H. B. 2449
(By Delegates Haskins, Yeager and Miller)
[Introduced February 10, 1995; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty, article five, chapter
eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to county boards of
education, school libraries and school librarians, requiring
the employment of a full-time librarian for each public
elementary school having an enrollment of four hundred or
more pupils, and requiring the employment of at least a
part-time librarian for each public elementary school having
an enrollment of less than four hundred pupils; vacation
replacement requirements raised.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty, article five, chapter eighteen of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-5-20. School libraries; librarian.
The board may provide libraries for its schools and may purchase books, bookcases, and other things necessary therefor,
and shall pay the cost of such libraries out of school funds of
the county. In connection with any such school library, the
board may employ a full-time librarian or may require one of the
teachers at the school to serve as a part-time librarian. Each
public elementary school having an adjusted enrollment of four
hundred or more pupils shall have at least one full-time
librarian or media center specialist. Each public elementary
school having an adjusted enrollment of fewer than four hundred
pupils shall have at least a part-time librarian or media center
specialist. Any such full-time librarian or any such teacher-
librarian, who holds a degree in library science based upon the
successful completion of a full year of graduate work at an
institution qualified and approved to offer such degree, and who
holds a collegiate elementary, first-class high school, or other
certificate of equal rank, shall be paid the same salary as is
prescribed by law for teachers holding a master's degree.
The board shall have authority to employ during the vacation
period a librarian for any school having a library of one five
hundred or more volumes, and to pay such librarian out of the
school funds of the county an amount to be determined by the
board. Any librarian so appointed shall keep the library open at
least one day a week, at which time the patrons and pupils of the
school may draw books from the library under such rules and
regulations for the care and return thereof as the board may
prescribe.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the employment
of a full-time librarian for each public elementary school having
an enrollment of four hundred or more pupils and to require the
employment of at least a part-time librarian for each public
elementary school enrolling less than four hundred pupils. Also
replacement of a vacationing librarian is allowed if the library
has 500 or more volumes rather than the present 100 volumes.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.