• Policies

    CIRCULATION POLICY

    STUDENTS

    Students may check out up to 5 items at a time. Due date and renewals are detailed below.

    Due Dates

    • Regular circulating books – 20 school days, 100 renewals. Students can renew books themselves (learn how here).
    • Textbooks – 1 school day, 2 renewals. Special requests can be made for long-term checkout and require a parent signature.
    • Graphing Calculators – Long-term checkout for semester or school year.
    • Board Games & Card Games - due by 3:45 PM the day of checkout unless special permission is given by the librarian.
    • STEM Kits - 3 school days, 1 renewal.  

    Overdue Fines

    • Graphing Calculators – $1.00 per school day per item; $25.00 maximum per item
    • Games - $1.00 per school day per item; $25.00 maximum per item
    • STEM Kits - $1.00 per school day per item; $25.00 maximum per item

    HTHS Library does not charge overdue fines on books. Library fines can be paid in the library at the circulation desk.

    Replacing Lost or Damaged Materials
    When materials are not returned by the end of a school year, the patron is billed for replacement cost. If materials are not returned or paid for, student schedules may be held by the board of education until the matter is resolved. Replacement costs are the list price of the book plus processing fees. Lost books must be paid for; they cannot be replaced with a donated book. Lost book payments cannot be refunded if the book is found after the end of the fiscal year (usually mid-September).

    Reserves
    Items can be reserved at the circulation desk or using the online catalog. Reserved items are immediately checked out to the patron and sent to their English teacher for the student.

    Printing & Copying
    Printing and copying services are available in the library. Students can come to the library to print materials or they can email their documents to hthslibraryprint@trussvillecityschools.org ahead of time. Documents will not be printed until students come to the library to claim them.
    Pricing:

    • Black and White – $0.10 per page
    • Color – $0.25 per page

    FACULTY & STAFF

    Staff may check out up to 200 items at a time. Due date and renewals are detailed below.

    Due Dates

    • Regular circulating books – 180 school days, 100 renewals. Staff can renew books themselves (learn how here).
    • Textbooks – 14 school days, 0 renewals. To have textbooks relocated to your classroom, contact Joy Young.

    Overdues and Fines
    Faculty and staff do not accrue overdue fines.

    Replacing Lost or Damaged Materials
    When materials are not returned and become long overdue, the staff member may be billed for replacement cost. Replacement costs are the list price of the book plus processing fees. Lost books must be paid for; they cannot be replaced with a donated book.

    Reserves
    Items can be reserved at the circulation desk or using the online catalog. Patrons will receive an email notification for reserved items when they are placed on the reserve shelf. Reserved items can be picked up at the circulation desk or delivered by an aide. If you are not set up in the catalog, contact the librarian.

    Lamination
    Lamination services are available for teachers for $0.25 per foot. The librarian or the library assistant must laminate materials to ensure the laminator is not damaged.

    GIFTS & DONATIONS POLICY

    Thank you for your interest in supporting Hewitt-Trussville High School Library!

    Monetary Gifts
    Many of the classes at HTHS rely on research and instructional materials provided by the library. Your gifts enable us to provide the best in online and print resources for our staff and students. Monetary gifts can be delivered to the school or mailed to: Laura Massey at 6450 Husky Parkway, Trussville, AL 35173. Checks should be made out to Hewitt-Trussville High School. Please indicate in the memo line that your gift is for HTHS Library. All gifts may be given in honor or memory of a person of your choosing.

    Print & Media Donation Policy
    Due to the amount of staff time, space, and funding required for processing physical books and the discard of unwanted items, the library is very selective about items accepted for donation. Please refer to the guidelines below before making a donation.

    • The library is always happy to receive fiction and narrative nonfiction titles that meet all the criteria below.
    • Please provide a list of titles before delivering a box of donations. This will help the librarian make collection decisions before accepting the donation.
    • All donations should be delivered in a container, such as a box or bag.
    • When received, all donated materials become the property of the HTHS Library. The library reserves the right to add, disperse, and delete them at the discretion of the librarian.
    • The library can furnish the donors with an acknowledgment of donation and the descriptions of materials, but cannot provide monetary appraisals of donations.
    • Arrangements for delivery must be made on an individual basis.
    • The library will not accept any of the following for donation:
      • Textbooks that are not currently part of a curriculum
      • Encyclopedias
      • Paperback books
      • Materials in poor condition
      • Any items 20 years or older
      • Books from other libraries, even if they were weeded

    The American Library Association offers some great ideas for other organizations that accept donations of used books. View their list.

    BOOK CHALLENGE & APPEALS POLICY

    The challenger must fill out our reconsideration request form and submit it to the media specialist. I will inform the Director of Curriculum of the challenge. The School Media Committee will evaluate the material against the objections, and they will prepare a written report and write a letter to the challenger regarding their findings. If the challenger is unhappy with the School Media Committee’s decision, they may request activation of the District Materials Review Committee. They will evaluate the material against the objections and evaluate the decision of the School Media Committee’s decision. The District Materials Review Committee will prepare a written report and write a letter to the challenger regarding their findings. If the challenger is unhappy with the District Materials Review Committee’s decision, the challenger can appeal to the Superintendent. The Superintendent’s decision will be final.

    CELL PHONE POLICY

    Patrons are requested to restrict cell phone conversations to side rooms in the library such as the media specialist office, work room, or copy room. Out of consideration for other patrons, please silence all cell phones.

    FOOD & DRINK

    Food must be in a container and no lunch trays are allowed in the library at any time. Drinks in a container with a lid are allowed. Please be considerate of other patrons and your librarian by cleaning up bottles and drink containers and reporting spills immediately.