Home School Lending Guidelines

"Parents and families are the first and most important teachers. If families teach a love of learning, it can make all the difference in the world to our children." -- Richard W. Riley, U. S. Secretary of Education

Home schooling families are welcome to use the State College Area School District's libraries, following the same guidelines as students currently enrolled at Park Forest Elementary School. Please review the following FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to learn more about these guidelines.

How many books will a home schooled student be able to check out?

Absolutely! Home schooled children are permitted to check out the same number of books per visit as enrolled students.

Preschool aged students do not have borrowing privileges.
Kindergarten students select one book per visit.
Primary students (grades 1 and 2) select two books per visit.
Intermediate students (grades 3 and 4) select three books per visit.
Fifth grade students select three books per visit.

May parents of home schooled children borrow books?

Of course! Parents may select five items per visit from the general collection. Items in the Teacher Collection and Audiovisual Collection are limited to staff use only.

Does this library reserve or hold books for students?

Unfortunately, no. Due to the size of our school population, the Park Forest Elementary School Library does not reserve or hold books for students. The staff will attempt to honor special requests, when possible.

When may I bring my home schooled children in to use the library?

We look forward to seeing you in the library, but we would prefer to schedule a special time to meet with you so we may introduce ourselves and answer any of your questions.

Please contact the library staff by phone (814-272-8326) or email (pfelib@scasd.org) to schedule an appointment to use the library. The librarian will work with you to find a mutually agreeable time and day to schedule your first and future visits to the library. The library staff appreciates your cooperation in this matter.

When will my family's books be due to return to the library?

The librarian will work with you to set up a borrowing schedule. Please return your library books on your next scheduled visit -- this will be your due date. Library materials may be renewed once.

What is expected of me as a home schooling parent bringing my child (or children) in to use the Park Forest Elementary School Library?

All home schooled children must be supervised by an accompanying parent at all times while using the school library.

Parents will need to follow all district security policies which will require them to enter the school and sign in through the school office.

Preschool aged children may accompany their families to the library but they will not have access to the shelves or have borrowing privileges. All younger siblings must be supervised in the library at all time by the parent.

All students who use the library are expected to use browsing sticks during book selection. The library's staff will demonstrate how to use browsing sticks for your family during your first visit.

Does our family need to bring anything with us for our first visit?

If you have access to a printer, please print out a registration form (please click here to download the form) and complete it prior to your arrival in the library. If you do not have access to a printer, you will need to complete the form upon your arrival. The form provides the library staff with basic contact information for your family.

What if a library material becomes lost or damaged while checked out to our family?

We encourage home schooling parents to teach their children good book care habits but we also understand that accidents may happen. Please report any damage or loss to the library. Borrowers are responsible for the replacement costs of all lost items. Damaged items are assessed on an individual basis and the borrower is responsible for the costs of repair or replacement.
Last Modified on May 30, 2013