General Use Policies.

The four policies below are from the Almond Bancroft LMC in Almond, Wisconsin. I really like the full document format the LMS used to post all these policies for the public to access because I was able to easily pick out what I would use and what I would change.

Accecptable Use Policy
This policy outlines proper student use of computer network programs and services. This is essential for an LMP Handbook because online resources and computer program subscriptions are just as essential, if not more so, than the print materials in the LMC. This document would apply to all the LMCs in my district, so I would consult with the other LMS's in the district to make sure the policy fits all needs.

Criteria for Student Use
While I believe that this type of policy would be very useful to post in a handbook so that everybody would be aware of behavioral expectations, I would have to alter this particular document to suit my personal philosophy. I would change it so that the LMC would be more of a collaborative workspace instead of a quiet zone. The LMC is meant to be the hub of the school where information is constantly sought and shared, but this sharing cannot occur if students cannot communicate with one another or freely seek resources. While I understand that this particular document would work well in an elementary school, where students need more direction in learning how to work well with one another and how to be respectful, I would change it up to make the LMC more user friendly for a middle school LMC.

Checkout Procedures
This document would be very useful to put in my LMP Handbook because checking out materials should be a solidified process that does not change and should be available for everyone to consult. While I like this particular document, I would not charge fines for overdue materials because I refuse to alienate and stigmatize those students who do not have access to enough money to pay their fines. Instead, I would work out a system where students spend a certain amount of time out of their study hall or lunch period helping me in the LMC for each day a material is overdue. I would also change the renewal policy so that students can renew materials as many times as they need as long as the materials are not on hold for somebody else and as long as they bring the materials in to the LMC to get them renewed.

Overdue Policy
This is an essential policy to have in the handbook so that both patrons and LMC staff know the penalties associated with overdue materials. To adapt this policy to suit my own philosophies, I would change the fine system to a LMC work time system where students work with me in the LMC for five minutes for every day a material is overdue. If a student loses a material, that student will have the choice of paying money to replace the material, replacing the material with a suitable copy, or spending time with me in the LMC to work off the amount in a suitable time frame. I believe in student choice and fostering responsibility, so students would learn that while they need to be responsible for the materials they are assigned to take care of, there are many ways to atone for the mistakes they make.

General Policy Page - James S. Wilson Middle School Library
I really like the way the information is presented on this page, and will probably created a page like this for my own LMC website. The policies are very clear, well organized, and very easy to understand. While I would link to the longer versions of policies that patrons would be able to look at if they wanted to, I would definitely put this type of information right on my LMC homepage. As for the content of these particular policies, I would never issue detentions because I do not believe they accomplish anything. I would, however, have students who misbehave or mistreat the resources come to the LMC to work with me for a few minutes during lunch, study hall, etc. The LMC is a shared space where everyone must cooperate and collaborate with one another, so while giving a student a detention will not teach them that, working with them to put the life energy back into the LMC that their misbehavior took out will.

Copyright Policy - Oshkosh School District
The copyright policy is one of the most important documents to include in the LMP Handbook because it dictates how patrons use any and all information, print and non-print, they find in the LMC. Like this document from the OASD, my document would restate and cite the federal and state laws regarding copyright, and it would list the penalties that would be issued of those laws were broken. This would be a document that would remain the same for all the LMP's across a school district, so I would consult with the other LMS's in the district to finalize the document.

Emergency Preparation Policy - Bret Harte Middle School
A document like this would be very useful to post in my online LMP Handbook because not only would it provide patrons with knowledge about how to respond to emergencies while in the LMC, but it would also be one way to connect the LMC to the rest of the school and district because everyone would basically have the same policies. I chose this particular document because it shows that the school has an Emergency Preparation Committee where members have to complete specific trainings regarding emergency issues. I would join such a committee because, as a leader in the school, I would want to do all I can to keep everyone in the school safe.