Because of the important benefits students receive from libraries, I plan to introduce legislation to require schools to have a physical space for a library or information center. While minimum use of space requirements would be set by the State Board of Education, local school boards can determine the type of physical space suitable for their students.
 
Libraries are highly valued hubs of learning, creating educational opportunities and providing a safe space to learn. However, many schools have lost school librarians over the last decade and may have neglected their libraries. While there are regulations requiring libraries for private schools and institutions of higher education, there are no such laws or regulations for public schools.
 
Access to literature encourages literacy and teaches students how to process information more effectively, and adequate school libraries ensure students have that access. More than 30 states have shown a positive correlation between students who have a quality library program and higher standardized exam scores. These benefits have been found to be strongest for students of color, students in low-income households, and students with disabilities.
 
Please join me in combatting this missing link to literacy and information access by sponsoring this effort to ensure all schools have a library.
 
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0793: P.L.30, No.14