Home | Family Resources | HCOS Library Program | Library Policies

HCOS Library Policies

The HCS/HCOS Library supports the vision and mandate of the Heritage Christian Schools by giving students and staff access to educational resources.

Borrowing Materials

Online school students and parents are registered with the Library as a family unit. Materials requested by any member of the family are signed out to the entire family (one parent is named as the primary contact). Families are responsible for all materials borrowed.

HCOS Families may have up to 15 items signed out at one time and can place up to 40 holds. All regular materials are loaned for 56 days (8 weeks) from the date they are signed out through the library system.

Resource kits have a loan period of 49 days (7 weeks), which allows for 6 weeks of use and 1 week of travel time to and from the library. There is a limit of 3 kits per family at one time and only 1 kit per subject per grade. ie. One grade 5 socials kit and one grade 5 science kit can be loaned out at one time, but not two grade 5 science kits at one time.

AV material such as DVDs have a loan period of 28 days (4 weeks), and a limit of 3 at one time.

Colour Categories

Library materials are assigned to colours (categories) to identify reading levels, content, and materials types. HCOS Families are responsible to monitor the “colour” of materials children are requesting. The Library cannot customize a family’s lending parameters. Parents reserve full control and supervision of what they consider appropriate for their children.

Requests can be placed for any colour / category, including Mature, except Reference (purple). Reference materials are for use in the campus library only.

COLOUR	TYPE	ACCESS LEVEL
GREEN	Fiction	Grades K-2
YELLOW	Fiction	Grades 3-5
BLUE	Fiction	Grades 6-8
RED	Fiction	Grades 9-12
BROWN	Non-Fiction	Grades K-12
WHITE	Non-Fiction	Grades K-12
PURPLE	Non-Fiction	All access; non-lending.
AUDIO-VISUAL	CD, DVD, VHS, or other A/V resources.	Faculty & Parents
RESOURCE	Curriculum-oriented materials.	Faculty & Parents
MATURE	Items intended for parent or teacher use only.	Faculty & Parents

Returns and Renewals

Your family will be responsible for all materials sent to you by the Library. A list of your holds, loans, and due dates is available through the Catalogue in the “My Info” tab at the top.
If material is received by you in damaged condition, contact the Library immediately.
An item is considered returned when it arrives in the Library and is checked back into our system.
You are responsible for returning items that can be sent by lettermail. Kits and large orders of books should be returned by Canpar courier. There is no cost to you for this service unless Canpar does not service your area. Please call or e-mail the library to arrange for a pick up. library@onlineschool.ca 250-862-2377 extension x311

At the end of the school year, all materials will be recalled to the campus library for inventory. No materials can be renewed beyond that date. At the start of the next term, a new hold can be placed.

Overdues and Fines

The family can view their checked out items, due dates, and any outstanding fines or loans online from the Library Catalogue (see the get started page for instruction). Each week, if any items are late, the library will send an email to the person currently named as the primary contact. If the family’s email contact changes, the family is responsible to notify the HCOS library.

The library is not responsible for delays in mailing or shipping; we cannot verify the date when items were placed in the mail, therefore a borrowed item is only considered returned when it is received in the library.

Items returned to the library after the date due will have a fine charged of $0.25/day/book up to a maximum of $5 / item. Damaged materials which can still be used by the library will be assessed a repair charge based on the extent of damage. Replacement costs for lost or damaged items are the price of the item or the overdues owing, whichever is greater.

When late items are checked back into the Library, the fine owing will be paid out of the family's reimbursement file in the HCOS office. If the fine cannot be paid in that way, then loaning privileges will be frozen until the overdues are paid by cash or cheque. All materials remain the property of the HCOS library.

Use of the Campus Library at HCS

Online School families are welcome to visit the campus library at HCS to browse and borrow materials from the shelves. Please see the Library catalog home page for hours. However, the library is used by classes onsite between 2pm and 3 pm and does have rules for use (below).

All books will be returned to the shelves by the library personnel, including those which have been used in the room and not signed out.
Online school students need to be supervised by a teacher or parent at all times when in the library.
The library is a quiet zone to allow for learning and reading. Students must not be disruptive to the learning assistant room.
No food or drinks allowed in the library!
The library is kept closed and locked when library personnel are not available. Library hours are posted on the door. Please call ahead.

Donations to the Library

We value and welcome donations of current, relevant books in good condition. The Librarian reserves the right to refuse any materials which cannot be used at this time. Materials accepted by the Library become the sole property of the HCS/HCOS Library and may be used in any way to support the library program, including transfer, sale, and withdrawal from the collection when appropriate.

Purchase and collection development suggestions are also welcomed. The Library selects materials based on the values and aims of the Heritage Christian Schools, and in accordance with good library management principles, and to support the needs of students and families.

Online Catalogue User Names and Passwords

Anyone can search and view the library catalogue of resources online at http://library.heritagechristian.ca/. To get started using the library online, see our page of instructions.

To access your online account,

Go to http://library.heritagechristian.ca/;
Click on the small “login” button in the upper right hand corner;
Enter the username and password you were given;
Click on the “my info” tab to view loans, due dates, and overdues.

[Go Back to Top]