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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 6, 2023 03:53 PM |
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| From: | Representative Joe Ciresi and Rep. Ryan E. Mackenzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | One Certified Librarian per Public School Building |
| Librarians serve a vital role in helping our school aged children learn how to obtain information and become stronger, more independent researchers. Unfortunately our school districts are seeing a decline in the number of certified school librarians serving our students. It is because of this that we are introducing legislation requiring public schools to have at least one certified librarian per school building. These individuals teach our students important skills that are crucial in a society often times awash in misleading online and social media news outlets. Currently, however, the Commonwealth’s school districts are not required to employ a librarian. Schools across the country are losing school librarians, with their number dropping by 20 percent in just a decade - but this trend is especially noticeable here in Pennsylvania, which lost the third-highest number of school librarians among states over that time. Now there are 28 school districts with no certified librarians at all, and almost a quarter of all Pennsylvania school districts have only one librarian serving their entire district. School librarians and library programs are an important part of our education system, offering important support to at-risk learners, teaching critical information skills, facilitating the use of digital resources, and so much more, with studies showing higher test scores and graduation rates in schools with certified librarians. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation so we can ensure our children receive the best, most well-rounded education possible in our public schools. Prior Co-Sponsors (HB 1168): LONGIETTI, R. MACKENZIE, KINSEY, MARKOSEK, FREEMAN, DELLOSO, A. DAVIS, SANCHEZ, MADDEN, SCHLOSSBERG, ISAACSON, PEIFER, CIRESI, GUENST, HARKINS, WARREN, HOHENSTEIN, WEBSTER, SIMS, HEFFLEY, O'MARA, SAINATO, HERRIN, MULLINS, OTTEN, STEPHENS, FRANKEL, M. MACKENZIE, D. MILLER and BENHAM |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB640