Policy & Procedures

Policy and Procedures for School Visits to the Hannon Library

The Hannon Library encourages visits from regional schools, in order to promote information literacy, higher education, and Southern as students' education choice in Oregon. Librarians work with high school librarians and teachers to ensure that students receive appropriate assistance, providing instruction to develop the skills necessary for independent research, the use of information, and library resources. The goal is to build a cooperative framework between the College and regional schools enhancing the educational experience of students.

The Hannon Library actively promotes resource sharing, and therefore circulation privileges are available to high school students for a specific period of time, upon presentation of a letter from their school librarian (see below). The library is an institution central to the development of responsible citizenship, local education, and culture. Accordingly, instruction session are provided for the cultural enrichment of elementary and junior high school students.


The following procedures detail the responsibilities of the teacher, school librarian, student, and the Hannon Library.

A. Teachers will:

  1. Visit the Hannon Library and work with their high school librarian to ensure that our resources support student research assignments.
  2. Schedule a class visit by contacting the Library Instruction Coordinator, Dale Vidmar, at least two weeks in advance by calling (541) 552-6842. Classes larger than 30 must be split into two groups. Visits are prohibited during dead/finals weeks.
  3. Fax a list of the students who will receive the instruction. Include student names, home addresses, and phone numbers, and the teacher's and librarian's signatures, and fax to (541) 552-6429, to the attention of Dale Vidmar. This list should arrive one week prior to the class, to ensure that students' circulation records are ready prior to their visit.
  4. Provide transportation to bring students to the Library on time. Parking arrangements may be made in advance by contacting SOU Parking at (541) 552-6257.
  5. Remain with their students at all times while in the Library. Following instruction, the class may remain to pursue individual research topics under the guidance of their teacher.
  6. Teachers may bring classes to use the Library without having instruction provided by a librarian, but the visit should be arranged with the Library Instruction Coordinator, Dale Vidmar, at least two weeks in advance.

B. School Librarians will:

  1. Decide if their library resources are sufficient to support student research assignments.
  2. Provide a letter for each student which states that library resources are inadequate for their topic. The letter allows students a one-time circulation of up to five books. The letter should only be provided after high-school library resources are evaluated. (Note: Letters are not necessary if the teacher faxes a list with student names, home addresses, and phone numbers, signed by the teacher and the librarian, prior to the visit.)
  3. Give the letter to the student to bring to the Hannon Library Circulation Desk--unless a complete, signed list has been faxed (see above).
  4. Assume responsibility, on behalf of their school library, for all Hannon Library charges incurred by their students.
  5. Introduce students to the Hannon Library Catalog if they have Internet access at their school.

C. Students will:

  1. Bring the letter from their school librarian to the Hannon Library Circulation Desk when they intend to check out books, along with a picture ID. (Note: Individual letters are not necessary if the teacher has faxed a complete list, signed by the teacher and the librarian, prior to the visit. Students must still have ID.) Interlibrary loan is prohibited with the exception of Advanced Southern Credit students who are enrolled as SOU students receiving all privileges granted an enrolled student.

D. The Hannon Library will:

  1. Reserve the Electronic Classroom-except when in use or during dead/finals weeks.
  2. Provide instruction on basic research strategies-except during dead/finals weeks.
  3. Provide readily available support to students via the instructor and via a continuously staffed Reference desk.
  4. Provide a one-time circulation of up to five books per letter, with renewal.
  5. Provide access to all resources owned by the library with the exception of Interlibrary Loan privileges and Orbis borrowing.