Librarian here. My budget seems large, but if every kid in my school lost a book, I would he tapped out.

I bristle at the idea of restricting everyone's books to school when not everyone is having difficultly returning books. That said, it's not atypical for a school library to ask K students to keep books at school--they are the grade that loses the highest number of books, in my school.

I'd say it's worth enquiring about--is this restriction temporary or permanent? Is is applicable to only this class, or to all K students? Has it been instituted before? None of these are to accuse the school or librarian of anything, just to help OP get a handle on what the policy is and how it will affect students throughout the year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

If it's FCPS then each library gets a pretty generous budget to buy new books and replace missing books.

Are you seriously trying to say that if the library has a generous budget to replace books, the school shouldn't be overly concerned about ensuring books are returned?

The point of the library is to get books into the hands of readers. We're not talking about rare first editions, that must remain in a special room or in a controlled environment.

Yes, of course that is the point, but it is not mutually exclusive to ensuring the books are there for others to get their hands on, read AND enjoy. As a former first grade teacher, this makes sense. I'm not saying I wouldn't be annoyed if my kid was denied taking books home because of the actions of others, but such is life. Sometimes the behavior of a few require the rest to take on a burden, think TSA increased security measures (and 3 oz of liquids limit in your carry on). Annoying but not such a big deal.

That's the problem with offering something to everyone. They get used to it, expect it and when it is taken away for good reason, they are upset. If the school allows students to borrow books and so many of them are not returned, why is it wrong to now allow them to take them home? Maybe the school doesn't have a librarian. Mine doesn't. If teachers want the students to borrow books, they have to record each one in a notebook (someone stole the scanner). If students don't bring the books back and their parents won't pay to replace them, I would not allow books to go home. If this was a problem for just a few kids, I wouldn't allow them to take the books home. It sounds like this is a class problem so the class solution makes sense.

Anonymous wrote:If you can't follow the rules, you live by the consequences.

Or in this case, if other people can't follow the rules, you live by the consequences.

If you can't follow the rules, you live by the consequences.

Anonymous wrote:If the point of a library is to get books into the hands of readers, it is. The readers just have to read the books in school instead of at home. No bid deal IMO.

Not to a book lover or one who promotes book loving.

If the point of a library is to get books into the hands of readers, it is. The readers just have to read the books in school instead of at home. No bid deal IMO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

If it's FCPS then each library gets a pretty generous budget to buy new books and replace missing books.

Are you seriously trying to say that if the library has a generous budget to replace books, the school shouldn't be overly concerned about ensuring books are returned?

The point of the library is to get books into the hands of readers. We're not talking about rare first editions, that must remain in a special room or in a controlled environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

If it's FCPS then each library gets a pretty generous budget to buy new books and replace missing books.

Are you seriously trying to say that if the library has a generous budget to replace books, the school shouldn't be overly concerned about ensuring books are returned?

Get books from the public library.

Parents should have to pay for non-returned books IMO, and maybe only suspend borrowing privileges for those who don't bring them back. You can't borrow any more until the previous books are returned sort of thing.

At our school, no kinders take library books home. They stay in the classroom. Kinder parents tend to be a little overwhelmed if it is their first rodeo.

I chair a school literacy program and do send books home with kinders, but they have their own special bags. The school is 50% free lunch so a lot of families can't afford to replace lost books. We do have many lost books but the great majority of books replaced are because they fall apart and get too damaged. A lot of worn books falling apart is a good thing. the books get a lot of use.

OP I would not throw a fit about the library book thing for kinder but I would hope that first grade has different rules.

Our school library does not ask for parents to replace lost books because the librarian was sick of parents yelling at her. it also receives no funding from school district for books. The library and my literacy program are both supported by the PTA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I just got an email that my kid and his classmates will no longer be able to bring home the library book they choose due to poor book returns. The book they pick will be available in their classroom to read for the week. I am not sure at this point if it's just his classroom or a new school-wide policy. This strikes me as punitive and bothers me on a lot of levels. We already go to the library on our own so I'm not sure how much it impacts us but not allowing kids to bring home books seems to defeat the whole point of the library. Would you be mad about this? Especially if it's only his room? Would you go up an admin chain? FTR, we have only been late returning once and the kids can't get a new book if they don't return the old one so it's not like there's a whole pile of books at students' homes.

I think this is either the teacher or the librarian being overly concerned about losing books. The books are there for the students to use, but some people get so worried about losing them that they end up defeating the purpose by not letting students use them in the first place. It's not a library if the kids can't take the books home. Some kids have no books at home. I would point that out, but I wouldn't be angry - it's a common problem and usually resolves itself when the staff changes and the library dragon goes elsewhere.

Shouldn't the school be concerned about lost books. What would happen to the library if kids never returned the books?

If it's FCPS then each library gets a pretty generous budget to buy new books and replace missing books.

Anonymous wrote:This is why SN parents get a bad rap. You think that because your child "can't remember" that it's fine for books, which are property of the school, to just trickle out all year? Take some responsibility. If your kid has SN your job is going to be harder. Deal with it.

You didn't read this properly. It is a class of SN kids and OP's kid is returning books. Others are not. The question is whether OP's kids and others returning books should be punished for the actions of the few who are not returning books.

The answer should be a resounding no. The kids not returning books should be refused check out rights until they return previously borrowed books. Those exhibiting the desired behavior should not be punished--that just teaches children that their good behavior is not valued so they may as well act like those not doing the right thing because the result for them is the same.

All children should learn to respect books and value making them available to others to enjoy at an early age. It really doesn't matter if they are SN or not; this is behavior that should be instilled in all children.

Anonymous wrote:This is why SN parents get a bad rap. You think that because your child "can't remember" that it's fine for books, which are property of the school, to just trickle out all year? Take some responsibility. If your kid has SN your job is going to be harder. Deal with it.

Enabling drives me crazy. When my kid was receiving services, we had all sorts of structures in place. You NEED to go the extra mile as a parent when your child faces obstacles, or else you set him/her up for failure.

Some kids outgrow certain issues; others don't. Therefore, it's important for them to own processes. We now have calendars in our kids' rooms so that they can keep track of events, library book returns, activities, HW.

It's not rocket science.