Library Media Services

The Department of Innovative Learning, Library Media Services (LMS), launched the “Leveraging Libraries to Improve Student Achievement (LLISA)” initiative. Moving forward, LMS will continue to provide ongoing leadership, advocacy, and support for building quality library media programs that: 

Create a resource/digital-rich teaching and learning environment that is inviting, safe, flexible, and conducive to learning, and supports multiple literacies  
Cultivate a collaborative culture of inquiry and literary analysis/appreciation 
Integrate information, communication, and technology across curriculum
Encourage independent, ethical exploration, creative production, and communication of information and ideas, and  
Guide schools to ensure collections are current, accurate, and reflective of the communities they serve.

group of smiling students

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Media Center Information and Resources

Book Donations

Book Categories

Books are categorized as:

Non-Fiction (000-999) - A genre of literature that focuses on factual events and real people.
Fiction (F) - Narratives or stories that are created, invented, and made up by the writer.
Easy Fiction (E) - Books that aim to make their subject easy to understand by using photos or drawings to support the story or topic.
Electronic Books (eBooks) - Books read on the computer, e-reader, smartphone, or tablet.
Audiobooks - A recording of a book or other work being read out loud. or An audiocassette or CD recording of a reading of a book, typically a novel.

Digital Direct Card

A thriving school library program equates to increased student engagement, personalized learning opportunities, and access to the variety of digital resources available within and beyond their schools. Our partnership with the Broward County Public Library and Nova Southeastern Library further expands access to additional digital resources, online databases, homework assistance, and literacy events throughout the year.

Through our partnership with Broward County Public Library, students continue to have access to electronic books and audiobooks. For students to have access to the Broward County Library's additional academic electronic resources, they need to opt-in to the Digital Direct Card through the Student Code of Conduct at the beginning of the school year. E-books can be read on a computer or any device. Now students have access to current books anytime, anywhere. Broward students are readers and readers are leaders!

(Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print PDF)

Download a copy of the BCL Digital Direct Card Flyer to learn more.

Digital Direct Card Flyer

E-Books

Broward County Public Schools is dedicated to empowering students with access to engaging, high-quality reading materials anytime, anywhere. Through the Sora app, students can enjoy a wide selection of free ebooks, magazines and audiobooks using their BCPS credentials. Sora offers interactive features like read-alongs, multilingual options, and tools for highlighting and note-taking, making reading both fun and educational.

Start your digital reading journey today with Sora, because every student deserves a world of stories at their fingertips. Students can find out more from their school’s library media specialist.

Guidelines for Objections to Library/Specific Materials

The School Board of Broward County's Policy 4140 details the process for parents, as defined by Florida Statutes, of a student enrolled in a Broward public school, or any adult student who objects to the use of specific instructional or material(s) being used in a school curriculum or media center to complete a protest on the instructional and/or digital materials. See Policy 4140 and the Library Media and Instructional Materials Guide outlining the process.

The District has also developed policies and procedures for selecting materials for our school media centers (Policy 4120). We recognize that not everyone will agree with every selection made. School media collections are developed to appeal to a wide range of diverse ages, interests, and tastes. Our library users have many different opinions and beliefs, and building collections to serve everyone without including some material that some people may find inappropriate is not possible. The District supports the right of all users to decide what material is appropriate for themselves and their families.

Broward County parents and residents who elect to object to library/specific materials should download and complete the Objection to Library/Specific Materials form. Completed forms must be submitted to

objectiontomaterials@browardschools.com.

You may download the Objection to Library Materials form.

Library Media Opt-Out Form

Library Resources

Literacy Resources

Dictionary

Math

Reading

Research

Science

Social Studies

Reading Across Broward (RAB)/Beanstack

The mission of READING ACROSS BROWARD, The Superintendent's Reading Motivation Project, is to motivate Broward students to incorporate reading into their daily lives, foster a lifelong habit of reading and library use, and utilize technology to improve student achievement while promoting reading.

READING ACROSS BROWARD is the “umbrella” under which all reading motivation programs in Broward County’s public schools fall. Students receive recognition for their reading, and can participate in distance learning events, book discussions, online author chats, and other activities that involve them in their reading. Students use the district’s latest application, Beanstack to track their reading. They earn certificates for the number of books read from April 1st to March 31st.

The Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) is the state organization for Media Specialists. The FAME Committees create lists of the best books selected by a committee of media specialists from across the state and voted online by Florida students. The winning author is celebrated at the annual FAME state conference. The lists are the Sunshine State Young Reader Awards for elementary and middle. The high school list is the Florida Teens Read. The Florida Reading Association also provides an annual list for elementary schools. Find out more from your school's media specialist.

Selection and Maintenance of School Library Media Collections

The School Board of Broward County has adopted procedures for developing library media center collections. Below are the guidelines used.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

Criteria for Selection of Print and Non-Print Materials

Materials are selected to support the mission of the school: (Identify school mission)
Materials are selected to enrich and support the curriculum and the educational, emotional, and recreational needs of the users.
Materials shall be appropriate for the age, emotional development, ability levels, learning styles, and social development of students.

In keeping with the Library Bill of Rights, materials will be considered based on the following:

Needs of the curriculum, learning/teaching styles of students, faculty and staff
Possible use of material (including small or large group instruction, in-depth study)
Level of physical, artistic, and literary quality
Treatment of subject and lack of cultural bias
Accuracy and currency of information
Scope of coverage
Support of inquiry and critical thinking skills
Relationship of the material to the overall collection
Cost, packaging, and documentation

MAINTENANCE OF COLLECTION

Removing materials from a library collection that are no longer educationally appropriate is an equally important process as selecting new items of high quality. The library media specialist and/or instructional staff have an ongoing process to evaluate the library media collection and to keep the collection relevant to the changing needs of the curriculum, personal interests, and needs of students. Evaluation of items under consideration for removal from the Library Media Center should be based on criteria related to the educational value of the resources.

Criteria For Removing Items from the Library Collection

Condition: Materials in poor condition due to damage, wear and tear, missing pages or heavily marked pages are prime candidates for replacement.
Content: Materials may be in good physical condition but contain inaccurate or outdated information.
Use: Materials that have not circulated for several years and are not needed for reference purposes should be considered for removal.
Educational Value: Materials that are at inappropriate reading or interest levels for students and materials no longer aligned with the curriculum. The Department of Innovative Learning recommends that the following items should not be weeded or discarded:
- Literary classics, unless more attractive formats are available
- Local and state history, unless collected by another agency
- Major publications of the school, unless another department is responsible for the archive.

Volunteer

Volunteering in the Media Center presents an excellent opportunity for individuals who are passionate about reading and supporting children. We are seeking committed volunteers to assist with the following responsibilities:

Shelving books
Preparing materials
Assisting with the book fair
Typing certificates
Supporting inventory management

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the school's Media Specialist. Please note that all volunteers must complete the online application prior to serving. We appreciate your interest in supporting our school community.

BCPS Volunteer Application

Contact Information

Dr. Sherri Wilson

Director, Innovative Learning