Hours

The library is open for drop-in use throughout the day: as students enter the building in the morning; during homeroom; during class periods with teacher permission (and a green library pass); and after school until 3:15. It is also open during both lunches.

Loan Period 

Students may have up to five (5) items checked out at any one time; the loan period is three weeks. Students may renew materials they need for longer than three weeks; they just need to bring the book to the library in order to renew it. This policy helps students keep track of the materials they borrow. Students may check out library materials as long they don't have any overdue (or lost) items. If the student has an overdue item, it’s a simple matter of returning it or bringing it to the library to renew it in order to check out additional items. There are no fines for overdue books; however, students are responsible for lost or damaged materials.

Thank You, PIE, for funding the purchase of graphic novels and other visually rich books.

With PIE's generous support over the years (and seed money from the Foege family 15 years ago), McMurray currently houses an extensive selection of outstanding graphic novels (as well as other visually striking and content-rich books that have wide appeal). It's clear that our students appreciate that this is the case: when they enter the library, a great number of students--reluctant and proficient readers alike--make a beeline to our first-rate graphic novel collection. 

These students recognize a fundamental truth about graphic novels, a visual form of storytelling that merges images and text: like "regular" books, graphic novels represent every reading level and every interest. Additionally, graphic novels (the latter part of the term is something of a misnomer) encompass every genre--realistic fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, traditional and classic literature, memoir/autobiobraphy/biography, informational, and poetry--with the same unlimited range of content and complexity as "regular" books. (And there are even some graphic novels without text, usually referred to as "wordless" graphic novels. They, too, cover an equally expansive range.)

McMurray's flourishing graphic novel collection is a significant resource that supports the development of reading skills, visual literacy, and creative expression and communication. Graphic novels, as well as other highly visual books, engage readers, enrich learning, and exercise the skills needed to navigate the vast landscape of visual information.