Media Center
Lydia Rosenberg - Library Media Specialist
Vision Statement:
The vision of the Friendship Elementary School Library Media Center is to be an integral part of the school community by supporting the curriculum needs of students and teachers, guiding them to use information and technologies effectively, creatively, and responsibly.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the library media program is to uphold the school's instructional program to improve student learning and student achievement. This mission is accomplished:
- by ensuring learners will be able to independently inquire, think critically, and to gain, create, and share knowledge.
- by providing real and virtual access to appropriate, high-quality resources and services during and outside the school day.
- by ensuring patrons are instructed in digital citizenship so that they are responsible and safe when navigating online.
- by participating in curriculum development and the design of learning activities.
- by facilitating professional development for the learning community; and
- by instilling a love of reading and life long learning that will lead to students being productive global citizens.
About the Friendship Library Media CenterThe students at Friendship love to visit the Media Center where the Destiny electronic card catalog makes finding books easy and fun. We have a large number of fiction and non-fiction books for both students, parents, and teachers to check out. Our Media Advisory Committee ensures that books we add to our library are engaging and relevant to our community. Students are able to use the Media Center computers and iPads for Accelerated Reader tests or other research based learning projects. Students are encouraged to come in before school to check out books or work on projects.
Media class offers students a wealth of learning opportunities. It provides an enjoyable experience for all students at Friendship as they have the opportunity to self-select their reading material and discover what they like to read about when not in class. Students receive instruction on media skills while developing a love of reading. During this time, they also have the opportunity for book check out. Students are able to check out throughout the day and week outside of their assigned class time as well. All books are checked out for 2 weeks.
The Media Center is truly the heart and hub of our school and a place with something for everyone.
Number of checkouts:
Kindergarten & 1st grades students check out 1 book.
2nd-5th grade students check out 2 books.
Parents may check out 5 books.
We do not charge late fees, but patrons are responsible for paying to replace lost or damaged books.
Electronic Books
We have a small collection of ebooks available to our teachers and students at school as well as at home. To access the collection, the students should log onto VPortal. They then log in to Follett Destiny using the Destiny app in the Library Resources folder. These can be checked out in addition to the allotted number of physical copies of books.
Scholastic Book Fairs
The Media Center sponsors 2 book fairs annually, one in the fall and one in the spring. Scholastic Book Fair assists in our efforts to bring more new books and resources into our school library and community.
Shop online all year to give Friendship a rewards boost. Go here to shop:
News & Media Club
Follow our YouTube Channel for more on our Library Programming and school events.
The Bobcat News is prerecorded with new episodes airing weekly, but it can be viewed daily on our school’s YouTube channel. The News Crew is responsible for creating and producing the weekly broadcast, which includes Media Center promotions, school news and announcements, real world information, and other schoolwide special occasions. They run the equipment, write the scripts, and gather news and announcements from around the school.
Makerspace and STEAM
In addition to being the literacy center of our school, Friendship's Media Center is future ready! We have a Makerspace area that we are constantly adding to that allows students the opportunity to collaborate as they create products and solve problems. In a library makerspace or maker program, patrons of varying ages can work together, alone, or with library staff on creative projects. These spaces often give community members access to tools, technology, and knowledge that may not be easily accessible or affordable otherwise.[1] The goal of a makerspace is to allow patrons to learn through direct experimentation and from each other.[2]
Sphero, Dash and Dot robots, Keva Planks, Magnetic Blocks, Legos, K'Nex, Brain Flakes, Circuit Boards and a plethora of arts and crafts materials are just a few of the recently added items. Students complete STEAM Makerstation activities based on the stories they enjoy and their own imagination. Students have the opportunity to make or do as they extend their appreciation and understanding of literature. Students also utilize science skills during investigations related to fiction and nonfiction books. Whether they are drawing and painting in the style of an illustrator they are studying, or they are creating the best house for the Three Little Pigs out of Legos, creativity and learning go hand and hand in our Media Center.
Legos
Circuit Boards
Unifix Cubes
Keva Planks
Our Reading Programs
Little Free Library
Our school received a grant created to celebrate the opening of the 200,000th Little Free Library. We were proud to receive this grant to ensure that our families have easy access to children's books at all levels year round. In addition, Ms. Cupp's father made a Little Library for us to increase the books we can share with the community. Please feel free to stop by and add or take a book!
Beanstack
Beanstack is an online platform that encourages literacy by helping readers track their habits through fun reading challenges. Students can log their reading minutes, earn badges, achieve reading goals and more! We're already on our way to 40,000 minutes read for 2025-2026!
SSYRA & SSYRA, Jr.
The Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) Program is a statewide reading motivational program for students in grades 3 through 8. Students in grades K through 2 participate in the SSYRA Jr. program. The purpose of the SSYRA Programs is to encourage students to read independently for pleasure and to read books that are on, above, and below their reading level in order to improve their reading fluency. Sunshine State books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation. The SSYRA committee and the SSYRA Jr. committee are each comprised of 20 qualified school librarians located throughout the state of Florida. The SSYRA committee subdivided into two committees- grades 3-5 and grades 6-8.
Each year Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) releases 15 SSYRA books and 15 SSYRA, Jr. books. These are the books that the students call dog tag books. When the student reads the book and passes the Accelerated Reader quiz, they will earn a Dog Tag, or Brag Tag in grades K-5. Students who take part in the program are also invited to participate in a vote to choose their favorite with all kids in the state of Florida.
Accelerated Reader
The Media staff also sponsors the Accelerated Reader Program. With 1,000s of our books qualifying as Accelerated Reader books, this offers a very motivational reading opportunity for our students. The students can track words read, points scored, and more while using AR. This program takes place during the school day. To find out if a book is on Accelerated Reader click below.
Uber Reads
The Media Center sponsors Uber Reads. To use Uber Reads, students simply place a hold on the books of their choice in the Destiny app on vPortal and we take care of the rest. If they have a clear account (no overdue books & they haven't checked out their maximum number of books), their requests will be delivered to classrooms.
Library Media Access for School and Classroom Libraries
The purpose of the school library media center is to encourage the love of reading and support the school community and curriculum goals through self-selected reading materials. The media specialist collaborates with families and teachers to support students in the selection of reading materials that meet their reading interests.
Parents and guardians have the right to limit their child’s access to materials in the school library and classroom library. The library media access level a parent/guardian selects for their student will be in effect for the student’s academic career in Volusia County Schools. Changes may be made at any time by completing the School and Classroom Library Access Form on the Parent Portal.
By default, all students have standard access to age/grade appropriate materials in the school and classroom library.
Definitions of Access
Standard Access- A student has access to age/grade appropriate materials in the school library and their classroom libraries.
Unlimited Access: A student has full access to the materials in Volusia County Schools’ libraries and classroom libraries including access to any titles that require parent permission. This includes permission for the student to check out Young Adult (YA) titles when the student is in middle school.
Restricted Access: A student is permitted access to materials in Volusia County Schools’ libraries and classroom libraries except for specific titles as designated by their parent/guardian. The parent/guardian is responsible for restricting specific materials in their child’s school library or classroom libraries by completing the School and Classroom Library Access Form on the Parent Portal.
School Card Catalog (Search for Book)
Library Media Center Collection Development
Each school library media collection is developed in accordance with Volusia County School Board Policy 320 and Florida Statute 1006.28.
Each book made available to students through a school district library media center or included in a recommended or assigned school or grade-level reading list must be selected by a school district employee who holds a valid educational media specialist certificate, regardless of whether the book is purchased, donated, or otherwise made available to students.
2. Each district school board shall adopt procedures for developing library media center collections and post the procedures on the website for each school within the district. The procedures must:
a. Require that book selections meet the criteria in s. 1006.40(3)(d).
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Free of pornography and material prohibited under s. 847.012.
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Suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented.
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Appropriate for the grade level and age group for which the materials are used or made available.
b. Require consultation of reputable, professionally recognized reviewing periodicals and school community stakeholders.
c. Provide for library media center collections based on reader interest, support of state academic standards and aligned curriculum, and the academic needs of students and faculty.
d. Provide for the regular removal or discontinuance of books based on, at a minimum, physical condition, rate of recent circulation, alignment to state academic standards and relevancy to curriculum, out-of-date content, and required removal pursuant to subparagraph (a)2.
Selection Process
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The media specialist develops a recommended list of books that meet the needs of the school per the collection development guidelines.
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The media specialist provides the school media advisory committee with professional reviews of each book prior to meeting.
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The school media advisory committee meets to review and approve the list. The committee must come to a consensus on approvals. If the committee is unable to come to a consensus, the principal along with the media specialist is responsible for the final decision.
Challenged Materials:
Volusia County School Board Policy 320 establishes the procedures for the review of complaints concerning media materials.