The mission of the Margaret Jeffries Library is to uphold the beliefs and values of St. James/Seton School in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. We strive to provide a positive environment for learning and growing as Catholic Christians and well-rounded citizens. We hope to foster a love of reading, a zeal for learning, and a respect for all persons.

The purpose of our Selection Policy is:

1. To provide materials that reaffirm our Catholic, Christian values.
2. To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum and personal needs of the users, taking into consideration varied interests, abilities, maturity levels, and learning styles.
3. To provide a background of information which will enable students to make intelligent and moral judgments in their daily lives and enable students, guided by classroom instruction and pervasive Catholic philosophy, to develop an intellectual integrity in forming judgments.
4. To provide materials on various aspects of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, with Christian guidance, a practice of critical reading and thinking.
5. To provide a balanced collection appropriate for users in our Catholic school system, with material selected for quality rather than prejudice or personal opinion.
6. To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, moral principles, and ethical standards.
7. To provide materials that will promote the love of reading, develop appreciation and discrimination, satisfy natural curiosity, and contribute to the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth of students according to their present and future needs.
8. To provide materials representative of many religions, ethnic and cultural groups, and their contributions to our American heritage.
9. To provide resources that will support and enhance the effective use and retrieval of materials and facilitate independent learning, research, study skills, and information literacy.
10. ------based, in part, on the School Library Bill of Rights.

The Three R's - Respect, Responsibility, Reading

Remember... Safety First!

Everyone deserves a quiet place to read and study.

Stay in your own space!

Practice your Catholic faith.

Each student's feelings are important.

Classroom rules apply.

Talk with quiet voices.

Return books on time and in good condition.

Each student is responsible for books checked out to them.

Select books that are the appropriate reading level and approved by parents.

Please help keep books in their proper order on the shevles.

Overdue books create fines! 5 cents per day/per book.

No gum, candy, food or toys in the Media Center.

Students are invited, but not required, to participate in the Birthday Book Club.

Internet access by permission only. Limit of 15.

Bring all necessary materials to library class with you.

If you can't find it... ask!

Limit your Card Catalog to book searches to four books while others are waiting.

Investigate, explore, search and discover new things to read and research.

The information literacy skills you learn now will enable you to succeed in life!

Your backpacks, notebooks, etc. should be left on the designated table or shelves while in library class.

Read!!

Enjoy!!

Ask!!

Discover!!

• As of 8-1-2009, SJ/S we have over 28,000 books in circulation. Over 17,000 books have Accelerated Reader quizzes available.
• SJ/S circulate over 5,000 books each week.
• SJ/S has approximately 500 videos for classroom use.
• Presently, in the library, there are four computers available for AR quizzes, card catalog look-up, and internet use.
• SJ/S has many back issues of National Geographic, Zoo Life, Cricket, Highlights, Time, and Sports Illustrated and other magazines for in-library use.
• There are two sets of encyclopedias available for in-library use and the annual Guiness Book of World Records for in-library use.

The Media Center is open daily from 7:40 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. when school is in session.

Students are allowed to check out books before and after school, during their library class, and during "Open Check Out" times on the daily schedule.

The Media Lab adjacent to the Media Center is open at 7:40 a.m. for student use. Students may visit the Media Lab during the day to take AR quizzes or work on school projects (with teacher permission.) The Lab closes at 3:30 p.m. each day. Students needing to take AR quizzes after school may come to the Media Lab in the Library until 3:30 p.m. daily.