NY State Senate Bill 2013-S7922

Senate Bill S7922

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Requires each school district to maintain a school library in each elementary and secondary school in the district

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 19, 2014	referred to rules

2013-S7922 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9699
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §274-a, Ed L

2013-S7922 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires each school district to maintain a school library in each elementary and secondary school in the district and to employ a certified school library media specialist for each such school library.

2013-S7922 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S7922

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
maintaining school libraries

PURPOSE:

To ensure that each elementary and secondary school in New York State
maintains a school library and employs a certified school librarian.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill adds a new Section 274-a to the Education Law to require all
school districts to maintain a school library in each elementary and
secondary school and to employ a certified school library media
specialist or duly licensed teacher of library for each such school
library. The bill also provides a waiver process that can be used by
districts that fall within a designated shortage area for library
media specialists or by districts that have demonstrated that their
needs can be met through a sharing amendment with a public library.

JUSTIFICATION:

School libraries are an integral part of the educational program. They
support and complement all phases of the formal instructional program
in the various areas of the curriculum, and enrich each student's

life. For many, the school library is the first introduction the
student has to any library facility. Because of this unique aspect,
the school library will be the only place the student can learn the
proper usage of a library and its valuable resources.

An adequate, comprehensive school library program is essential in
providing quality education for all students in today's modern and
progressive society. The library, therefore, becomes that place where
the student can reinforce his language art and reading skills, become
aware of how to retrieve background reference materials for his
everyday life and school assignments, and learn to think and act as an
independent individual to gain the necessary information to attain
intellectual maturity.

It is of utmost importance that a school library be staffed by
competent professionally trained personnel who are certified or
licensed in their area of responsibility. The librarian should be a
professional trained to look at and work for a total school program.
The librarian should be professionally astute to be able to select and
acquire those materials which will assist each student to reach out
for his or her intellectual potential and to be able to achieve a
wide, unencumbered view of the world and how the student can best fit
into it. Only a competent certified or licensed librarian can add that
dimension to a child's life.

If maintaining a school library would place an extreme financial
burden on a district, the waiver provision allows the district to
explore alternative ways to meet the needs of their students through a
sharing arrangement with a public library. The waiver process is also
available if there is a shortage locally of library media specialists.


LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2007-08: A.8543/S.1686
2005-06: A.6106/S.3112
2003-04: A.6499-A/S.4573
2001-02: S.3387

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

The first day of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have
become a law

2013-S7922 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7922

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 19, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  FARLEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  maintaining  school
  libraries

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  274-a
to read as follows:
  S  274-A.  SCHOOL LIBRARIES. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF
LAW TO THE CONTRARY AND SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION TWO  OF
THIS  SECTION,  EACH  SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL MAINTAIN A SCHOOL LIBRARY IN
EACH ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT, AND SHALL EMPLOY A
CERTIFIED SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST FOR EACH SUCH SCHOOL  LIBRARY,
IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  REGULATIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER, WITHIN
THREE YEARS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
  2. THE COMMISSIONER MAY, UPON APPLICATION BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT,  WAIVE
THE  APPLICABILITY  OF THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION
TO SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT UPON A DETERMINATION BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  THAT
THE  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  IS  WITHIN A DESIGNATED SHORTAGE AREA FOR LIBRARY
MEDIA SPECIALISTS OR THAT SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S  NEEDS  ARE  ADEQUATELY
MET THROUGH A WRITTEN SHARING ARRANGEMENT WITH A PUBLIC LIBRARY AND SUCH
ARRANGEMENT PROVIDES FOR ADEQUATE LIBRARY ACCESS.
  S  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.




 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD15173-01-4

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