Press Release
Legislation to modernize the 51-year-old law governing Pennsylvania’s public libraries was unanimously approved by the Senate, said the bill’s prime sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi.
“Strong local public libraries have been a part of Pennsylvania’s culture from its earliest days,” Pileggi said in a press release. “That remains true. Libraries continue to play a vital role in our communities, and it is past time to update our state’s Library Code. The legislators who wrote this law in 1961 could not have envisioned our digital environment where the Internet is a daily research tool and books are read on Kindles, Nooks, and iPads.”
At the time it was enacted, Pennsylvania’s Library Code was a model for other states. However, it is now considered antiquated. Senate Bill 1225 will:
• Update requirements related to staffing, collections, facilities and accessibility;
• Provide more flexibility in how the state enforces standards when libraries have difficulty meeting certain local funding levels;
• Require a complete review of all regulations governing libraries;
• Establish continuing education requirements for librarians; and
• Include more librarians on the Advisory Council on Library Development.
SB1225 now moves to the House for consideration.
