00                             SENATE BILL NO. 119                                                                         
01 "An Act establishing a grant program to support public school libraries."                                               
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 14.56 is amended by adding new sections to read:                                                  
04          Article 5A. Public School Library Collection Development Grants.                                             
05            Sec. 14.56.360. Public school library collection development grants. (a)                                   
06       There is established in the department a public school library collection development                             
07       grant program.                                                                                                    
08            (b)  The person or division in charge of the state library shall award grants to                             
09       and administer grants for use by eligible public school libraries to expand and improve                           
10       the library collection to include relevant and current reading materials.                                         
11            (c)  If money appropriated for the program is not awarded under (b) of this                                  
12       section each year, the remaining money may be awarded to a school district as an                                  
13       incentive grant to encourage innovative public school library programs as defined by                              
14       the person in charge of the state library.                                                                        
15            Sec. 14.56.365. Eligibility. (a) A library eligible for a grant under                                      
01       AS 14.56.360 must be a public school library established and supported by a school                                
02       district that                                                                                                     
03                 (1)  provides physical space or, if a correspondence school operated by                                 
04       a school district, resources for use as a library;                                                                
05                 (2)  provides regularly scheduled library hours for all students enrolled                               
06       in the school;                                                                                                    
07                 (3)  provides designated library personnel to staff the library;                                        
08                 (4)  provides acceptable evidence of the promotion of library and                                       
09       information literacy standards; and                                                                               
10                 (5)  maintains an annual library budget that includes library staffing and                              
11       materials.                                                                                                        
12            (b)  The department may establish by regulation an application and review                                    
13       procedure, including requirements for submission of adequate documentation to prove                               
14       eligibility under this section. Documentation must include submission of library class                            
15       schedules, job descriptions for library staff, and a copy of an annual budget for the                             
16       library.                                                                                                          
17            Sec. 14.56.370. Eligible expenditures. (a) A library collection development                              
18       grant may be used only to purchase library collection materials by a public school or                             
19       by a school district if the district operates a correspondence program with an eligible                           
20       school library. In this subsection, "library collection materials" means books,                                   
21       magazines, reference materials, and electronic subscriptions that support school                                  
22       curriculum and student reading activities.                                                                        
23            (b)  A library collection development grant may not be used to purchase                                      
24       classroom materials, textbooks, testing software, library automation software,                                    
25       computer hardware, operating software, or technology support.                                                     
26            Sec. 14.56.375. Report. A recipient of a grant awarded under AS 14.56.360                                  
27       shall prepare a brief annual report to the department describing the effects of the grant                         
28       and whether all conditions of the grant were met or exceeded.