This document outlines facility plans and policies for the media center at Gum Springs Elementary School. It provides an overview of the original facility layout, key findings from a student and teacher survey identifying areas for improvement, and proposed changes to the media center layout including adding a comfortable reading area, relocating shelves and computer stations, and defining a story time space. The goal is to create a more inviting and functional learning environment in the media center.

1. Facilities Plan
 FRIT 7132 Administration of a School Library
600 Gum Springs Rd
Jefferson, GA
Lee Ann Pittman

2. Table of Contents
 Introduction Page
 GSES Vision and Mission Statement
 Message from the Principal
 Facts about GSES
 Mission of the Media Center
 Welcome to GSES
 Inside the Media Center
 Other Areas inside the Media Center
 Other Rooms inside the Media Center
 Original Facility Plan
 Facility Use
 Reading Incentive Programs
 Facility Policies
 Policies Continued
 Key Survey Findings
 Key Survey Comments
 Facility Changes and Updates
 Additional Facility Changes
 GSES Facilities Wiki
 GSES Updated Facility Plan
 Summary

3. GSES Vision and Mission Statement
VISION STATEMENT
Gum Springs Elementary is committed to the
relentless pursuit of educational excellence.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Gum Springs Elementary is to
provide and support challenging and rigorous
educational opportunities to ensure academic
excellence for all students in a safe and caring
learning environment.

4. Message from the Principal
Gum Springs Elementary School
Principal’s Message
Welcome to Gum Springs Elementary School’s website. I am very excited about our new
school and staff. Hard work certainly brings a team together as we have all learned in opening
Gum Springs Elementary School this fall. I am pleased to work with a highly qualified,
dedicated, and caring staff of teachers and support staff. As we begin the 2009-2010 school
year we have committed to building a tradition of excellence for our students. The staff at Gum
Springs Elementary School is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of excellence in education for
all of our students.
It is our mission to provide and support challenging and rigorous standards based instruction
to ensure academic excellence for all students in a safe and caring learning environment. We
plan to build strong foundations in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies,
technology and character to ensure the success of our students. We want to prepare them not
just for the next grade in school but to be productive members of our community. We know
that partnerships with parents and the community are essential to the success of our students.
We encourage parents to join us in our efforts to provide our students with the best education
possible. There will be many opportunities for parents to get involved in their child’s education,
and we encourage you to take part in as many of these as possible. Together we can make a
difference!
I look forward to working with you and your child to make the 2009-2010 school year an
exciting learning filled year. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Alisa Hanley
Principal

5. Facts About
 There are 779 students enrolled
 60 certified teachers
 The school opened its doors in 2007.
 There are 10,517 titles in the Media Center
 There are 11,112 copies in the Media Center
 There are 1027 patrons in the Destiny computer
system. These are students, teachers, and parents
who have checked out materials from the Media
Center.
 GSES is on the west side of Jackson County, located
in Jefferson, Georgia

6. Mission of the GSES Media Center
The Gum Springs Elementary School Media Center exists to provide
students, parents, and educators with access to information to further
learning and to encourage pleasure reading. We believe that students
must be able to do more than effectively retrieve information from a
variety of sources, students must be able to evaluate, critique, and
synthesize information as well. The media specialist collaborates with
teachers to create meaningful lessons and works to educate students,
parents, and educators in information technology and to create lifelong
learners.
The mission of the library media program is to ensure that students and
staff are effective users of ideas and information.
This mission is accomplished by:
-providing intellectual and physical access to materials in all formats
-providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in
reading, viewing, and using information and ideas
-working with other educators to design learning strategies to meet
individual needs of students

7. Welcome to GSES!
Front of Gum Springs Elementary
Entrance into the Media Center
The Media Center is located at the front of the
school. Gum Springs is a two level facility and
the Media Center is on the entrance floor
immediately past the front office.

8. Inside the Media Center
The Media Help and Check Out Desk
Media Center Bookshelves

9. Other areas in the Media Center
Work and Reading tables for
students
Story time Area

10. Computer Work Stations Extended view of the seating
area and Story time area in the
far back corner

11. Other rooms inside the Media Center
Teacher resource room Media Center work room

12. Continue…
Conference Room inside the Media
Center

13. Original Facility Plan

14. Facility Use
 Books are Checked-in and Checked-out
 Teacher Resources
 Student Research
 Computer Collaboration Lessons
 Lessons integrated with the Smart Board
 Live Broadcast/ Morning News
 Reading Bowl Activities
 Technology Equipment Use
 Assisting with the Accelerated Reader Program

15. Reading Incentive Programs at GSES
 At Gum springs Elementary there are many opportunities for
students to become and exceed in their reading skills.
 All students participate in the Accelerated Reader program
earning points when tests are taken. Each month the school hosts
a HAT Party and students receive incentive stickers on their hats
letting everyone know their accomplishments.
 Georgia Book Awards: This is a reading program sponsored by
the University of Georgia that spotlights quality literature. During
the school year, students are asked to read books from current
nominee lists and then as a student body through the media
center, students will vote on their favorite book. Students all
across the state of Georgia will be doing the same thing.
 Book Fairs are held twice during the year and one half price sale
at the end of the school year.

16. Facility Policies
 The GSES Media Center uses the method of flexible scheduling. All
media centers throughout Jackson County are required to maintain the
same schedule. The hours of operation for the media center is 7:30am-
4:00pm daily. The Jackson County Board of Education wants to
encourage all students, staff, and parents to utilize the resources in the
media centers throughout the county.
 Meetings are allowed in the Media Center as long as the media center is
not closed to student use.
 If the Media Center has a conference on meeting space located within the
facility then a calendar will be set for those wanted to utilize the space.
 An instructional media committee shall be appointed by the principal in
each school in collaboration with the media specialist. It is highly
recommended that the committee be composed of administrators, media
specialist's), teachers, students, and community representatives.
 The media committee makes recommendations and decisions related to
planning, operation, evaluation, and improvement of the media program.
The committee shall annually evaluate media services and develop a
multi-year media plan for budget and service priorities.

17. Policies Continued
 The media center at GSES has an open schedule policy. The media
specialist encourages students to come back and forth on an as needed
basis. Students are allowed to come into the center with a pass from the
teacher. Only one student is sent at a time. Each class will participate in
a group visit one time per week.
 Collaboration is very effective in the classroom setting. Teachers are
asked to please schedule a collaboration lesson with the media specialist
at least two weeks in advance in order to allow preparation.
 If teachers and/or students need to use any technology related equipment
must check the equipment out through the media center. If assistance is
need, please schedule at least one week in advance to allow adequate
time to adjust in scheduling conflicts.

18. Key Survey Findings
 Gum Springs Elementary is a brand new facility. There
were so many positive responses.
 82% felt the Media Center needed a comfortable
seating area to read and relax
 62% would like to see a more defined story time area
and location
 95% really like the visual appeal of vertical shelving
 51% felt that the computer area was in an awkward
area and should be placed in a different location inside
the media center.

19. Key Survey comments:
 3rd Grade student: “I would like a comfortable place to
sit and read
 1st Grade student: “I love to check out books.”
 5th Grade student: I would like to see some cool
furniture.”
 1st grade teacher: ”The vertical shelving is wonderful
when an entire class is visiting the media center. I can
see all of my students between the shelves.”
 3rd grade teacher:” The story time area should be more
defined.”

20. Facility changes and updates
 When Gum Springs Elementary opened in 2007 all items were
purchased new. The school already has wifi and each teacher
gets to choose whether they want a Macintosh or PC in the
classroom along with smart boards. After many discussions with
the teachers, students, and media specialist the list of changes
were very obvious.
 The number one issue in the media center is the fact that the
shelves themselves are bolted into the ground. This restricts the
opportunity to make very simple changes and open up the space.
 We will remove the bolts and start moving the shelves.
 Many of the surveys indicated a need for a comfortable reading
area. The new plan will provide a space in the center of the room
with comfortable chairs, a reading bench, and a soft cushion tulip
table that will transform into additional seating.

21. Additional Facility Changes
 In front of the reading area we will place a large story time rug.
This will pull the current area out of the back corner and into the
middle of the media center.
 The vertical shelving in the media center is extremely popular so I
left the vertical placement. I shifted the tables and chairs into two
student learning areas allowing them to be utilized by two different
groups if necessary.
 I placed pedestal bookshelves in the back corner to allow
additional shelving and possibly open up an opportunity to have
themed book sections in one area.
 The computer work station remains at the front of the media
center, however it has been shifted to the right in order to see a
clear view of the comfortable and inviting reading space in the
center of the room.

22. GSES Wiki with sites listing furniture
options:
http://www.gsesfacilitiesplan.wikispaces.com

23. Updated Facility Plan
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24. Summary:
 In summary the Media Center at GSES is
a very active and amazing place to learn,
read, and be challenged. I hope the
changes that were made will only assist
in the development of all children.