Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2008

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	Cultural Education Committee
FROM:	Jeffrey Cannell
SUBJECT:	Amendment to Section 90.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Certificates for Librarians in Registered Public, Free Association and Indian Libraries
DATE:	December 1, 2008
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 3
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

Summary

 

Issue for Decision

 

              Should the Board of Regents adopt the proposed amendment to section 90.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to require professional development for holders of public librarian professional certificates?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

              Regents’ policy.

 

Proposed Handling

 

              The proposed amendment will be submitted to the Cultural Education Committee for adoption at the December Regents meeting.

 

Procedural History

 

Regents’ policy calls for a highly skilled library workforce. Recommendation nine of “Meeting the Needs of All New Yorkers: Library Service in the New Century: Final Report of the Regents Commission on Library Services,” which was adopted as Regents statewide policy for libraries in 2000 and reaffirmed in 2004 and again in December 2007 recommends establishing “a certification process to promote excellence in New York’s Library workforce at all stages and levels.”

 

The New York Library Association (NYLA) in consultation with the New York State Library developed a new proposal to address this recommendation. NYLA leaders presented the proposal to the Regents Cultural Education Committee in July 2008 and the Committee directed the State Library to proceed with implementation. The Committee discussed the proposal again in October 2008 with plans to vote on adoption in December 2008. Implementation will require amendments to Commissioner’s Regulation 90.7 Certificates for librarians in registered public, free association and Indian Libraries.

 

Background Information

 

              The proposed amendment is needed to ensure that the Commissioner's Regulations are in compliance with Regents policy.  The proposed amendment will require holders of public librarian professional certificates, that are issued on or after January 1, 2010, to complete 60 hours of professional development every five years.  For certificate holders who are not employed by a library or library system, an adjusting provision allows for a ten percent reduction in the required 60 hours for each year, within the five-year period, that the certificate holder is not employed by a library or library system.  Provision is also made for the issuance of a temporary certificate, valid for up to one year, for holders who fail to meet the professional development requirements.

 

In September 2007, NYLA leadership began discussing a variety of options to improve the skills of the library workforce in New York State in order to address Regents’ policy.  During the past ten months, the NYLA Continuing Education Committee has worked with NYLA members, the New York State Library and with the statewide library community to develop a new proposal that would equip New York State’s new public librarians to meet the changing information needs of New Yorkers and continue to provide first-class library service throughout their professional careers. 

 

NYLA leadership officially adopted the proposal and in July 2008, sought Regents support for implementation.  The Board of Regents directed the State Library to begin the process for amending Commissioner’s Regulation 90.7.  In addition, NYLA will be seeking necessary changes to Education Law §279 in the 2009 legislative session that would increase the fees for public librarian certification so as to cover in part the increased program administration costs. 

 

Supporting materials for the proposed amendment are available upon request from the Secretary to the Board of Regents.  A Notice of Proposed Rule Making was published in the State Register on October 1, 2008.  The last day for receipt of public comment was November 17, 2008.   No comments were received.

 

Recommendation

 

              Staff recommend that the Board of Regents take the following action:

 

VOTED:  That section 90.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective January 8, 2009.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

              If adopted at the December 2008 Regents meeting, the proposed amendment will become effective on January 8, 2009.  The new professional development requirements will apply to holders of certificates issued on or after January 1, 2010.  The Department will work in partnership with NYLA and the graduate schools of library and information science during 2009 to alert the library community to the new requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMENDMENT OF THE REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION

              Pursuant to Education Law sections 207, 208, 254, 272 and 279.

              Section 90.7 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective January 8, 2009 as follows:

§90.7  Certificates for librarians in registered public, free association and Indian libraries.

              (a)  Professional certificates. 

              (1) Public librarian's professional certificates shall be granted to those who pay the statutory fee [of $5] pursuant to Education Law section 279 and:

              [(1)]  (i)  have submitted evidence that they hold a graduate library degree from a library school located within New York State which is registered by the State Education Department, or from a library school program which is accredited by the American Library Association; or

              [(2)]  (ii)  hold a conditional certificate and have completed at least six graduate credits in library science from a library school program which has been accredited by the American Library Association or registered by the [department] Department, and two years of satisfactory professional experience in a public library located within the United States.

              (2)  A public librarian's professional certificate issued before January 1, 2010 shall be continuously valid.  A public librarian's professional certificate issued on or after January 1, 2010 shall be continuously valid, provided that the professional development requirements prescribed in subdivisions (c) or (d) of this section are met.

              (b)  Conditional certificate. 

              (1) .   .  .

              (2)  .   .   .         

              (3)  The applicant shall pay a statutory fee [of $5] pursuant to Education Law section 279 for the evaluation of credentials pursuant to this subdivision and the issuance of a conditional certificate.

              (c) [ Exchange of certificates.  Holders of the (1) librarian's graduate library school life certificate, or (2) librarian's professional life certificate shall receive the public librarian's professional certificate upon application. ] Professional development requirements for public librarian professional certificate holders employed by a library or library system. 

              (1)  Except as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e) of this section, each holder of a public librarian's professional certificate issued on or after January 1, 2010, who is employed by a library or library system, in order to maintain the continuous validity of such professional certificate, shall complete 60 hours of professional development within each immediately succeeding five-year period thereafter, as measured from the date of initial issuance of the holder's certificate.        

              (2)  Professional development shall consist of instruction and/or activities, as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department, relating to:

              (i)  library science;

              (ii)  information science;

              (iii)  computer science;

              (iv)  management;

              (v)  public administration;

              (vi)  public relations;

              (vii)  human relations;

              (viii)  human resources;

              (ix)  education; and/or

              (x)  any other relevant subject areas. 

              (3)  Applications for pre-approval of professional development programs shall be in a format and submitted pursuant to a timeline prescribed by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department, as applicable.

              (4)  Professional development may be provided in;

              (i)  formal classes or coursework;

              (ii)  workshops;

              (iii)  e-courses;

              (iv)  seminars;

              (v)  institutes;

              (vi)  lectures;

              (vii)  State or national library association conference programs; and/or

              (viii)  any other program format or content, as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department.

              (5)  Professional development may be provided by:

              (i) an institution of higher education registered by the State Education Department or accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education;

              (ii) a government agency;

              (iii) a state or national library association;

              (iv) a public library system;

              (v) a reference and research library resources system;

              (vi) a school library system; or

              (vii) any other institution or provider as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system, or the State Education Department.

              (6)  Up to 12 hours of the required 60 hours in professional development may include:

              (i) supervised internship(s) for which no academic credit is awarded;

              (ii) instructional activities that include relevant content both created by and delivered by the public librarian professional certificate holder; and/or

              (iii) a supervised development project in a relevant content area for which no academic credit is awarded.

              (d)  Professional development requirements for public librarian professional certificate holders not employed in a library or library system.  Each holder of a public librarian professional certificate issued on or after January 1, 2010, who is not employed by a library or library system, in order to maintain the continuous validity of such professional certificate, shall complete professional development in accordance with the requirements of  subdivision (c) of this section, provided that the required 60 hours in professional development shall be reduced by ten percent for each year, within the five-year period, that the certificate holder is not employed by a library or library system.

              (e)  Temporary Certificate.

              (1)  As used in this subdivision "eligible applicant" shall mean:

              (i) a holder of a public librarian's professional certificate who has not completed the professional development requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) or (d) of this section; or

              (ii)  a holder of a public librarian's professional certificate who is found through audit to have insufficient or unacceptable evidence of completion of the professional development requirements pursuant to subdivisions (c) or (d) of this section.

              (2)  An eligible applicant may apply at any time to the Commissioner, in a format prescribed by the Commissioner, for a temporary certificate valid for appointment to any level public, free association and Indian librarian position in a library or library system in the same manner as a public librarian's professional certificate.  The applicant shall pay the statutory fee pursuant to Education Law section 279 for each temporary certificate.

              (3)  Such temporary certificate shall be valid for one year from date of issuance or until such time as the valid professional certificate is reinstated pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subdivision, whichever occurs first.

              (4)  In order to be reinstated as a holder of a valid professional certificate, the holder of a temporary certificate shall submit to the Commissioner evidence of completion of the professional development requirements as set forth in subdivisions (c) or (d) of this section, as applicable, that are lacking from the previous five-year period, as well as completion of one additional hour of professional development per month during the period of temporary certification.