This bill would require the department of education to report annually on the number of schools with libraries in the school building, whether the library is shared with any co-located schools, the number of certified librarians working in each school, the number of students served by each librarian, the librarian to student ratio in each school, and the duration and frequency that each grade receives library instruction. The goal is to ensure that all students have access to school libraries and are learning sufficient research skills.
- Filed (End of Session)
History
Int. No. 1659
By Council Members Crowley, Levine, Rosenthal, Gentile and Ulrich
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to report on school libraries and library media specialists
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Title 21-A of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 11 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 11
Reporting on School Libraries
§ 21-973 Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
Co-located school. The term “co-located school” means two or more individual schools that share the same building or campus.
Library media specialist. The term “library media specialist” means a certified teacher of library studies.
Volume. The term “volume” means a unit of a written material assembled together and cataloged in a library.
§ 21-974 Annual library reporting. a. No later than March 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the council, and post on the department’s website, a report containing information regarding school libraries.
b. Such report shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Whether the school has a library located within the building;
2. Whether the library is shared with a co-located school, and if so, how many co-located schools;
3. The physical size of the library expressed in cubic feet;
4. The number of volumes physically located in the library;
5. The number of library media specialists employed, full-time and part-time, in each library;
6. The library media specialist to student ratio in each school;
7. The nature and scope of the services provided by the library media specialist; and
8. The frequency and duration of library instruction received by each grade level.
c. The report shall be disaggregated and searchable by school, school district, borough and council district.
§ 2. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.
SSY
LS # 8497/10426/10427/10428
7/12/2017