What's happening
This bill requires every New York school to have a library and employ certified school library media specialists based on student enrollment.
Why it matters
Guarantees that every public school student in New York—regardless of school size or location—will have access to a dedicated school library and a certified library media specialist, promoting equitable educational resources statewide.
Sets specific staffing ratios for library media specialists and clerks based on student enrollment, ensuring that larger schools receive proportionately more support and maintaining manageable workloads for staff.
Allows for temporary waivers if schools are unable to hire certified specialists due to local shortages, but limits these waivers to prevent indefinite delays and encourage districts to prioritize filling these positions.
May require districts to invest in new hiring and facilities, potentially improving student literacy, research skills, and access to technology, but also creating new budgetary and administrative challenges for local school systems.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Certified School Librarians
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6023
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 21, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to librarians of school libraries; and to repeal certain provisions of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 275 of the education law is REPEALED and a new section 275 is added to read as follows:
§ 275. Librarians of school libraries. 1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, and subject to the provisions of section two hundred seventy-four of this part, and subdivision three of this section, each school district in the state shall have and 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 within three years of the effective date of this section.
2. Employment of certified school library media specialists shall be in accordance with the following standards:
a. In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of not more than one hundred pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall be employed as fifteen hundredths of a full-time equivalent staff member;
b. In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of more than one hundred but not more than three hundred pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall be employed as a three-tenths of a full-time equivalent staff member;
c. In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of more than three hundred but no more than five hundred pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall be employed as a one half of a full-time equivalent staff member;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04673-01-7
A. 6023 2
d. In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of more than five hundred pupils, a certified school library media specialist shall be employed as a full-time equivalent staff member;
e. (i) In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of more than two thousand pupils, two certified school library media specialists shall each be employed as a full-time equivalent staff member;
(ii) An additional certified school library media specialist shall be employed as a full-time equivalent staff member for each additional one thousand pupils enrolled in an elementary or secondary school.
f. (i) In each elementary or secondary school with an enrollment of at least one thousand pupils, a full-time equivalent staff member shall be employed as a library clerk.
(ii) An additional full-time equivalent staff member shall be employed as a library clerk for each additional one thousand pupils enrolled in an elementary or secondary school.
3. The commissioner may, upon application by a school district, waive the applicability of the provisions of subdivisions one and two of this section for up to one year, if such application demonstrates the elementary or secondary school is within a designated shortage area for certified school library media specialists, and such application demonstrates that an actual offer of employment was made to a certified school library media specialist; however, no such waiver shall be granted for more than two consecutive school years, and no more than two waivers may be granted with a five year period.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.