The purpose of the Keeley Library and its information skills program is to provide materials on curriculum subjects and personal interests in a variety of formats and ability levels, and to assist students in becoming active, independent, and creative locators, evaluators and users of information in an information-driven society.

In a large, comprehensive high school such as ours, teaching information/problem-solving skills to all students requires the cooperation of many stakeholders. There needs to be a shared responsibility among the teacher, librarian, and other specialists in order for these skills to be reinforced, internalized, and applied spontaneously and confidently to new learning situations.

To achieve that end, the Keeley Library staff will:

• Support classroom initiated investigations by promoting and teaching information and media literacy skills that encompass students' ability to find, use, and evaluate ideas and information, leading to productive life-long learning.
• Expose students to the richness of library resources and the strategies necessary for independent library use and the ethics of using information. (1)
• Cultivate student appreciation for a variety of experiences, including print and non-print literature and electronic resources. (2)
• Nurture in students an appreciation of literature, a love of reading, and a recognition that the insights of literature provide a central base of cultural and practical knowledge. (3)
• Establish and coordinate efficient management systems to enhance student/faculty use of information resources.
• Provide leadership, instruction, and consulting assistance to students and teachers in the use of leading-edge instructional and information technology, such as television production and on-line information sources.
• Encourage collaboration and the building of partnerships among library users and the community, including participation in regional library networks, working relationships with area colleges and libraries, and community outreach through the library's web site and the high school cable television program.

1. Department of Libraries and Information Technologies, Lexington Public Schools, Lexington, MA, 1997.
2. Bellingham Public Schools, 1306 Dupont, Bellingham, WA 98225 (306) 676-6400 ).
3. Adapted from Priority Academic Student Skills, Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma City, rev. May 2000. On-line: http://sde.state.ok.us/publ/pass.html, accessed June 11, 2002.

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Last Updated: December 11, 2008