Mission and Vision of the Library

James Baldwin’s library welcomes student imagination and curiosity. A strong library program has many goals. It provides a safe and welcoming environment; offers a collection and programming that encourages students to read widely; fosters students who read for enjoyment; equips learners to ask questions, seek infomation, evaluate their findings, and communicate their learning in a variety of ways; and encourages students to develop their interests in a variety of genres and content areas.

Seattle Public Library  access

All students have access to the incredible (and justly famous) Seattle Public Library online collection. This video explains how to access Seattle Public Library and its electronic resources.

Hours

The library is open Monday, Thursday and every other Wednesday. We open on Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 and students are invited to come to the library before school starts on those days.

Books that are overdue or lost

Books are checked out for 2 weeks of school days. Fines for late books are never charged. However, we do ask families to replace books that are lost. Parents can see their students’ library book checkouts and lost book fees on the Source. Mistakes happen and times are tough- let us know if replacing lost books would constitute a hardship. Older students can keep track of their checkouts by logging in to our library website to the right. Students can browse the book collection, check to see due dates, and find research avenues there.

Volunteer Opportunities

The library space needs constant work, checking in returned books, shelving them, and repairing them. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete your SPS volunteer training, and let me know. We have a great volunteer group who will be glad to welcome you.

Thank you!

Jodie Purcell, James Baldwin Elementary Librarian
jkpurcell@seattleschools.org