On the Road to Kindergarten Van

The Howard County Library System's On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit is pleased to offer visits to HCPSS Pre-K classrooms! This visit is designed to bring learning resources to students and families. Services will be fully accessible, enabling children to take their first steps to become ready and successful kindergarten students.

Each prekindergarten team will be able to sign up for one visit from the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit and indicate preferences to help differentiate the visit for their school community. Students will get to check out a library book, and families will have the opportunity to check out resources, as well.

Purpose

The purpose of the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile van visit is to:

• Support a partnership among families, the community, the schools, and the library to promote the library as a necessary resource for learning and growing;
• Increase awareness of the use of libraries to facilitate development of good reading habits;
• Allow each prekindergarten student the opportunity to check out one book; and,
• Reinforce the responsibilities associated with borrowing materials from the library (e.g., checking out a book, taking care of the book, returning the book).

The vehicle will be outfitted with a collection of library materials in a variety of formats that have been curated to meet the needs of the target populations. The library’s team will also be available to help parents and caregivers select developmentally appropriate books and increase awareness of other resources to support their children’s learning at home.

Library Cards

All new HCPSS students (Pre-K–12) will receive their A+ Student Card account number at the beginning of the school year. Once new accounts are activated, students will receive information about accessing their credentials from their school media specialist. Please see "Pre-Visit Resources" for more information related to preparing accounts prior to the visit

It is the expectation that all students check out a book during the visit. For students without a card, teachers should use their A+ Educator Card/Account Links to an external site. to check out books on behalf of their students.  As a reminder, HCLS is fine-free. While we encourage the return of all books, students and teachers will not be responsible for fines associated with unreturned books.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

If the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit is not able to provide services outside due to inclement weather, the HCPSS school will direct the ORK staff to an entrance overhang area that provides protection from the elements or will move into the school lobby. 

If HCPSS or the Library has a delayed opening or is closed due to inclement weather, On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit staff will reschedule the visit on a remaining open date, as HCPSS and ORK schedules allow.

Van Maintenance

As with any vehicle, there are occasional maintenance issues with the ORK van. In these instances, HCLS will identify alternative options, such as tabletops in the school foyer. Cancellation is the last resort; all canceled visits will be rescheduled. HCLS staff will communicate any maintenance issues with school designees..

Book Checkout

In alignment with the purpose of the visit, all children will be given the opportunity to check out a library book. On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit staff will help children select and check out a book, as well as provide families with information about library cards, toys, resources, and other materials.

If parents/caregivers/family members are unable to return the book to the library, they may return it to the teacher. Alternately, teams can choose to store student's selections in a special location in the classroom. HCLS staff will have designated pickup days several times a year; teams simply leave their books to be returned in the front office on designated days and HCLS staff will collect them. Designated pickup dates will be provided to schools.

Procedures for barcodes, to be completed before the visit, are detailed below in the Pre-Trip Planning Items. Teachers may also check out student books on their A+ Educator Library Card.

Pre-Visit Planning Items

1. Review and complete the On the Road to Kindergarten planning survey Links to an external site. to indicate your team's preferred date(s) and time(s), preferences for materials, Primary Point of Contact, etc.

Please note: the survey must be completed by September 13, 2024.

2. HCLS staff will follow up with each school's Primary and Front Office Point of Contact to confirm the date and time, as well as share any additional details. ECP point of contacts will also be included in communication.

3. Establish an inclement weather location if weather prohibits the carts being unloaded in the bus loop (eg, book carts in the front of the school vestibule, front hallway, or a specific classroom)

4. Work with prekindergarten staff to log in to A+ Student portal and print out individual barcode for each student. To print the barcode:

• • Go to hcpss.me (note: please ensure staff are logged out of their own accounts in order to access student accounts)
  • Select HC Library
  • Enter their Active Directory login
  • Once they log in, they should see the barcode on the top of the page along with their login and password information.
  • File - Print
  • As an alternative, a copy of the teacher's  A+ Educator Card/Account Links to an external site. barcode can be given to each child so they may scan the code during check-out.
  • Print options include printing on labels and affixing to notecards, formated printer paper, etc.

5. Send invitations and/or Canvas announcements to invite families to join their child when the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile library visits your school. An optional flier Download optional flier is available for use.

6. Notify the front office of the visit. Unless otherwise indicated in the survey, the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile until will park in the bus loop.

7. As a prekindergarten team, determine what students will do with the books (e.g., special classroom section, take home, etc.) and how the books will be returned (e.g. message to families about returning books to the library, returning the books to school for pickup, etc.)

1. The On the Road to Kindergarten mobile unit visit is approximately two hours, with the first and last 30 minutes designated as set-up and clean-up. Please see the following schedules according to visit times.

2. Bring printed barcodes (paper copy, notecards, etc.) to the visit. All students will be given the opportunity to check out a library book. Upon checkout, barcode printouts will be placed in the book they select.

3. Welcome families who join the visit and encourage families to engage with the HCPL staff and materials. 

4. HCPSS staff will supervise students throughout the visit. If a school team decides to visit in shifts, ratios must be maintained in alignment with COMAR requirements. 

1. Provide reminders to families about returning the books, if appropriate.

2. If using the HCLS pick-up option, leave collected books in the front office on designated day for pick-up.

3. As a team, the prekindergarten staff should complete one (1) feedback form Links to an external site. about the experience.

4. Consider using shared writing to compose a class thank you letter for HCLS staff. 

Is The visit considered an in-school Field TriP?

In-school “field trips” are required to go through the field trip approval process when:

• There is a contract or waiver required.
• There is a fee.
• There is an activity that could pose a higher risk to the student than they would encounter in their normal school day.

 According to the HCPSS Office of Safety & Risk Management, the On the Road to Kindergarten mobile library visit does not meet these parameters and does not require field trip approval. However, administrators, front office staff, and families should be notified of the visit and provided with any pertinent details.

In School Visits

In alignment with the purpose of the visit, On the Road to Kindergarten mobile library staff will help children select a book and introduce families to library classes, events, community resources, services, and more. They will not be leading classes or activities during the visit. HCPSS staff are expected to supervise students during the visit. 

If your school team is interested in scheduling a classroom read aloud, visit, or other in-class opportunity with the Howard County Library System (HCLS), please contact your Designated HCLS Library Branch Contacts to learn about available options.

Listening Center Options

Howard County Library System (HCLS) has a wealth of resources available for your listening center. Contact your Designated HCLS Library Branch Contact Links to an external site. to review available options and request materials. Resources include:

• Books on CD
• Wonderbooks
• VOX Audio Playback Device
• Overdrive
• Launchpad Tablet (this resource needs to be checked out with a personal HCLS library card)