Greetings Cole family and friends!
I am so excited to have your children back at school and can't wait to see them in the library. When classes visit the library, they will have the opportunity to partake in library skills lessons, curriculum-related support, digital technology lessons tied to the curriculum, and read- alouds.
Parents will be able to stay informed of our library happenings via our monthly newsletter. The newsletter will provide our school community with information pertaining to any previous and upcoming events in our library, information on resources available, as well as up to date library statistics.
Library Mission
The mission of The Bennie L. Cole Library is the educational and informational hub for our elementary campus. The goal is to provide high quality materials and learning opportunities for ALL patrons.
Our 13,000+ book collection, 16 iPads, 5 desktop computers are open to students, parents, and community members 7:15am - 3:30pm daily. Classes and individual students visit our library throughout the day to check out books, utilize digital resources, and participate in STEM activities.
Library Hours
The library will open up from 7:15-7:40 a.m. for morning checkouts. We encourage students and parents to come to morning checkouts.
After the 7:40 a.m. bell rings, all students must go to their class for the start of the school day. Parents are welcome to stay and check out books after 7:40-8:00 a.m. only, but they must go to the front office and obtain a visitor's pass. This is for the safety of all students/staff on campus.
The only times that the library closes during the day is during the librarian's lunchtime which is 11:30-12:00, and/or during any other time that the library is being used to host special events or when the librarian has other commitments.
If you are planning a trip to the library and want to verify that the library is open, feel free to contact me at 210-398-2133.
Library Expectations
The Cole Library prides itself in having the newest releases available by our book vendors in order for our students to have the best literature in their hands. Keeping this in mind, we must have some expectations for our students to abide by in order to ensure that all of our students have the ability to read good quality books.
In order to keep our books in the best condition possible, our students will be asked to pledge the following:
- I pledge that I will keep books clean and if at all possible, I will wash my hands before reading my books.
- I pledge to keep my books away from babies, pets, food, and liquids.
- I pledge to turn book pages carefully from the corner and use a bookmark to mark my spot.
- I pledge to not write or draw on the pages of my book. I also pledge to make sure that others do not mark or write on my book.
- I pledge to keep my book in a safe place while I am not reading it, like in my backpack, in order to keep it out of the hands of others.
- I pledge to look through my book before leaving the library to make sure there is no damage done by others. If I find that my book is damaged, I pledge to let the librarian or my teacher know immediately so that I may select another book.
- I pledge to be responsible for taking care of my books and if I lose and/or damage a book, I will talk to my parents in order to determine the best way we can make amends to replace the book that was under my care.
Library Schedule
Classes will visit the library on a 10-day rotation schedule. Every 10 days students will have the opportunity to return their library book and obtain a new one.
Please refer to your child's classroom newsletter in order to find out the day your child will be visiting the library so that you may remind your child to make sure to place his/her book in his/her backpack to bring to school.
If a child does not return their library book on their library day, they will not be able to check out a new book during that time. They can, however, come any other day in the morning to return their book and obtain a new one.
Library Check-outs
As students advance grade levels, they are allowed to check out more books from our Cole Library.
The following are the allotted books per student per grade level:
- Pre-K=Teacher Checks Out Class Sets
- Kindergarten=1 book
- First Grade= 1 book
- Second Grade= 2 books
- Third Grade= 2 books
- Fourth Grade=2 books
- Fifth Grade= 2 books
Books must be returned in order for students to continue to check out from the library, no exceptions.
Book Selection
Research shows a strong link between children's love of reading and their ability to choose their own reading materials. Self-selection and free choice within our curated, well-maintained collection is so important to our students' reading lives. As library patrons, your child has the ability to select the book he/she wants to read. Having the opportunity to select reading materials is a wonderful experience for all students to have and we want them to enjoy it.
Please take some time to have a discussion with your child if you have any concerns about their book choices. If as a family, there are types of books that you do not wish for your child to
check out (Example: spooky stories, special themes, etc.) make sure that your child is aware of that expectation. Having open discussions at home will prepare your child and also will give them a better understanding of what types of books or topics are acceptable for them to take home. We cannot manage this in the library, and all students have the right to self-select and check out books of their own liking, so having these discussions at home prior to them coming to the library will create a positive library experience.
Books housed in our library range from Easy Readers up to chapter books that can range from reading levels for grades 3-6.
Parent Accounts
Calling all Cole Parents!..... We encourage our Cole parents to open up a library account to check out books for their children to read at home. Parents can check out up to five books for a period of up to 2 weeks. Our library prides itself in helping our Cole students and families become lifelong readers.
To open up a library account, simply stop by the library and pick up a parent patron application and we will get you set up right away.
Need Additional Reading Resources?
Our Cole Helpful l Resources Newsletter contains a lot of information for our patrons/families, such as reading websites and databases that can provide additional help in the areas of reading and ELA. Please visit this newsletter by clicking on the button link below. 'Bear'y Helpful Resources Newsletter
Library Volunteers Needed
We welcome all parents and community members to become library volunteers.
- What do I need to do to become a volunteer? First, all volunteers on campus will have to submit a volunteer request form, which is a background check. Once the background check clears, volunteers may begin to come to the school and help out.
- What do library volunteers help with? Library volunteers are needed daily in order to re-shelf all returning books in their rightful place.
- Do I need to have any experience? No experience is needed. The librarian will train you on the spot. The only knowledge needed in order to successfully place the books back where they belong is to know ABC and numerical order.
- Will I have an assigned day to come volunteer? In the past, we have had volunteers that only come on certain days, but the librarian leaves volunteering is completely up to the individual and welcomes volunteers when they are available to come. There will be no set days, times, or commitments, unless the volunteer requests it, because we understand life happens and we are happy whenever a volunteer can donate their time to come to help out in the library.