04/25/2007 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  SB 119-SCHOOL LIBRARY GRANTS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:37 :24 PM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS announced SB 119 to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
DENISE  LICCIOLI, staff  to  Senator Olson,  sponsor  of SB  119,                                                               
explained  that  the bill  will  establish  a grant  program  for                                                               
public  school library  acquisitions.  Individual school  library                                                               
budget shortfalls have impacted  many libraries across the state;                                                               
they  must  use inter-library  loans  to  participate in  reading                                                               
programs like  Battle of  the Books. The  program will  provide a                                                               
means  to update  atlases and  other books  that go  out of  date                                                               
quickly  and   that  are   necessary  for   supporting  classroom                                                               
curriculum   standards.   The   Alaska  Association   of   School                                                               
Librarians supports the legislation  and suggests funding a $2500                                                               
annual grant  for larger  libraries and a  $750 annual  grant for                                                               
smaller  libraries with  five or  fewer teachers.  The bill  will                                                               
help produce better readers at all grade levels.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:40:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CATHY BOUTIN,  representing herself,  talked about  how expensive                                                               
books are for school libraries and  gave examples of how the bill                                                               
could  help  increase their  book,  DVD,  and periodical  stocks.                                                               
Online encyclopedias are also important but expensive.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:43:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON asked if the  current bill language would allow for                                                               
DVD purchases.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. BOUTIN replied  that it may have been left  out but she could                                                               
clarify that with Senator Olson's staff.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ELTON remarked  that  a lot  of  information comes  from                                                               
computers nowadays, and asked why  there's not a provision in the                                                               
bill for computer hardware or operating software.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BOUTIN replied  that there  were materials  provided to  the                                                               
committee explaining why books are  still important for learning.                                                               
A lot of information on the internet isn't necessarily accurate.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:46:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNN MCNAMARA,  librarian for Scenic  Park Elementary,  said that                                                               
students don't necessarily  have a lot of access  to computers in                                                               
school; books  are more readily  available, and are  an equalizer                                                               
for  both  rural and  urban  communities  without access  to  the                                                               
internet. Internet  information is difficult to  sift through, as                                                               
well, and accuracy is spotty.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She  explained that  the materials  purchased  for libraries  are                                                               
based  on the  subjects that  students tend  to study  in certain                                                               
levels of school. A study has  shown that even people who use the                                                               
internet often  tend to  use books as  well. Book  information is                                                               
accurate and  is aimed at  students in applicable ways.  She then                                                               
related a personal  story about the differences  between book and                                                               
internet learning.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:51:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARB  BRYSON, Valdez  school district  librarian,  said that  the                                                               
Alaska Association  of School Librarians  and the  Alaska Library                                                               
Association support the bill. There  should be an annual grant of                                                               
up to $2500 for public  school libraries; the bill would parallel                                                               
the already  existing state-supported libraries. The  grant would                                                               
help purchase  a wide  variety of resources  to aid  in learning.                                                               
The average budget  for public school libraries in  Alaska is low                                                               
compared with  national averages.  She cited the  state standards                                                               
for  library  functions,  and said  that  school  libraries  need                                                               
adequate funds to fulfill these duties.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:54:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KARI SAGEL, representing herself,  said that school libraries are                                                               
important  for students  prepping  for  standardized testing  and                                                               
keeping  up  with curriculum.  The  book  budget  has had  to  be                                                               
supplemented with  other fundraising  methods. Books  often focus                                                               
on specific topics  more often than internet  information, and so                                                               
are an  important part of  learning. The implementation  of state                                                               
standards has created  a need for new  information and resources,                                                               
and for  maximum student use  materials need to available  in the                                                               
library although not limited to curriculum subjects.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:57:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHARLOTTE  GLOVER, representing  herself,  said that  she runs  a                                                               
statewide  essay  program  for  fulfilling  need  from  different                                                               
libraries across  the state. Libraries  must raise funds  for new                                                               
books themselves, and  there's also a huge  strain transferred to                                                               
public  libraries because  of interlibrary  loans;  kids need  to                                                               
have access to good reading material.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:59:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIKI LEVINSON, representing herself,  said that a solid education                                                               
is based  on available information  in libraries.  She referenced                                                               
how out  of date  schools' libraries are,  and how  materials can                                                               
become damaged.  Current collections  need to  be shored  up with                                                               
additional material.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:02:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA NAGENGAST,  principal of  Spring Hill  Elementary School,                                                               
said that libraries are the heart  of schools. A key component of                                                               
study  findings   is  that  school  libraries   are  critical  to                                                               
producing  people  who  read throughout  their  lives.  Workforce                                                               
development is  also greatly influenced  by teaching kids  how to                                                               
read.  If students  are to  be well-prepared  for life  and work,                                                               
they need to be good readers.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:05:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THOMAS  moved  to  report SB  119  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.