Requires school districts to maintain libraries in elementary and secondary schools and employ certified school library media specialists; provides for a waiver of such requirement upon showing of financial hardship or adequate library access.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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2228
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2011
___________
Introduced by Sen. KRUGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
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:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 815 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 815. School libraries. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law
4 to the contrary and subject to the provisions of subdivision two of this
5 section, each school district shall maintain a school library in each
6 elementary and secondary school in the district. School districts
7 outside a city having a population of one million or more shall employ
8 certified school library media specialists for each such school library,
9 in accordance with regulations prescribed by the commissioner. School
10 districts in a city having a population of one million or more shall
11 employ certified school library media specialists for each such school
12 library, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the commissioner.
13 2. The commissioner may, upon application by a school district, waive
14 the applicability of the provisions of subdivision one of this section
15 to such school district upon a determination by the commissioner that
16 such provisions would place an extreme financial burden on such school
17 district or that such school district's needs are adequately met through
18 a sharing arrangement with a public library and such arrangement
19 provides for adequate library access.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
21 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.
LBD07404-01-1
