Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0520 - Education
Subtitle 0520-01 - State Board of Education Rules, Regulations, and Minimum Standards for the Operation of the Public School System
Chapter 0520-01-02 - District and School Operations
Section 0520-01-02-.07 - LIBRARY INFORMATION CENTERS

Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0520-01-02-.07

Current through September 24, 2024

(1) School Library Information Center.

(a) All school libraries shall serve as resources for students, teachers, and community members to strengthen student learning. School library information specialists shall work collaboratively with classroom teachers and school administrators to integrate both curricular concepts and information skills that assist research and other learning activities. The collection and the services of the library shall adequately support the curricular priorities within the school.

(b) School libraries shall provide an environment that allows efficient access to resources, including both print and electronic. Schools must be organized to allow the library program to operate a flexible schedule that allows students and teachers to access resources at the point of need.

(c) School libraries should provide parents and community members access to resources, however, schools shall weigh these considerations to ensure student safety and access to school buildings.

(2) Library Information Specialists.

(a) Elementary/Middle Schools. Schools including grades kindergarten (K) through eight (8) or any combination thereof shall provide library information specialists as follows:

1. A school having a current student enrollment of 550 or more students shall have a full-time library information specialist with endorsement as a library information specialist.

2. A school with a current student enrollment of 400 to 549 students shall have a half-time library information specialist with endorsement as a library information specialist. During the time that the library is open during regular school hours and the library information specialist is not present, staff member(s) shall be designated to provide supervision to students in the library.

3. In a school with fewer than 400 students, a faculty member shall serve as a library information coordinator. If the library information coordinator is not present during the time that the library is open during regular school hours, staff member(s) shall be designated to provide supervision to students in the library.

4. Schools are encouraged to have the library open outside of the regularly scheduled school day and if the library personnel specialist or coordinator is not present, appropriate supervision shall be provided to the students in the library.

(b) High Schools. Schools including any combination of grades nine through twelve (9-12) shall provide library information specialists as follows:

1. A school with a current student enrollment of 1,500 or more students shall have two (2) full-time library information specialists, each with endorsement as a library information specialist.

2. A school with a current student enrollment of more than 300 but less than 1,500 students shall have a full-time library information specialist with endorsement as a library information specialist.

3. A school with a current student enrollment of fewer than 300 students shall have a half-time library information specialist. During the time that the library is open during regular school hours and the library information specialist is not present, staff member(s) shall be designated to provide supervision to students in the library.

4. Schools are encouraged to have the library open outside of the regularly scheduled school day and if the library information specialist is not present, appropriate supervision shall be provided to the students in the library.

(3) Library Information Center Collection.

The three (3) levels of collection standards for Tennessee school libraries are: Basic, Standard, and Exemplary. The criteria by which school library collections are evaluated are listed below:

(a) Item Count.

Basic collection - Contains between twelve (12) and fourteen (14) items per student enrolled in the school;

Standard collection - Contains between fifteen (15) and seventeen (17) items per student enrolled in the school; and

Exemplary collection - Contains eighteen (18) or more items per students enrolled in the school.

(b) Collection Compilation.

1. Pamphlets, textbooks, class sets, periodicals, out-of-date items, and items in poor physical condition shall neither be counted nor reported in the total collection.

2. No more than five (5) copies of the same print title may be counted to meet standards for a minimum number of items per student.

3. Digital resources should be accessible through a school library webpage or Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and may comprise fifty percent (50%) of the collection.

4. The library shall provide access to the virtual library administered by the Tennessee State Library and Archives and the library personnel should receive training. These resources may count for up to twenty percent (20%) of the overall collection or, in schools in which the librarian has received official training within the last five (5) years, they may count for up to thirty percent (30%) of the overall collection.

5. The collection shall include access to a current, complete encyclopedia in any format. In high schools, the collection shall also include an unabridged dictionary, one (1) foreign language dictionary in the native language of ESL students in attendance at the school, a local newspaper, and one (1) daily newspaper presenting news on both state and national levels. These items may be in any format. For digital materials, only full text shall be counted in the total.

6. The collection should include a balance of fiction and nonfiction with an appropriate level of text complexity. The resources in the collection should be chosen to: complement and augment the most recently adopted curriculum, be a motivational springboard for student research, and encourage self-expression and curiosity by offering a variety of recreational reading material.

Collections meeting the compilation standards are evaluated based on age of the collection as measured in years from the current year:

Basic collection - sixteen (16) years and older;

Standard collection - fifteen (15) years; and

Exemplary collection - fourteen (14) years or less.

(d) Technology - Access to Digital Materials.

1. Workstations with internet access in the library information center are sufficient to provide access for students. The number of workstations should be no less than the average class size allowable by the state. A workstation may be a desktop, laptop, tablet or similar device, but devices available for checkout should not be counted in the total.

2. School libraries should be equipped with instructional technology, including, but not limited to, LCD projector, screen and/or interactive smart board, document camera, computer, etc., and provide user training for such devices.

3. Separate computers must be maintained for both the library management system/circulation and for the library personnel.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 49-1-302, 49-11-101, and 49-11-104.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

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