of the library near the Resource Center. Techies are available all day (pending schedule changes) Monday thru Friday. For more specific time information, and to see who can help you with what, visit the web page http://smartdesk.uscstudents.org/. At the site you can also access help sheets on various topics like how to connect to the student WiFi and view how-‐to videos. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask at the SMART Desk, or send a support request email to [email protected]. Volunteer Opportunity—Be a Library Media Assistant!
LMA's are students who volunteer their "free time" to help us out in the library. Some of their responsibilities include:
• Helping out at the front Circulation Desk (welcome users, write passes, hand out supplies, and check books in and out)
• Clerical work/filing • Occasionally delivering audio/visual equipment, book carts, laptop carts, etc.
If joining our LMA team is appealing to you, stop by the library and talk to Librarians Mrs. Despines or Mrs. Rentschler and one of them will get you on the schedule. Volunteers are eligible to receive IB or NHS service hours.
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If you need COPYRIGHT FREE images, sound clips, or videos for a project, check out CreativeCommons.org.
1820 McLaughlin Run Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Phone: 412.835.5540 Info Line: 412.854.5353 Website: http://www.twpusc.org/library/library-‐home Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:30AM – 9 PM Friday and Saturday 9:30AM -‐ 5 PM Sundays 1 PM – 5 PM Closed summer Sundays (Memorial Day through Labor Day)
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Get in The Know about the USCHS Library
Did you know that the USCHS Library…
…has its own lost and found? …has a small supply of construction paper? …has notebook and graph paper? …lets you borrow crayons, markers, colored pencils, White-Out, rulers, glue, and other supplies at the front Circulation Desk? …has a charging station for your Personal Electronic Devices (near the paperbacks)? …has a large collection of paperbacks…many of which are contemporary YA fiction…and perfect for supplemental novels? …has many magazine titles and back issues from 3 years ago? …has online database brochures, Access PA and POWER Library, and MLA and APA guides? …has USB ports on all Library computers so that you can save to a portable memory drive? …has paper and can/bottle recycling bins? PLEASE USE THEM! …has 2 librarians (Mrs. Despines and Mrs. Rentschler) and a library secretary (Mrs. Gallo) to help you with all of your information needs? …is open before, during and after school (7am-3:50pm M-TH; 7am-3:20pm Fri.)?
Stop by the library…We have answers to questions that you haven’t even thought of yet!
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SEVEN STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE RESEARCH STEP 1: Identify And Develop Your Topic.
o It might be helpful to state your topic as a question and then identify the main concepts or keywords in the question.
o Write down your keywords on an index card or Post-‐It and have it with you as you look in print indexes and experiment with search terms online.
o Keep track of what search terms yield the best results, whether it is in the number of hits or quality of article, and try that same search in other databases.
STEP 2: Find Background Information. o Use dictionaries, encyclopedias and textbooks to find necessary background information and to develop a list of
keywords to help in searches. Look for your keywords in the indexes and table of contents of sources (glossaries too).
o It’s often helpful to look at the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles for more options. o As stated above, write down your keywords on an index card or Post-‐It and have it with you as you look in print
indexes and experiment with search terms online. Keep track of what search terms yield the best results, whether it is in the number of hits or quality of article, and try that same search in other databases.
STEP 3: Use DESTINY, the online resource catalog, to find USC High School Library books. If possible, use ACCESS PA Interlibrary loan to request books from other libraries.
o You can use the Resource List feature to compile a list of books that look interesting for your topic. Ask a librarian for help using DESTINY and locating books on the shelves.
o If print resources are unavailable from the USCHS Library, ask a librarian for help in using the ACCESS PA Interlibrary Loan system to request books from other Pennsylvania libraries. Please be aware that this process can take up to 10 days for books to get to you, so plan ahead.
STEP 4: Use on-‐line databases available through the USC High School Library to find periodicals and other documents on your topic.
o Refer to the class/teacher specific PATHFINDERS posted on the library web site and on the USCHS Library class in Blended Schools for the best online databases to use for your research assignment and access information (login and passwords). Database information is also available in the USCHS Library’s On-‐Line Resources Brochure. Print brochures are located in the library, or you can visit the library web site for the PDF. All library databases are available from STUDENT LINKS from the USCHS webpage.
o Remember to compile a list of keywords BEFORE you sit at the computer to search. o Pay attention to subject headings listed in records for more options. o Each database is unique. Take advantage of the database features that allow you to narrow or broaden your
searches. o Most databases have a CITE feature that will give you the proper MLA citation to document the article. You can
copy and paste the citation into your works cited! o Make sure to narrow your search to FULL-‐TEXT so you get the entire article and not just a summary/abstract. o Some databases, like History Reference Center, allow you to limit your results by searching a specific time period. o Some databases give you an ABSTRACT or summary of the article at the top or beginning of the article. Read the
abstract and if it relates to your topic, continue reading the article. If it is irrelevant, go to the next article in your results list.
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STEP 5A: Find Credible and Relevant Internet Resources.
o Evaluate those web sites! Make sure that the sites are credible and relevant for our topic. Evaluate each site using the points below:
• Are the links relevant and appropriate? • Locate the author/producer of the site. Is her/his name listed on the page? • What is the author’s authority in the subject matter presented in the website? Look in the About This
Site link on the page, if applicable. • Is there a way to contact the author on the page (e-‐mail, address, phone number)? • Is the site linked to a government, educational, or industrial establishment? If so, this is a good sign. • Does the site list sources used in the information presented? If so, great! • Is the purpose of the site obvious? • To the best of your knowledge, does the site use correct spelling and grammar? • Does the site have a copyright and/or last revision date? (Sometimes this is located at the bottom of
the page.) • Do the links on the page work? Beware of excessive, irrelevant advertisements on the page.
STEP 5B: When you find credible sources, evaluate What You Find.
o It’s important to spend a little time evaluating the quality of the sources that you found on your topic. § Is article/book helpful? § Does it answer your research question? If so, how can you use the information? § Where will the information fit into your paper/presentation?
o As stated above, did you read the ABSTRACT or summary of the article at the top or beginning of the article? If not, read the abstract. If it relates to your topic, continue reading the article. If it is irrelevant, go to the next article in your results list.
o If you have found too many or too few sources, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic. See the steps above or ask a librarian for assistance.
STEP 6: If applicable, find audio and video resources for additional information, especially if you need media sources to use in presentations.
o See a librarian for help with this step.
STEP 7: Cite What You Find Using MLA or APA Format.
o Refer to the MLA style guide sheet (The MLA Green Sheet) or APA style guide sheet (The APA Yellow Sheet) given to you. These sheets are also available on the Library Page of our school’s website and in the USCHS Library class page in Blended Schools. We always have extra print copies in the library.
o Be sure to cite any information that you directly quote, paraphrase, or summarize. A good rule of thumb is: if the idea isn’t yours, cite the source!
o You also need to cite the sources of online sounds, video, presentations, Tweets, posts, and images (print images too).
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Reading Tips For Teens
From the American Library Association
v Mix-up your activities: read your e-mail for a while, read a book for a while, do your homework for a while. Repeat. Have snacks handy.
v Learn while you read---the one does not exclude the other.
v Read in small bytes-10 minutes on the way to and from school, 15 minutes before going to sleep, 10 minutes waiting for friends to pick you up. That totals 45 minutes--a good-sized Daily Reading Total (DRT).
v Join a book discussion group at your school or public library, or online.
v Realize your reading speed increases the more you read.
v Realize that time goes faster when you are reading for the fun of it.
v Read what you are passionate about.
v Find the right book or magazine for you.
v Keep a list of what you read and compare it to lists of Best Books, Quick Picks or Outstanding Books for the College Bound: www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.
v Write about what you read.
v Realize reading for the fun of it is a good way to relax.
v Talk about your reading with friends and family.
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Looking for something to read? Ask your librarian for help, check out the book lists on the
USCHS Library web site at http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/domain/95,
or visit the websites below.
The following sites offer the best of the best in book lists.
Booklists & Book Awards http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bookawards/booklists/members Outstanding Books for the College Bound http://www.ala.org/yalsa/outstanding-‐books-‐college-‐
bound#2014%20List Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/popular-‐paperbacks-‐young-‐adults 2015 Teens’ Top Ten Nominations http://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten