Bill > HB677

This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to employ at least one certified school library specialist in the Department of Education, who will be subject to the Virginia Personnel Act. The specialist will have twelve key responsibilities, including providing leadership and technical assistance for information literacy skills, directing implementation of state and national school library standards, collaborating on literacy grants, supporting student learning through technology and STEM programs, researching educational technologies, creating connections between national library standards and the Standards of Learning, working with The Library of Virginia to acquire digital resources, serving as a consultant on library licensure, staying current on library issues and national standards, assisting school divisions without library supervisors, and providing evaluation practices and professional development for school librarians. The bill removes a requirement for the specialist to serve in a politically nonpartisan manner and instead focuses on their substantive duties to improve student literacy and library resources across Virginia's educational system.