Each year, hundreds of students filter through the AHS library the first few days of school to obtain their beloved textbooks. This ritual is always exciting and hectic, not anything unusual for these first few days. Despite the madness and mayhem, there are more than a few important things to keep in mind as these textbook checkouts commence. In no particular order please remember the following (** applies to library materials as well):

1. When checking out anything (textbooks, library books, CD-ROMS, calculators) from the library with your I.D., you are ultimately responsible for these materials. If anything happens to the materials you checked out (damaged, stolen. lost, etc,), you are responsible for replacement or payment. Do not, for example, lend books to other students, leave books unattended, or leave materials in your classroom. Here are some excuses that do not fly:
   
       (a) My teacher told me it was okay to leave my book in her classroom.”
       (b) I left my book on top of my locker and when I came back it was gone.”
       (c) “My friend borrowed my book and dropped it in the mud.”
    
2. When textbooks are initially checked out, please check for damages that may include missing barcodes, missing pages, writing in book, cover damage, and water damage. Many books are extremely old and damages do not need to necessarily be reported. Simply write the word “poor” inside the front cover in the blank stating “condition issued.”
3. Please cover your textbooks. Located on the counter next to the front doors of the library are free book covers. Because the textbooks must be used for many years to come, please take the time to protect them from daily wear and tear, especially the new adoptions. New adoptions from last year and this year include Health, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Algebra. Also include in this group newer-looking books.
4. Record your barcode numbers in a safe place (in a drawer at home) in order to keep track of your books throughout the year. Books can get mixed up quite easily and you want to make sure that you return the books that you checked out in the beginning of the school year.
5. If you do lose or severely damage a textbook, it must be paid for before a new textbook can be issued. Stop by the library to find out the cost of the book and then bring in either a check (made out to AHS) or cash and you will be issued a new book. If you find your book, you will be issued a refund check. Bring the lost book to the library and we will begin the process for the refund. After paperwork is complete at Agoura, refund requests must be processed at the district and should be received within the month. Please check with the library if a refund request takes longer than a month to receive.
6. The library staff at AHS, which consists of two staff members, one full-time and one part-time, deals with all textbook distribution, inventory, damages, and bookkeeping (along with all the other library responsibilities!), so your patience and cooperation is appreciated. Although we strive to do the best possible job we can, we do make mistakes from time to time. We are more than willing to work with you and figure out these mistakes, but this requires your support.

Thank you!
Ms. Cope
AHS Librarian