HLS 24RS-1032 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 974 (Substitute for House Bill No. 168 by Representative Carlson)
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARLSON
LIBRARIES: Provides relative to qualifications for library directors
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 25:215(A), relative to library boards of control; to provide
3 relative to the duties and powers of the boards; to provide relative to the employment
4 of library directors and head librarians; to provide for qualifications; and to provide
5 for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 25:215(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง215. Duties and powers of the board; employment of librarian, assistants, and other
9 employees
10 A.(1) The board of control shall meet and organize immediately after their
11 its appointment and annually thereafter and elect a president, vice-president,
12 secretary, and treasurer, whose duties shall be those customarily exercised by such
13 officers. The board of control shall have authority to establish rules and regulations
14 for its own government and that of the library not inconsistent with law; and to elect
15 and employ a librarian, and, upon the recommendation and approval of the latter, to
16 employ assistant librarians and other employees and fix their salaries and
17 compensation; provided that no. No contract of employment shall be made for a
18 longer period than four years nor with any person as head librarian who has not been
19 certified by the State Board of Library Examiners as provided in R.S. 25:222. The
20 head librarian may be appointed or elected secretary of the board of control.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 24RS-1032 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 974
1 (2) In addition to librarians as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection,
2 the board of control may hire a library director and establish qualifications for the
3 position. The board of control may but is not required to provide that a certificate
4 or permit from the State Board of Library Examiners is a qualification for the library
5 director position. The board of control may provide that the library director shall
6 serve as the head librarian. The requirement in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection for
7 certification by the State Board of Library Examiners is not applicable to a head
8 librarian who is also serving as a library director.
9 * * *
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 974 Original 2024 Regular Session Carlson
Abstract: Authorizes library boards of control to hire a library director and establish
qualifications for the position.
Present law authorizes library boards of control to establish rules and regulations, not
inconsistent with law, for its own government and that of the library. Authorizes boards to
elect and employ a librarian and assistant librarians and to fix salaries and compensation of
librarian and assistant librarians.
Present law prohibits library boards of control from hiring a head librarian who has not been
certified by the State Bd. of Library Examiners.
Proposed law retains present law and authorizes library boards of control to hire a library
director and establish the qualifications for the position. Authorizes the boards to require
a certificate or permit from the State Bd. of Library Examiners as a qualification for the
position of library director.
Proposed law authorizes library boards of control to provide that the library director shall
serve as the head librarian. Provides that a head librarian who also serves as the library
director is exempt from requirement for certification by the State Bd. of Library Examiners.
(Amends R.S. 25:215(A))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.