Open Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM-4:00 PM (before school, during lunch, and after school)

• When visiting the Library during regular classroom periods, you MUST have a pass from your teacher AND sign in at the Circulation Desk. 
• ALWAYS sign in before using a computer, before school, during school, during lunch and after school. 
• Be sure to sign in completely and carefully.

• While in the Library, you are expected to be respectful and honor the rights of all Library users.  Acceptable use of the Library is reading, studying, conducting research, checking out and returning materials, and appropriate activities relating to academic or personal growth.  Unacceptable use of the Library includes eating/drinking, socializing, and disturbing others.  Please refrain from sitting on tables or on the floor, and be respectful toward the Library environment.  This includes pushing in chairs and leaving your area in a neat and tidy condition.
• No loud talking.  You may discuss your work, but please keep the noise level to a minimum.
• No hats are to be worn in the Library.
• No food or drink is permitted in the Library.
• No card or game playing is permitted in the Library.
• Please do not re-shelve library books. Kindly place library books in the designated Re-Shelving Areas near the non-fiction section.
• Please handle all library books and equipment with respect.
• Personal headphones are not allowed in the Library.

• You MUST present your student ID card to check out books.  No student ID = no check-out!
• You may check out up to three (3)  library books at a time.
• All library books, with the exception of reference books, may be checked out for three (3) weeks, with the option of renewing the check-out for an additional three-week period.  If you are ill, you may make arrangements with a family member or friend to return any library books; however, library books checked out to your student ID remain your responsibility.
• Be sure to check the “Date Due” slip located in the back of the library book as a reminder of when it MUST be returned!
• You may renew your check-out status (check out the same book for an additional three weeks), but you MUST bring the book(s) to the Circulation Desk for renewal.
• Please allow time for check-outs.  If you wait until the last minute, you may be late for class!
• You may not check out library books if you have unpaid fines and/or overdue books.
• You may not check out a book for another student—students MUST use their personal student ID cards and check out their own books.  You are responsible for any books checked out on your student ID. 
• Return books to the Library on or before the due date by placing them in the Book Drop at the Circulation Desk located inside the main entrance of the Library.
• You will be charged a fine of 20 cents per day for overdue library books.  
• You will not receive your report card at the end of the semester or end of the school year, and will not receive your yearbook at the end of the school year, until ALL overdue books are returned and fines are paid.

• Overdue library books: 20 cents per school day
• Damaged library books: $10.00
• Damaged beyond use:  Full replacement cost of book
• Lost library books: Full replacement cost of book
• Barcode missing/damaged: $5.00
• Lost, paid, found, returned usable:Full refund

• On any campus computer, click on the Library Catalog icon on your computer’s desktop.  This will open up the Library Catalog.  You may search by keyword, title, author, subject, series or call number.  Using the Library Catalog, you can determine where to find books in the Library by using the book’s call number.  The call number, located on the lower spine of a library book, is basically like a book’s address, or where it lives on the shelf.  The Library Catalog will also tell you the availability of books.
• Fiction books can be defined as narratives or short stories in which all or some of the events, characters, or places are imagined.  Fiction books are placed on the shelves in alphabetical order by the last name of the author under the abbreviation FIC.  These books include mysteries, suspense, science-fiction, and romance.
• Story Collection books (short stories and narratives) are identified by the abbreviation SC and are located at the very end of the Fiction section.
• Biographies and autobiographies are books written about particular people.  Collective biographies (books containing more than one biography) can be found under the call number 920.  Individual biographies and autobiographies are located in the biography section under the call number 921. 
• Non-fiction books are based on factual information, like technology, sciences, history, and the arts.  These books are organized by the Dewey Decimal System of Classification.  They are organized by the following call number categories:                                                                                                                         

                                000-099 General works (includes encyclopedias)

                                100-199  Philosophy and psychology

                                200-299  Religion

                                300-399  Social sciences

                                400-499  Language

                                500-599  Natural sciences and mathematics

                                600-699  Technology (applied sciences)

                                700-799  The Arts, Sports, Music    

                                800-899  Literature, Poetry               

                                900-999  Geography and history

• Reference books are a great way to begin research!  They include general encyclopedias and subject-specific encyclopedias, and will often lead you to other great sources of information related to your search.  You will also find dictionaries and other interesting fact books in this section.  Reference books are also organized using the Dewey Decimal System, and are identified with REF above the call number.

The computers in the Library provide access to the Library Catalog, online subscription databases, and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, etc.).

• You MUST submit a signed Internet Responsible Use Agreement.
• When visiting the Library during class time, you MUST have a pass from your teacher and sign the registry at the Circulation Desk, stating your name, date, time/class period, teacher who gave the assignment, and the assignment. When you have completed your work, you MUST sign out at the Circulation Desk, stating time of completion of your assignment.
• You MUST stay within designated search areas. 
• Attempting to play or playing games is prohibited.
• No food or drink is allowed near the computers (or in the Library!).
• Attempting to visit or visiting Internet chat rooms, message boards, and forums is prohibited.
• Attempting to download or downloading a program from the Internet is prohibited.
• Attempting to visit or visiting, attempting to view or viewing inappropriate sites, or printing inappropriate material, is prohibited.
• BE AWARE THAT YOUR COMPUTER ACTIVITY IS MONITORED AT ALL TIMES!

All PHS Library Internet usage is governed by the Turlock Union School District Student Acceptable Use Policy.  You may only use the Internet under the direction of a staff member after submitting a Student Technology Acceptable Use Agreement form signed by a parent/guardian. You are responsible for appropriate activity on library computers.  Access is a privilege, not a right.  Damaging computer systems, playing games, displaying offensive or inappropriate messages, pictures or obscene language, changing ANY settings, and downloading files, games or anything other than articles/pictures for research are all prohibited and punishable by disciplinary action.  PHS Library computers are not available for sending or receiving personal e-mail or communicating with any form of messaging.  Any abuse or violation of computer rules may result in network access being denied, revoked or suspended, and may include disciplinary action and/or legal referral.

Comprehensive online licensed databases are available on the Library's 30 student computer workstations.

Grolier Online Encyclopedias:  a great source for research!  Search from any computer on campus.  Username & password is pitmanhs.

• Encyclopedia Americana
• Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
• La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre

ProQuest’s SIRS Knowledge Resource:  an extensive database for researching periodicals---magazines, newspapers, journals. It's accessible from home, as well!  Click the link here, enter username pitmanhs and password pitmanhs, then select SIRS Knowledge Source, and you’re in!

SIRS Issues Researcher-features thousands of full-text articles on today’s hottest and most controversial issues.  To watch a helpful demo on how easy it is to use the SIRS Issues Researcher, please click here. 

• Issues Researcher--features thousands of full-text articles and analysis on today's hottest and most controversial social, scientific, health, historic, economic, political, and global issues. The unique non-divisive, unbiased content on all sides of an issue--pro, con, and everything in between.

• Government Reporter-full-text US government documents and graphics, including Supreme Court decisions, historic documents and National Archives.
• Renaissance-full-text articles and color images on the arts and humanities selected from more than 1,200 publications.

You may print articles from the library computer work stations. To avoid excess paper use when printing from the Internet, you should copy and paste text from a website to a Word document if possible. (Highlight the text you wish to print, right click>copy; open a Word Document, right click>paste.)

The John H. Pitman High School Library Selection Policy is designed to serve and support the curriculum and the needs and specific interests of our students, as well as the informational and recreational needs of the high school community. The Library provides a wide range of materials for varied levels of reading, in a variety of formats, selected to enrich curriculum and foster the development of our students intellectually and socially.

A selection policy is necessary to:

• Maintain a balanced and broad collection of materials and resources for information, reference, research and recreation.
• Ensure continued growth of the collection in conjunction with the defined goals and objectives of the curriculum.
• Support the democratic process through the development of informed and responsible citizens.
• Inform the community about the Library selection procedures.
• Provide a measure of response to community concerns.
• Provide guidelines for selection of materials and resources.
• Provide a measure of evaluation for the current collection.

• Support the academic, professional and personal needs of the high school community.
• Support students at all academic levels and interests.
• Encourage, inspire and stimulate students’ interests and appreciation for reading and learning.

The selection of John H. Pitman High School Library materials and resources is the responsibility of the Coordinator of Library Services and the professional staff. Reviews published in professional, literary or general periodicals recognized for their expertise are consulted as the basis of selection. The removal of materials no longer appropriate and the replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value is part of the selection process. Suggestions for purchasing materials and resources are welcomed and are given consideration within the guidelines of the Library Selection Policy. Gift materials, free and sponsored materials are evaluated by the same selection criteria as purchased materials.

Note: Materials and resources selected for the John H. Pitman High School Library are based on the merit of the work and its relevance to the needs, interests and demands of the curriculum. The Library neither endorses any particular views or beliefs, nor is the selection of materials by the school an endorsement of any particular viewpoint or author. The responsibility for a student’s reading rests with his/her parent or legal guardian.

The following criteria are used as a guide in the selection process:

• Contemporary significance or permanent value.
• Contribution to the curriculum and educational goals of the school.
• Relevance to the interests of students.
• Favorable reviews published in standard selection resources
• Authority, reputation and significance of the author, and publisher.\
• Contribution to the breadth and diversity of viewpoints.
• Contribution to multicultural awareness.
• Quality, durability and variety of format.
• Suitability of format and appearance for intended use.
• Value, proportionate to cost and/or need.