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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  smartdesk@uscstudents.org.    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