NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4226
SPONSOR: Jensen TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing require-
ments for elementary and secondary school libraries
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to ensure equal access to all school library
resources and ensure each library gets a budget allocation per student
basis to keep resources up to date and relevant.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends section 274 of the education law to establish a of
criteria every elementary and secondary school library must follow that
are established by the commissioner of education including: providing
equal access to materials, allow for flexible access to all library
resources for students, staff and faculty, receive a budget allocation
on per student basis and each school district shall evaluate their
school libraries annually using a rubric provided by the department of
education.
Section 2. Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Current education regulations pertaining to school libraries has been
not updated in over twenty years and existing state education law
regarding school libraries has not been updated since 1970. With school
libraries playing an increasingly important role in the education proc-
ess and with the continuing advancement of technology that school
libraries offer to those they serve, now is the time to ensure that
state education law reflects the important work and capabilities of
these educational resources.
21st Century libraries are so much more than just books, they now
feature technological equipment, media resources, digital access to a
variety of resources including e-books and databases while providing
flexible and equitable access to space and staff for students, staff and
faculty in our schools. Amending § 274 of the education law will ensure
that school libraries have collections that reflect the needs of the
student body and school district's technological capabilities.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.3174 of 2023/24
A.6339 of 2021/22
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE: •
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addi-
tion, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for
the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to
be made and completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4226
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing require-
ments for elementary and secondary school libraries
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 274 of the education law is amended to read as
2 follows:
3 § 274. Use and care of school library. 1. The school library shall be
4 a part of the school equipment and shall be kept in the school building
5 at all times. Such library shall be devoted to the exclusive use of the
6 school, except as otherwise provided by the rules of the commissioner of
7 education and except in a district where there is no free library, in
8 which case such school library shall be a circulating library for the
9 use of the residents of the district.
10 2. Each school library shall:
11 a. provide physical access to resources including, but not limited to,
12 books, technological equipment, media, and other tangible documents;
13 b. provide digital access to resources including, but not limited to,
14 e-books, databases, software and media;
15 c. provide equitable, flexible access to library space and its staff
16 by school students, staff and faculty; and
17 d. receive a budget allocation on a per student basis to ensure
18 resources and services remain relevant.
19 3. Each school district shall annually evaluate their school library
20 using a school library program rubric created by the department.
21 4. The commissioner of education shall prescribe rules regulating
22 [1.] a. The purchase, recording, safekeeping and loaning of books in
23 school libraries, and the use of such books by pupils and teachers in
24 the public schools.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06742-01-5
A. 4226 2
1 [2.] b. The conditions under which books in a school library may be
2 used by the public in a district in which a free library is situated.
3 [3.] c. The management of school libraries and their use as circulat-
4 ing libraries by the residents of the district in which they are situ-
5 ated.
6 [4.] d. The contents and submission of reports of school librarians,
7 teachers and other school authorities as to school libraries.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
9 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the
10 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
11 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
12 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
