ICCSD Library Program Mission Statement 
The mission of the library program in the Iowa City Community School District is to provide an engaging, dynamic instructional program that equips students with life-long learning skills, delivered in an environment that optimizes services to support and enhance teaching, learning and literacy.

How does this translate into real life lessons? 
Library lessons address two essential components: literacy and information literacy. Here are just a few examples of what your child will learn in the Longfellow Library Program:

Primary grades (K-2)

• location of books in our library using spine labels
• who are the author & illustrator and what do they do?
• making predictions from cover illustrations
• the parts of a book--spine, cover, title page, and call number
• types of literature--fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and folktales, for example

Intermediate grades (3-4)

• finding materials on library shelves by alphabetical order
• using parts of a reference book (index, table of contents, glossary)
• choosing the best keywords to get to needed information
• using the library catalog to locate material
• note-taking strategies
• keyboarding skills
• identifying different types of literature

Upper grades (5-6) all the above and...

• creating a reading list based on personal interests
• creating digital projects based on class research units
• using online databases to locate information
• identifying and using appropriate reference sources

All students come to the library for a weekly checkout time. Students are also welcome to come into the library any time during the school day (with their teacher's permission) to return and check out books.

Checkout numbers

• Kindergarten: 2 books
• 1st and 2nd grades: 4 books
• 3rd-6th grades: 5 books

Students can keep the books for two weeks, but they are not allowed to checkout new materials until they return what they have out. Students are allowed to renew books they are not finished with provided that there are no holds on the book.

Parents are welcome to visit the library anytime and may check out books for a loan period of one week.  If you have any questions about the Longfellow library or the library program call (688-1137) or visit anytime.

Michelle Morey, Teacher Librarian

Sara Harvey, Library Secretary

The purpose of the Iowa City Community School District library program is to enable all students to be effective users of information and to appreciate and enjoy literature and other creative expressions of information.

We believe that ...

• independent, life-long learning is the ultimate goal of schools in our society and that the library program is vital to creating independent learners.
• promoting reading for enjoyment and information is a key element of the library media program.
• all children have the right to equal access to literature, information, and information technologies.
• educational goals are best achieved through the collaboration of an instructional team that includes a teacher librarian.
• the teacher librarian is an instructional leader in the building with expertise in literature, resources, and technology.
• the Information Literacy Curriculum must be integrated with other curricular areas.
• the diverse needs of students demand that learning resources in many formats are available.
• a well-organized, centralized collection of materials in many formats is essential to resource-based instruction.
• libraries are essential to the functioning of a democratic society.

Learn more about our District's library program.