BACS Library
Greetings from the BACS Children’s Library! We welcome students and their families to utilize the nearly 35,000 print books housed within our cozy library. We also invite you to explore the many eBooks and audiobooks we offer through MackinVia, a digital library platform. Please use the links provided to access both our in-print library catalog and our digital collection on MackinVia.
Access to Library Catalog
Please use this link to use the BACS Library Website to search for books and place holds: https://na.accessit.online/BRY02/
Use the following directions to login to student accounts: AccessIt Library Website Login Instructions 2023
Library’s Digital Book Collection
Instant access to the library’s collection of eBooks and audiobooks on the digital platform MackinVia
Download the MackinVia App OR read in a browser using these links:
K-4 students: bacsk4.mackinvia.com
5-8 students: bacs.mackinvia.com (uses @bacs.school email to login)
Use the following directions to login to student accounts: MackinVia Student Account Instructions 2023
Contact Information
Kelly Austin
Kelly.austin@bacs.org
215-947-4086 ext. 227
Shannon Good
Shannon.good@bacs.org
215-947-4086 ext. 227
Weekly Library Schedule
Library Policies
Library behavior: We seek to provide a warm and inviting space for all our student visitors. To help us with this environment, we ask that our students contribute to the library atmosphere by using quiet voices, refraining from running, and using good manners when looking for books with classmates. Students are instructed to be respectful of library property including our shelves, furniture and most importantly our books! Book care is discussed with all primary grades and reviewed with older grades as needed.
Book circulation: Students in grades 1st-8th may have up to 6 books out at a time. Kindergarteners may have one library book in their classroom each week. Books are due after two weeks, although they can be kept longer as needed.
Library Fines and Damaged or Lost Books: We do not have any late fees, but when a book is lost or damaged and needs replacing we ask that a donation be made towards its replacement. The following amounts help us acquire replacements: $3.00 for paperback everyone reader books, $5.00 for other paperback books, and $10.00 for hardback books. Thank you for your help in keeping books available to our students for as long as possible!
Overdue notices: We will contact parents on an as needed basis when a student’s account is full or books are more than a month overdue. Notices can also be requested at any time.
Parent library use: We encourage parents to use the library as well! Please contact the librarians if you’re interested in creating your own library account and would like to check out books for use at home.
Library Special Events and Programs
BACS Summer Reading Program: Students completing grades K-7th can participate in our summer reading program. In this optional program, participants keep track of the time they spend reading over the summer in order to earn prizes and a free book from our November book fair. A celebration of summer reading happens every October and participants are invited to attend.
Book Fair: Our book fair fundraiser takes place in early November. We set up our very own book store in the school for students, families and community members to shop at! Our book fair profits earn the library money to support our summer reading prizes as well as providing many books for the library and classrooms.
Reading Olympics for grades 4th-6th: The Reading Olympics is an event put on by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU). Students in 4th-6th grades are invited to participate by joining our BACS teams. Team members read books from a list provided by the MCIU. At the event in early spring, our teams will join other schools in our area testing their knowledge of the books they read and earning ribbons. Team members will meet with the librarians over lunch once or twice a month from September-March. Snacks are provided, as well as an initial pizza lunch and final celebratory meeting with pizza and treats.
Upper Unit Book Club: Students in 7th and 8th grades are invited to join this reading group. The group will meet to discuss one book per month for the months of October-March. Our books have been selected from the Reading Olympics Middle School list created by the MCIU. The books are provided by the librarians and each meeting will include snacks, as well as an initial pizza lunch and a final celebratory meeting with pizza and treats.
Library Curriculum
The library’s curriculum uses the American Association of School Libraries’ standards framework as a launching off point, infusing it with the values and spirit of the BACS mission and New Church doctrine. Each interaction with students, whether through story-telling, book selection, or lessons on library use and research tools, is an opportunity to incorporate and share these essential skills. For further information on library curriculum specific to each grade, please see the curriculum information divided by grade.
AASL Standards Frame work: https://standards.aasl.org/