The goals of the library media specialist are to develop in students the ability to access, understand, and use library resources in order to appreciate literature in various forms. The New York State Next Generation Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Technology are incorporated into the curriculum. Bayport-Blue Point school district elementary library media specialists collaborated on and wrote a curriculum to ensure uniform learning among students when they get to middle school. On each grade level students learn to locate and use materials, select, evaluate, and interpret information, record, organize, and present information, and appreciate and enjoy literature.

Kindergarten students become familiar with the library media center, its staff, and procedures. They learn about terms such as author, title, and illustrator by listening to stories, nursery and counting rhymes, finger plays, and poetry. Throughout the year, students sort thematic books into fiction and nonfiction titles. After learning how to care for books, they circulate one book per week.

First grade students enjoy many more fiction and nonfiction books through sharing and selection. Character, setting, and plot are explored and discussed. The unit on fables and fractured fairy tales reinforces these concepts. Students are taught how to choose books appropriate to their reading level, personal interest, and preference.

Second grade students help classmates follow procedures and locate materials. They locate fiction books by the author's last name and scan the nonfiction shelves to find a book on a particular subject. They begin to use information search strategies for assignments. Second graders understand the Caldecott Medal and demonstrate an awareness of differing styles of illustrators. Students are introduced to trickster tales, fairy tales around the world, mystery and adventure stories.

Third grade students understand the purpose of the OPAC (online public access catalog), call numbers, and reference books. They use print resources and the Virtual Reference Collection (VRC) when they study cultures around the world and the solar system. They read and share favorite fiction and nonfiction books. Biographies, story collections, and chapter books are introduced.

Fourth grade students expand their knowledge of the OPAC by searching for books and locating them on the shelves. They are encouraged to become more critical and objective in their evaluation of sources based on currency, accuracy, readability, and organization. They participate in research based projects using the Virtual Reference Collection to cite multiple sources of information when learning about animal adaptations and National Parks. Tall tales, mythology, historical fiction, and science fiction expand their knowledge of literary genres. Students also learn to evaluate websites through guided practice.

Fifth grade students study Newbery Award-winning books throughout the year. They read authors who help them develop comprehension and get ready for middle school. They are introduced to bibliography formats for books, encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers, and websites with particular attention to internet safety which is reinforced in middle school. They participate in research units involving gathering and citing information from multiple sources. They also learn how to share their knowledge gained using various digital and online platforms.

Library Makerspace - The students have the opportunity to engage in creative problem solving exploration in the library makerspace area during their library classes after book check out each week.

Homework Help Online - School Library System - Virtual Reference Collection (VRC)
The VRC contains databases that have been selected as being appropriate and safe for student use and have been assembled in an effort to further enable independent research and foster higher level thinking skills. The students learn about the VRC databases and become familiar with many of the resources during their time in library class. Students can access these databases directly through their Classlink Launchpad by clicking on the BPE Virtual Reference Collection (VRC) app. When you open one of the databases, you will be asked for a username and password. To get the username and password for this collection of databases, contact Ms. Lozano at 472-7840 ext 3090.