LIBRARY CHARTER

LIBRARY CHARTER

LIBRARY POLICY

 FOR 

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYAS

Library Charter

                Every Kendriya  Vidyalaya will have a library. The objectives of the library is to:

·                     Be the knowledge hub of the school and disseminate knowledge as widely as possible.

·                     Facilitate creation of new knowledge.

·                     Facilitate optimal use of knowledge by all staff and students.

·                     Ensure easy access to the facilities available to all staff and students.

·                     Encourage and foster reading habit among staff and students.

·                     Effectively participate in the teaching-learning programmes of the school.

 In order to achieve these objectives the library will undertake to:-

·                     Serve as the center of information for the Vidyalaya and provide easy access to national and global knowledge to all staff and students.

·                     Offer an inviting and attractive physical space with proper seating arrangements and other amenities.

·                     Ensure that staff and students are treated with courtesy and offered all assistance in their pursuit of knowledge.

·                     Offer proactive services to all users.

·                     Optimize its potential to provide access to information and knowledge to all by proper display, categorization/classification of resource materials.

·                     Help all the users to develop the skills to make optimum use of all the facilities.

·                     Undertake activities to foster an interest in books and increase involvement in the library.

·                     Improve the collection and services on a continuing basis in consultation with users/stakeholders.

·                     Workout a progamme in consultation with teachers for the effective use of all types of library materials.

·                     To work effectively and efficiently by undertaking every activity in a professional manner.

General guidelines for the library

1.             The library must maintain a well-rounded core collection including reference materials to satisfy the regular needs of the staff and students.  The core collection would consist of several copies of textbooks, reference materials related to each subject, costly essential books which would include encyclopedias, maps, atlas, rare books on particular topics/subjects or exclusive editions of general books.

2.             Besides the core collection other general(fiction and nonfiction) books for regular issue should be available in the library.

3.             The core collection may be supplemented through networks, e-resources etc to provide better qualitative and quantitative services.

4.             Library collections are dynamic resources and therefore, there should be constant review and renewal of material to ensure that the collections are relevant to the users/stakeholders.

5.             Weeding out of books should be a regular feature and should be carried out with the approval of the competent authority, at least once in a year

6.             Categorizing/classifying and indexing of books should be invariably done keeping in mind the objective of the library.

7.             The library should follow open access system.

Size of library collection.

1.             The core collection of the library should take into account the size of the Vidyalaya and subjects offered besides covering project based  activities, career guidance, counseling etc.

2.             Books should be available in both English and Hindi.

3.             Besides the core collection, other general books put together should be at the rate of 5 books per student subject to a minimum of 1500 books for newly opened schools. This collection should be well thought out. Low cost and age relevant editions of classics and fictions should be preferred for the general section of the school library.

4.             Book purchase should be a continuous process and some percentage of the total Vidyalaya budget should be earmarked for collection development on a recurring basis. Out of this budget, 50% should compulsorily be earmarked for elementary classes (i.e. up to class VIII)

5.             To encourage more teacher participation in the library, a teacher may be allowed to purchase books (which are not available in the library) up to Rs.500 per year.  The cost of the book/books should be reimbursed to the teacher after the books are deposited in the library along with the bill.  However, this kind of purchase would be limited to only a certain amount that would be decided by the Library Committee. It must be verified that these are not sample copies provided by publishers.

6.             During annual stock taking, weeding out of collection should also be carried out.

7.             For newly opened Vidyalayas a one-time budget would be provided for setting up the basic collection.

8.             Besides books, libraries should subscribe to useful magazines, periodicals and journals.

Services to be provided by the library.

1.             Issue of books for home use – Each student would be issued two books at a time for a period of one week.  Staff members, including Principal, would be issued maximum five books at a time for a maximum period of one fortnight.  Failure to return books on time would compulsorily lead to penalty of Re.1 per day for all (students & staff).

2.             A recall system for overdue books should be introduced. This could be achieved by sending an overdue note to the concerned student through the Class Teacher. In case of staff the note can be sent through the school office.

3.             Reissue of books by a user may be allowed maximum twice more after first issue.

4.             Newly purchased books should not be issued to any user for at least one month but should be displayed separately as new arrivals.

5.             Issue of subject reference books – Only subject reference books from reference section would be issued for home use on those days when the successive day is a holiday.  The book will have to be returned on the next working day. Dictionaries, Encyclopedias etc would not be issued.

6.             One set of textbooks may be issued to teachers for the subject being taught by them for the whole session.

7.             In case a user loses a book he/she would have to either replace the book or deposit three times the price of the book in the library.

8.             Each user would be provided with library cards for issue of books.

9.             Magazines and periodicals may also be issued for a week only. However, it must be ensured that at least two previous issues are available in the library. A separate register should be maintained for this purpose.

10.          Reading facilities in the Library  – There should be comfortable seating arrangement with proper lighting in the library.  The library would be open on all working days and the entire duration of school hours.

11.          Each section will have two library periods per week. Classes VI to XII will go to the library during this period. For primary classes the teacher supervising the library period will give books from class library to the students. One teacher, who would help in maintaining discipline in the library as well as assist the librarian, will accompany the students of class VI & above to the library. However, the arrangement for library class may differ from school to school depending on the number of sections per class. In very large schools one period of class library  can be introduced.  Notwithstanding this the number of library periods would be two per section out of which one period will be in the library. The class library period can be utilized for other library related activity also for which the class teacher would be incharge.

12.          The librarian should also identify two students in each section who would assist in library activities.

13.          Librarian should facilitate in the use of the library by acting as intermediary between the users and the collection.

14.          Computer and Internet access – The library should have a computer, which would be used for storing information of the collection, record of books issued, digitalized books and provide internet access.

Organization of the Library

1.             A proper system of cataloging and classification of the collection should be done to provide easy access and also to keep account of the books. Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system should be used for this purpose.

2.             Computerization of the library should be carried out.

3.             Books should be arranged in lockable shelves but open access system should be followed.

4.             The library should subscribe at least 10 periodicals/journals/magazines.  These should be attractively displayed on magazine racks.  Newspapers should be displayed on stands. Old periodical/magazines/newspapers should be arranged date wise and preserved for at least 6 months.

5.             The display boards in the library should show the jacket covers of latest books, interesting information on various topics, besides writings of students and teachers.

1.             The library should also carry out a number of activities like:-

1.             Display of latest books, magazines & periodicals.

2.             Book reviews

3.             Organization of book  fairs (at school or cluster level by involving other nearby schools).

4.             Career guidance and counseling corner.

5.             Themes for the week and display of related material.

6.             Compilation of material from newspapers/magazines etc for various topics like environment, science and technology etc.

7.             Organization of Book Quiz.

8.             Prizes to students who have borrowed the maximum number of books.

9.             Establishing of book clubs.

7.     The library should invariably display the following information:

                   i.                        Total no. of books

                ii.                        No. of text books

              iii.                        No. of Reference books.

              iv.                        No. of general( fiction  and non fiction) books

                 v.                        Subject wise list of books

              vi.                        Class wise list of fiction and non-fiction available in the library.

            vii.                        No. of periodicals/magazines  available  along with their names and periodicity.

Management of Library

1.             The librarian will manage the library and the duties of the librarian will include all that has been stated in the previous sections.

2.             There shall be a library committee, headed by the Principal and at least 03 teacher members who have a genuine love for books. The teachers should be one each from Primary, Secondary and Sr. Secondary classes. The committee would also include two students to be selected by the Principal from Classes VII to XII. The Librarian would be the Member-Secretary of the Committee. The Committee will select books for the library keeping in view the natural interests and needs of the children, their age group and intelligence. There should also be continuous renewal of books for which meetings should be held on half yearly basis. The Library Committee can invite other teachers/students to the meetings for their advice/suggestion.  This committee shall meet as often as possible but at least once in a month.

3.             Besides recommending books for the library the Library Committee will also recommend suitable budgetary provision for the library; develop a general programme of library service to suit the interest and requirement of different sections of users; review library rules and formulate new rules for the library; make recommendations for proper functioning of the library.

4.             All teachers and students can recommend books for the library for which a suggestion box should be kept in the library. Suggestions received through this box shall be placed for consideration of Library Committee.

5.             Besides books for children, the Committee will also select books for teachers on various subjects apart from Academics.

6.             For Primary classes (I to V), class library will be set up.  These libraries will be under the charge of class teachers.  The class teacher will get books from the main library, which will be in accordance with the standard and interest of the age group of the children of the class concerned.  They should be attractively displayed in lockable shelves and kept in the class. The teacher will issue books to the children during library period. After these books have been read, another set would be issued from the main library.

7.             The Primary teacher would maintain a register regarding issue of books to the students so that he/she can keep track of the books read and students are not given books they have already read.

8.             The selection of books for the class libraries will also be done by a committee comprising of H.M, librarian, class teacher, two other teachers and two students who will be nominated by the Principal.

9.             The class teacher will ensure that every pupil in the class maintains a notebook in which the name of the book read, its author and a brief account of the content is recorded.

10.          Non-compliance of the instructions given above will be considered to be a dereliction of duty for which suitable action may be initiated against the concerned Principal/Librarian/Teacher/H.M.

Monitoring and Evaluation of collection and Services.

Statistics should be maintained on the following so that they can be used for monitoring and evaluation.

1.             No. of users.

2.             No and percentage of collection issued on any given day.

3.             Number of books issued during a stated period.

4.             Average books issued per user per unit time.

5.             Number of recommendations received for purchase of books per year.

6.             Class wise list of activities conducted in a year along with number of participants.

7.             Number of new books added per year.

8.             Number of old books weeded out.