School FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

School Services

Q: Do School Services pertain only to teachers who work in Park Ridge?
A: No. We are happy to help anyone with a question or request. We will do our best to guide you to the materials and answer you desire.

Q: What can I expect from the Children's Department?
A: The Children's Services Department serves preschool through sixth grade with appropriate resources, programs, and librarian assistance. In that role, we work closely with the students and teachers of the Park Ridge schools. We support our strong system of school libraries and work cooperatively with them.

Q: Is there a way I can learn about what's happening at the Library?
A: Yes. Every month during the school year, there's an online newsletter called Library Lines that's sent to all the Park Ridge schools plus other teachers or interested adults. If you do not currently recieve Library Lines and would like to, please e-mail Eileen Rosenberg at erosenbe@prpl.org.

Q: Can I bring my class to visit the Library or hold a meeting there?
A: We are open to classes and groups that would like to visit the Library. Please call us at least two weeks in advance to make sure that we have the room and staff available on your chosen date.

The Park Ridge Public Library is happy to host staff, grade level, or special group meetings. Please call at least two weeks in advance to make sure a meeting room is available. This is a great opportunity to have a tour of the library, to explore library resources that may be used for planning or assignments, or to plan and meet with librarians.

Q: Does the Library offer any special programs for teachers?
A: Several times a year, the Children's Services Department offers free programs especially designed for teachers working or living in Park Ridge. With topics like, "Great New Books", "Flannelboard Fun" or "Making Movies in Your Classroom" teachers can earn valuable CPDUs for attending these fun and informative presentations.

Q: What types of reference services are available to teachers and students?
A: One of our favorite jobs is heping students and teachers find materials or information. The Park Ridge Public Library provides reference services for all ages. You may contact the Children's Services Department at 847-825-4527 or the Adult Reference Department at 847-825-3123. E-mail questions are also invited. We are also available through IM. If you have MSN, Yahoo or AOL IM accounts you can reach us at "AskPRKCS", AskPRKCS1, AskPRKREF" or "Ask PRKYA". We look forward to hearing from you. We are eager to help teachers and students with their questions and assignments.

We are happy to put books on ROOM RESERVE for use in the Library or to work with you to hold appropriate materials when you are planning assignments. Occasionally though, the Library will not be able to provide students with materials that they need to complete an assignment. There may be many reasons for this. For example, all materials might be already checked out or materials may not be available on the topic at the reading level of the student. If enough time is allowed, we may be able to provide materials through our INTERLIBRARY LOAN Department. If we cannot provide needed materials, we may alert you by giving the student a note to inform you that the materials were unavailable.

Q: My entire class is working on the same assignment. Does the Libray have enough books for all of them?
A: If you have more students than we have books, we can still help. Room reserves help assure students have access to materials for a research assignment. We will select materials appropriate for your assignment and add them to the Homework Center shelf for the duration of your project. These materials remain in the Library as temporary reference books for all students to use. This is particularly helpful when many students are working on the same assignment.

Q: My students live in Park Ridge and other communities. Can they all get Park Ridge Library cards?
A: Students who live in Park Ridge or a community whose library belongs to the North Suburban Library System (NSLS) may obtain cards from their local library. All NSLS cards are welcome at the Park Ridge Public Library. If your school has a contract with the Library, students from communities other than those in the NSLS service area can use a special "school year only" card to borrow items they need for homework or special assignments.

Q: I'm a teacher. Who can I contact at the Library with my questions or requests?
A: There are two School Services librarians. One is responsible for elementary schools and the other for middle and high schools.

In the Children's Department, for grades K-6, the School Services librarian is Eileen Rosenberg. You can e-mail her at erosenbe@prpl.org, call her at 847-825-4527 or e-mail the Children's Department directly at prkchild@prpl.org.

The Young Adult librarian, serving grades 7-12, is Denise Hudec. Denise is available at dhudec@prpl.org or by phone at 847-720 3288.

Q: What is an Assignment Alert?
A: ASSIGNMENT ALERT LINKS are an excellent way to let the Library know of an upcoming project or assignment so we can best prepare to meet the students' needs when they arrive at the Park Ridge Public Library.

There are several ways to communicate this information to us:
e-mail the form
Fax the form to us at (847) 825-0001
Just stop by or call us at (847) 825-4527.
Please feel free to use the forms on this site. If you need additional hard copies of the forms, please call us at 825-4527.

ASSIGNMENT ALERT LINKS are links from our Children's Services Department website to specific Internet sites that may be helpful and appropriate to students in your classroom. Students can click on your class name and the specific assignment on our web page to link to these specially chosen sites. Please let us know several weeks in advance of an assignment if you wish us to include web sites for your class.

Q: Can I borrow materials for use in my classroom?
A: The Children's Services Department and the Young Adult Department offer school loans to the teachers in Park Ridge schools to supplement the resources that are available in their school libraries and classrooms. Teachers may either request that the public librarians pull books on a topic or specific titles or the teacher may come in and select books themselves for the school loan.

Requests can be made in person at the public library, through your school librarian, by phone--847-825-4527 (Children's) or 847-720-3288 (Young Adult)--for 5 titles or less only, by FAX (847) 825-0001 or by e-mail. A request should be made 7-10 days before the books are needed.

Most library books are available to teachers for a six-week school loan period. THERE WILL BE NO RENEWALS. If another teacher at the same school wants a similar order, the original order must be returned and a new order must be requested.
The maximum number of items allowed on a single school loan is 35. No teacher may have more than 50 library items on school loans at one time.
The Library reserves the right to limit the number of items borrowed on a school loan. Since the Library serves many teachers, students and parents, we can not loan all available materials on a subject or all copies of a specific title to any one school.
No more than 15 non-fiction books on any one subject will be included in a school loan. Loan of Battle of the Books titles may also be restricted.
Audio items may be borrowed on school loans. Because of legal restrictions, DVDs are not eligible for school loans.
Books are sent to and from District #64 via the school van which stops at the Library on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Private schools should make arrangements to pick up and return their books at the library.
A list of items will be included with your loan. We recommend you check the list against the items both when you receive the loan as well as when you return it.

Q: How long can I have Library books in my classroom?
A: Materials are checked out to schools on a six-week loan basis. We expect the materials to be returned by the due date. They may not be renewed.

Christmas vacation: School loan books may not be held over Christmas vacation. All items will be due on a designated date before schools close for Christmas vacation. Teachers may call or come in after Christmas to request materials to be sent when school resumes in January. If teachers want to select their own materials, they may do so after a designated date. Look in the December issue of Library LInes for these dates.

End of school year: At the end of the year, all Library books will be due the Monday three weeks before the last full day of school. All items checked out on school cards will be due on this date to allow ample time for the Library to check all records. Overdue fines will be charged for materials returned after this date. Before the end of the school year, a notice will be sent to your school for overdue items. School loans cannot resume in the fall until all overdue items from the previous school year have been returned and all charges are paid.

OVERDUES: No overdue fines are charged except for books returned after the due date at the end of the school year. Then the fine is $.10 per day. Anytime an item is overdue, a notice will be sent to your school librarian approximately two weeks after the due date. When an item is six weeks overdue, a statement for the cost of the book will be sent. If an item is three months overdue, it is considered lost and payment (cost of the item plus a $3.00 processing fee) is expected immediately. Materials checked out on an individual teacher's personal card are the responsibility of that teacher and are subject to all regular overdue fines and damage costs.

Q: Are there any special loan restrictions?
A: Yes, but not many. They are as follows:

HOLIDAY BOOKS: Holiday books are not checked out on school cards during the six weeks prior to the holiday. A teacher may use a personal card to check out holiday books. However, that means that the teacher is personally responsible for returning the materials on time or paying the fines.

INTERLIBRARY LOANS: If the Children's Services Department does not have a title you want or need, we can try to obtain a single copy through interlibrary loan. We can not interlibrary loan multiple copies of a single title. All interlibrary loan books will be due on the date specified by the lending library. Overdue fines will be charged on all interlibrary loan books returned late.

MULTIPLE COPIES: Multiple copies of a particular fiction title will be sent to a teacher, but only to the extent that it does not deplete our collection of that title. The number will be determined by the librarian. If a teacher needs multiple copies from another library, a personal card must be used.

Q: Do I need a Park Ridge Library card to check out books?
A: If you do not live in Park Ridge, but do live in one of the north and northwest suburban communities whose library belongs to the North Suburban Library System (NSLS), you may use your card at the Park Ridge Public Library. If you do not have an NSLS library card you may check out books for your class using you school's card. We maintain accounts for all Park Ridge schools so that materials may be checked out for classroom use under the School Loan Guidelines.

Q: What types of books and other resources will I find at the Library?
A: The resources of the Children's Services Department include the following:

LIBRARIANS ready to help students and teachers
FICTION collection of recreational reading for preschool through 6th grade
NON-FICTION collection serving students through the middle school level
MAGAZINES for children, students, teachers and parents
HOMEWORK CENTER with textbooks, Room Reserve books, school report cards and other pertinent information regarding Park Ridge schools
LIVE ONLINE HOMEWORK HELPis available from 2-9 p.m. daily here at the Library or on a home computer--PC or MAC--through the Library's website. Please call the Children's Services Department for details
PROFESSIONAL BOOKS of special interest to teachers (370's)
REFERENCE BOOKS for student and professional use
PARENT'S COLLECTION for parenting information and child-rearing issues
CD's including sound effects and CD kits with books
BOOKS-ON-CD, BOOKS-ON-TAPE, PLAYAWAYS and E-Booksfor all ages with both fiction and nonfiction titles available
THEME BAGS including Preschool Theme Bags and Parents' and Kids' Concerns Bags
MUSIC KITS with books and rhythm instruments
DVD's and VIDEOCASSETTES including features, information and literature-related titles
INTERNETwith filtered access at 10 computers in the Children's Services Department
ONLINE RESOURCES AND DATABASES available to use for research in the library as well as at home through the Library's website -www.parkridgelibrary.org
MS OFFICE PRODUCTS available on each of our internet capable computers
VIDEO GAMES for GameCube, Playstation 2 & 3 and Wii
COMPUTER GAMES for all ages to play in the Library including several MMORPGs

Q: Are there textbooks at the Libray for my students to use?
A: Textbooks that are used by District #64, Mary Seat of Wisdom School, St. Andrew's Lutheran School and St. Paul of the Cross School are kept in the Children's Services Department on the Homework Center shelves and in the Young Adult Loft. These books are for use in the library only and may not be checked out. However, we have two copiers, color and black & white, so that students can make duplicates of the pages they need. Students may use textbooks to complete homework assignments if they have not brought their books home.

Q: Does the Library offer reading clubs or other reading programs?
A: The Library offers a variety of programs for children and families to promote books and reading. These include:

The Reading Patch Club: All children in grades K-6 may sign up at the Library for this program. Students choose a topic, keep track of the books they read and receive a beautiful cloth patch as a reward.
"Just for You" booklists offer a way of helping children find books they may enjoy reading. The students complete a survey of their likes and dislikes then our teams develop an annotated booklist personalized just for them. (Grades 3 - 6)
The Battle of the Books is more than 25 years old at the Park Ridge Library. Battle teams are made up of students in grades 4 and 5 who participate in "meets" representing their school. A reading list is prepared by the Library in the spring. At the January and February meets, students are asked questions about the books and receive points for their team for correct answers.
Summer Reading Clubs are available to all students each summer to encourage students to keep reading while school is out. The librarians will visit in the spring with information about all the fun programs we offer every summer.
Wolves Read-to-Succeed, sponsored by Chicago Wolves hockey this program runs for several months in the winter to encourage school-age children to read 100 minutes each week and win prizes.
The Family Reading Club promotes reading as a family activity. Families who sign up and share books together can choose books to keep.

Q: What types of Internet resources are available from the Library?
A: Many ONLINE RESOURCES are available through the Library's website. You may need a Park Ridge Library Card to access some of the information:

Online Library Catalog --indicates holdings of all 23 libraries in our computer system
Online Homework Help through Tutor.com --online after school homework assistance by qualified tutors from 2-9 p.m. daily
Mango Languages --language learning system that includes ESL courses for students and adults
Novelist --answers "What shall I read next?" for teachers and students
NextReads --personalized, monthly e-newsletter highlights new books in our collections for teachers and students
World Book Online --an electronic encyclopedia with added components not found in the hard copy
Kid's Search and Searchasaurus --feature articles from books, magazines and newspapers that can modified by Full Text, PDF and lexile levels
OCLC FirstSearch --an extensive research tool incluldilng WorldCat, ERIC and MedLine
Facts.com --a news index which includes "Issues and Controversies," "Today's Science," "World News Digest," and "The World Almanac"
One Stop Search--should be called "One Stop Shopping" peruses all our databases plus the online catalog to give a comprehensive return on your search query

Q: Are there Internet stations available at the Library?
A: The Park Ridge Public Library offers a variety of ways to access the Internet and other computer resources. For more information about specific programs, please contact us.

Following are the types of computers available:

CATALOG TERMINALS - Patrons can search the holdings of the Park Ridge Public Library as well as 23 other libraries in our computer system using our online web-based catalog.
GAME COMPUTERS -These computers are loaded with fun, educational games for preschool and school age children. In addition, the patron computers in the Children's Services and Young Adult Departments also have links to several MMORPGs-Massive Mutliplayer Online Role Playing Games-such as Runescape.
MS OFFICE PRODUCTS - MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint software is available on all our Internet stations. Besides our regular patron computers, the Reader Services Department has several PC computers with access to Power Point and Excel and well as Microsoft Word in a computer lab for Middle School students and older.
INTERNET - A number of stations provide children with a filtered access to the Internet. Suggested sites are available.

Q: How can I contact the Library?
A: School staff may contact the Library with questions, requests or comments in the following ways:

Call: 847-825-4527 is the direct line to the Children's Department

Click: erosenbe@prpl.org will reach Eileen Rosenberg, the School Services librarian directly or the Children's Department at prkchild@prpl.org

Come In: The Library is located at 20 S. Prospect Ave. Park Ridge, IL 60068--across from the Pickwick Theater. We're always happy to see you.

Q: Are there magazines that I can check out?
A: MAGAZINES are available for student, parent and teacher use. All, except the current issue, may circulate. Those that may be of particular interests to teachers include the following:
Arts and Activities
Book Links
Copycat
Crafts 'n Things
Early Childhood Today
Instructor
Mailbox (Preschool)
Mailbox K-1st Grade
Mailbox Bookbag
Pack-o-Fun
Plays
Teaching Tolerance
Young Children

Q: Can I have librarians visit my class?
A: Each year, librarians offer some programs to be presented in the classrooms. Teachers in these grade levels--usually Kindergarten, 1st and 5th grades--will receive letters explaining the programs and the times they will be offered.

However, we're happy to visit any classes we can. If your schedule permits, we'd like to visit your classroom to talk about good books with your students or explain how the public library can help them with their studies.

To arrange a visit:

Children's Services Department - (847)825-4527 or e-mail Eileen Rosenberg

Young Adult Department - (847) 720-3288 or email Denise Hudec

Categories

School Services

Frequently Asked Questions

School Services