WEST virginia legislature

2020 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 833

By Senator Cline

[Introduced February 17, 2020; referred
to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to all county boards of education requiring all schools in the county to have a library; and requiring all county boards of education require all schools in the county employ a full-time librarian.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 5. County Board of Education.

§18-5-20. School libraries; librarian.

The board may shall 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 shall employ a full-time librarian. or may require one of the teachers at the school to serve as a part-time librarian Any such A full-time librarian or any such teacher-librarian, who holds must possess, by the time the librarian is scheduled to begin working for a school, 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 100 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 all schools have a library and to require all schools have a full-time librarian as a member of the staff.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.