WELCOME TO UNIVERSAL AMERICAN SCHOOL - The Universal American School is a private, college-preparatory, N-12 school serving a multinational student body from the diverse populations residing in Kuwait.

Library

Program Administration

A. General:
Welcoming
The UAS School Library Media Center is one of the most active places in school.  The Library is not just a place to sit quietly to read and select books. Students receive lessons in library skills and learn how to access, process and evaluate information.  Our Library curriculum goes hand in hand with the classroom curriculum.
This website was created to inform parents, teachers, and students about the policies, activities, and services that are offered and are taking place in the school Library.
Please email us with any questions or comments. We welcome your suggestions.
Hours
Students from Elementary, Middle, and High School may use the library between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.  The Library remains open longer hours during finals.
B. Library Mission and Goals
Mission
The mission of the Universal American School Library is to provide a collection of materials that will implement, enrich, and support the curriculum of the UAS and meet the individual, educational, emotional, and recreational needs of students, faculty, and staff.
Goals

  • To understand how information and resources are organized in the Library
  • To understand and use the research processes necessary to locate, evaluate and communicate information and ideas
  • To recognize that being an independent reader, listener and viewer of immaterial in print, non-print and electronic formats will contribute to personal enjoyment and lifelong learning
  • To be aware of the freedom to seek information and possess the confidence to pursue information needs
  • To understand ethical, legal and social behavior with respect to information resources

Staff
The Library is headed by a certified Librarian and two library aids.
C. Policies:
UAS Library Strategic Plan:
The UAS Library is an information centre that provides access to a wide range of information resources, in both print and electronic format, teaches information literacy skills and integrates interdisciplinary learning activities to support the curriculum. It is a major source for information and curriculum support.
The UAS Library Strategic Plan outlines the library's role to ensure that students, teachers, and staff are effective users of ideas and information through the following actions:

  • Supporting and complementing the instructional program.
  • Meeting the independent reading needs of students
  • Providing teachers and students a variety of print and non-print materials, services, and equipment to stimulate literary appreciation, artistic values, and ethical standards
  • Teaching students to access and use information to make intelligent judgments
  • Encourage students to read for information and pleasure
  • Sponsoring reading promotion programs such as book fairs and reading groups
  • Involving teachers, students and their parents to work as library volunteers

Collection Development Policy
Values - The UAS library:

  • Creates a space conductive to reading , research, and studying
  • Provides a comprehensive collection of educational materials, in multiple formats, that supports the school curriculum
  • Provides for the learning needs of the UAS community
  • Provides core resource material and other resources to support the curriculum of the school

Selection Criteria:

  • The selection of all library/media materials is the responsibility of the Librarian in collaboration with principals and faculty
  • Selection is based on recommendation, reviews, and other sources of professional library organizations and other resources.
  • In line with the library's goals to support the curriculum, suggestions made by faculty members for materials related to the curriculum are reviewed and evaluated for relevancy currency and availability and included into the library if approved.
  • In selecting materials in addition to the collection , the library takes into account the following criteria
  • The intellectual, social, psychological, and emotional development of the students
  • The authorship authority, content accuracy, literary merit, durability of information, cost, and curriculum relevance of the material
  • The physical format of the material, with preferences to hard cover books, DVDs (instead of videos), electronic subscriptions to journals (instead of print with exceptions to core journals)

Gifts
All gifts are judged by the same criteria as purchased materials and accepted or rejected accordingly
Weeding and Withdrawals from Collection

  • The UAS Library re-evaluates its collection periodically to maintain a collection that is current, appropriate and useful
  • Appearance, duplication, accuracy or currency of content and circulation statistics are the base to week out or withdraw books from the collection.  However, exceptions may include material relevant to the curriculum and is a primary source item
  • The final decision concerning the removal or replacement of resources rests with the Librarian in consultation with the Superintendent

Book Review Committee:
The Book Review Committee exists to review the content of books that slated to the Library to assure that they meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education. The Committee may also meet to review written community complaints or challenges to titles that are already on the Library shelves.
Acceptable Code of Behavior:

  • Be considerate of those studying and work quietly.
  • Food, drinks, and gum are not allowed in the Library.
  • Please leave bags and other large containers at the door to the Library.
  • Get books or material needed then work quietly without having to be monitored by teacher or librarian.
  • Please be courteous and follow direction of teachers and librarians.
  • Please do not put books back on the shelves; leave them on book trucks.
  • Clean the area around your table before leaving; please push chairs up under the table.
  • Remember to always sign out books and materials and to return them on time.
  • Classroom rules apply in the Library :
      • Be respectful.
      • Do your best work.
      • Conduct yourself in a mature manner.

Loan Period


Grade

Number of Books

Loan Period

Pre-School and Grade 1

One book per student

1week

Grades 2 through 5

3 boos per student

1 week

Grade 6 through 12

5 books per student

2 weeks

Faculty and staff

Unlimited

Unlimited

Fines and Overdue Items

  • Grades 2 through 5: the fine is 20 fils per day, per book with a maximum of 1KD.
  • Grades 6 through 12: the fine is 50 fils per day, per book with a maximum of 3KD.
  • Overdue notices are every two weeks. Patrons will receive a maximum of two notices. After eight weeks, books not returned to the library are considered lost (see below). Users with overdue books or fines may borrow additional materials only with the permission of the Librarian. When books are returned and fines paid, full privileges are restored.
  • Overdue books and materials remaining at the end of the school semester may result in students not receiving their report cards until accounts are settled.

Damaged or Lost Items

  • Every user is solely responsible for materials checked out under his/her name.
  • Users pay full cost of lost or seriously damaged items that must be replaced, plus 3KD for shipping and handling.
  • Middle and High School students pay 5 KD for the replacement of a Student ID.

D. Information Relating to Library Equipment:
AV Materials and Equipment:

  • AV materials and equipment may be borrowed by any staff member until needed by another staff member
  • Teachers are advised to preview any videos they wish to show their students to ensure compliance by the Ministry of Private Education's censorship regulations.  If in doubt, teachers are advised to consult with the Librarian

Photocopy:

  • A photocopier is available for all Library users
  • A maximum of ten pages may be photocopied at one time
  • Students are charged 50 fils per photocopy

LCD Projector:

  • 2 LCD projectors are available for staff usage.
  • Teachers should book the projectors ahead of time

TV:

  • The TV Room is available for staff to use with their classes.
  • Teachers must book the TV Room ahead of time

E. Expectations for Library Users:
The Universal American School Library will strive to raise students who are readers, lifelong learners, and skilled users of information. The library will fulfill the aims as set by the AASL in order to insure compliance with international library standards and accreditation expectations.
F. Materials Relating to Library Services:
Computers:

  • Students' access to computers is solely for the purpose of school related work and not for the personal use
  • While teachers may use the computers in the library, priority is given to students
  • Printing is available at a cost of 50 fils per page.  Student may alternatively bring in their own paper

Books:

  • All library users (i.e. students, faculty and staff) must use their UAS ID cards to borrow books
  • Materials may not be checked out under someone else’s name
  • Every library user is responsible for all materials borrowed under his /her name

References:

    • Reference materials do not circulate
    • Overnight loan of Reference materials is permitted when approved by the librarian.

Periodicals:

  • Magazines may be loaned overnight to faculty only.

Online Data Bases:
EBSCOhost research databases – consisting of six database. It offers the most complete collection of full text reference resources available for secondary schools. This full text package contains databases designed for students as well as educators please find below a description of each of the databases for your information and the links required for accessing them:
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=ehost - Student Research Center is a database  consisting of six databases. The Student research Center from EBSCO offers the most complete collection of full text reference resources available for middle and high schools. This full text package contains databases designed for students as well as educators,
http://www.search.epnet.com/?profile=muse -  MAS Ultra: School Edition (Student Research Center -
Designed specifically for high school libraries, this database contains full text for more than 500 popular, high school magazines. MAS Ultra – School Edition also provides more than 360 full text reference books, biographies, primary source documents, and an image collection of photos, maps & flags, color PDFs and back files dated from 1975 for key magazines.
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=pdc - Professional Development Collection - Designed for professional educators, this database provides a highly specialized collection of nearly 520 high quality education journals, including nearly 350 peer-reviewed titles. This database also contains more than 200 educational reports. Professional Development Collection is the most comprehensive collection of full text education journals in the world
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=hsce - Health Source: Consumer Edition- This database is the richest collection of consumer health information available to libraries worldwide, providing information on many health topics including the medical sciences, food sciences and nutrition, childcare, sports medicine and general health. Health Source: Consumer Edition provides access to nearly 80 full text, consumer health magazines.
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=eric – ERIC, the Educational Resource Information Center, contains more than 1,243,000 records and links to more than 224,000 full-text documents from ERIC
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=nps - Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for 35 national & international newspapers. The database also contains selective full text for 375 regional (U.S.) newspapers. In addition, full text television & radio news transcripts are also provided. Newspapers such as The Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Times (London), The Toronto Star, are included. In addition, full text television & radio news transcripts are provided from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, NPR, etc.
http://search.epnet.com/?profile=ts - TopicSearch contains full text for over 105,000 articles from 1,622 divers sources including international and regional newspapers, EBSCO's unparalleled collection of periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, pamphlets, and government information
I. Materials Suggestion Forms:
Faculty, staff, students, and parent are more than welcome to suggest items for inclusion into the UAS Library, however, final approval for is pending the Librarian’s approval.
K. Student Volunteers:
The Library encourages students to work as Library volunteers.
L. How to Donate Books:
The Library encourages teachers, staff, students, and parents to donate books to the Library pending the Librarian's approval.
M. Special Library Events:
UAS Library sponsors a number of yearly activities such reading promotion programs, book fairs, reading groups, and authors' visits.