Section V. The Library/Media Center

The Morgan Park High School Library/Media Center is firmly committed to support the learning environment and curriculum established by the school.

The Library/Media Center will provide an easily accessible learning environment equipped with appropriate technology to provide answers and encourage questions.

The Library/Media Center will work with and support faculty in delivering quality education by supplying text and other media available to enhance curriculum development and delivery.

SIZE - Morgan Park High School Library / Media Center has seating for 108 students in the main room and 20 students in the reference area. We have seating for 8 students in the computer lab, located in the rear of the library.

SCOPE - The library/media center is approximately 9,200 square feet, housing approximately 19,000 hardback books, 1,800 paperbacks, 61 periodicals, 2000 reference books, 300 professional books, 351 videos, 15 kits and 16 CD-ROMs. The computer lab in the rear of the library is equipped with Internet access.

CIRCULATION - Most of our books circulate for a period of two weeks, unless there is a great demand for them; then we give them a one week restriction. Our reference material must be used in the library. Our vertical file, country file and periodicals are loaned out overnight. There are times when instructors ask that we put certain items on reserve for their classes. These items will not circulate during this time, but the students are allowed to use them in the library or photocopy anything that they need to take with them.

ADMINISTRATION - We have one full time librarian and one assistant at this time. The library is open to patrons from 7 A.M. until 3:30 P.M., five days a week. The computer lab is open to patrons from 7 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. five days a week.

PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT - I have asked that the line which supplies the Internet Lab be brought forward into the library proper for use by our library patrons. We would like to see at least 4 stations for the immediate future and 10 stations total to be up and running by September, 1999. There are areas of our collection that need work to bring them up to date. We have done extensive weeding, but there is still work to be done. Our library/media center started to weed and take inventory approximately 2 1/2 years ago while preparing for automated circulation. We are now fully automated and working on each discipline to update where needed. Request sheets are given to each department at the beginning of the year so they can help us to supply the library /media center with the material the students will need to help them with their research. The library's budget for 97/98 was divided among all of the departments. The library's collection of books, periodicals and reference materials is not adequate at this time to meet all the needs of the IB Diploma Program. We will, however, continue to develop our collection. We have professional education books and periodicals for each of the departments for development of the faculty.