Senate Bill S1591B

                                BILL NUMBER:S1591B

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to public librarian certificate
fee

PURPOSE:
This legislation would amend section 279 of the education law to
increase the fee charged by the Education Department for the issuance
of a public librarian's certificate to better reflect current costs
of processing such certificates, and to create a temporary certificate.
This bill would also remove obsolete language related to school
librarian certificates.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends paragraph (a) of section 279 of the education law
to remove obsolete language related to school librarian certificates
and to increase the fee charged for the issuance of certificates to
public librarians. Section one also amends section 279 of the
education law by adding a new paragraph (b), which creates a
temporary certificate for public librarians and establishes the fee
for the issuance of this certificate.

Section two provides the effective date.

              

JUSTIFICATION:
School librarians are now certified through the state Education
Department's teacher certification process as school library media
specialists, so references to fees for school librarian certificates
in paragraph (a) of Section 279 of the Education Law are obsolete and
should be removed.

This bill would also increase the fee for a public librarian
certificate issued by the State Education Department from five
dollars to fifty dollars, which is less than the current $100 fee for
a school library media specialist certificate. Both certificates have
similar regulations and education requirements. The fee for a
temporary certificate, created through this legislation, will be $75
in order to deter certificate holders from missing professional
development deadlines. The increased fees will help support
administrative costs incurred for processing public librarian
certification applications. The State Education Department issues an
average of 500 public librarian certificates annually.
The certificates are lifetime certificates, pending that the
professional development requirements are fulfilled.

In the fall of 2007, the New York Library Association's Continuing
Education Committee decided that requirements for public librarian
certification had to be changed in order to meet the needs of the
public. Public librarians, now more than ever, are required to know

about quickly evolving technology and a vast array of information
resources. The committee, working alongside the New York state
Library and referring to Regents policy as its guide, decided that
ongoing professional development would be the strategy for promoting
workforce excellence.

Professional development for public librarians is Regents policy and
is part of recommendation nine of Meeting the Needs of All New Yorkers:
Library Service in the New Century - Final Report of the Regents
Commission on Library Services, which states the need to "establish a
certification process to promote excellence in New York's library
workforce at all stage and levels." Since 1909, individuals working
in professional librarian positions in public, free association or
Indian libraries or in public library systems in New York State have
been required to possess a public librarian certificate issued by the
New York State Education Department. This certification is required
whether the position is full-time or part-time. The original fee of
three dollars was raised to five dollars by Chapter 458 of the Laws
of 1959 and has not been raised since. While the cost of
certification has certainly increased since 1959, the recent
amendment of Commissioner's Regulation 90.7 in December of 2008 to
strengthen certification requirements for public librarian
professional certificate holders will necessitate an increase in
paperwork and time spent documenting and verifying professional
development activities. The raise in fees will partially offset these
incurred costs. The proposal was introduced to the Regents Cultural
Education Committee at their July 2008 meeting and was again
discussed at their October 2008 meeting. It was approved at a
December 2008 meeting, and the regulation changes went into effect
January 9, 2009.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The increased fees for certificates will help to partially offset the
cost of a more complex professional public librarian certification
program.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.