Ensures that staff in libraries are able to curate collections, services, and programming that reflect the interests of all people of the community that the library serves.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7843B
SPONSOR: Kelles TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
libraries to adopt policies ensuring that library staff are able to
curate collections, services, and programming that reflect diverse
interests
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new paragraph to Section 254 of the education law,
which requires libraries receiving funds from the state to adopt poli-
cies that empower library staff to develop collections and programming
that serve the needs of all members of their community.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Democratic self-government depends on a free exchange of ideas and
information, and our libraries must continue to ensure that ideas and
information are available for people to embrace or reject in line with
their values and those they learn from their families and communities.
This bill helps to protect the rights of citizens to read, grow, and
learn by ensuring that library boards will continue to provide the
broadest range of access to a broad spectrum of materials and program-
ming in their communities. This legislation ensures that public
libraries will continue to provide access to ideas, old and new, and
respect the ability of library patrons to make decisions about what
content they wish to borrow.
The current movement around the country to ban books from libraries and
classrooms focuses on books that help young people understand our socie-
ty, our history, and themselves from a range of perspectives, including
perspectives very similar to their own. Research shows that children are
more excited, and therefore more likely, to read books that feature
characters with whom they can identify.
New York state is known for its diversity, a core part of this state's
identity that we cherish and cultivate. To continue honoring our proud
legacy of inclusion, it is critical that we ensure citizens have access
to a broad range of materials them to let them pursue a love of learning
and reading, which help them understand our world and their place in it
and help them develop affinity and empathy for people with differing
identities and experiences. By ensuring that every New Yorker has
library access to many perspectives on contemporary and historical
issues, and new ways to imagine the future, we help those who choose to
exercise the option to broaden their, perceptions and make informed
decisions on whether they embrace, reject, expand, or alter those
perspectives.
** The A-print requires library systems to have in place collection
development policies that allow staff to develop collections and
programming that represent the interests of all members of their commu-
nity. **
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
30 days after the act shall become law
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7843--B
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
July 7, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. KELLES, SEAWRIGHT, EACHUS, SIMON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on
Libraries and Education Technology in accordance with Assembly Rule 3,
sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring certain
libraries to adopt policies ensuring that library staff are able to
curate collections, services, and programming that reflect diverse
interests
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 254 of the education law, as amended by chapter 718
2 of the laws of 1981, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 254. Standards of library service. 1. The regents shall have power
4 to fix standards of library service for every free association, public
5 and hospital library or, with the advice of the appropriate tribal
6 government and library board of trustees, Indian library which receives
7 any portion of the moneys appropriated by the state to aid such
8 libraries, or which is supported in whole or in part by tax levied by
9 any municipality or district. In the case of a hospital library or a
10 library serving a hospital, such standards shall be established in
11 consultation with the commissioner of health. If any such library shall
12 fail to comply with the regents requirements, such library shall not
13 receive any portion of the moneys appropriated by the state for free,
14 hospital or Indian libraries nor shall any tax be levied by any munici-
15 pality or district for the support in whole or in part of such library.
16 2. Such standards shall require every free association, public, and
17 hospital library or, with the advice of the appropriate tribal govern-
18 ment and library board of trustees, Indian library, which receives any
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11295-03-4
A. 7843--B 2
1 portion of the moneys appropriated by the state to aid such libraries,
2 to adopt policies and procedures that ensure library staff are able to
3 curate and develop collections, services, and programming that reflect
4 the interests of all people of the community that the library serves.
5 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
6 have become a law.
