POLICY FOR LIBRARY USE BY
JR. HIGH/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION:

The goal of this policy is to provide a quality service for groups visiting the Mabee Learning Center and to make the best possible use of professional staff and library resources. The Mabee Learning Center encourages pre-college students to develop research skills before admission to a college class. This policy is designed to create a productive, learning environment for student groups limited by time, geographical location and/or resources located at their respective school libraries.

POLICY GUIDELINES:

The following guidelines are used to minimize inconvenience to OBU faculty, staff and students while maximizing the research experience for visiting groups and/or individuals. It should be made clear that the Mabee Learning Center is not responsible for unacceptable behavior of an individual, items lost or stolen, or problems of a medical nature.

The Mabee Learning Center encourages non-OBU patrons to make use of the library’s collections according to the following guidelines.

GROUPS OF VISITING STUDENTS SHOULD:

• Be accompanied and assisted by a teacher(s) or instructor(s).
• Be considerate of noise levels and quiet zones in the library.
• Be considerate of OBU faculty, staff and students in regards of space, use of computers, and the library’s collections.
• Arrive with money in order to utilize the photocopiers and the microform copiers.
• Patron cards for checking out books are available to visitors age 18 and older. There is a fee for this service.

INSTRUCTORS IN CHARGE OF VISITING GROUPS SHOULD:

• Schedule visits to the library 1-2 weeks in advance by calling the Head of Public Services at 878-2261. The person responsible for the visiting group should fill out a request form that can be sent by mail, fax or submitted through the web page.
• Be aware of student guidelines.
• Be aware that visiting groups should be limited to 20 students. Groups larger than 20 students will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Arrive with an additional teacher or instructor if group size is larger than 10.
• Be aware that the use of the library by OBU students is very heavy during the months of October to December and March to May. Scheduling during these months may not be possible.
• Arrive with research assignments for students already in place.
• Be aware that the library requires a reimbursement for the use of printer paper.
• Be aware that many of the electronic databases are restricted to OBU faculty, staff and students. Such databases are not available to visiting groups or individuals. Lists of databases available to visiting groups are outlined in the handout accompanying this form.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS POLICY SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE HEAD OF PUBLIC SERVICES, AT 878-2261.