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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Cordova		DATE TYPED:	2-7-02		HB	HJM-54
SHORT TITLE:		Public School Library Materials				SB
					ANALYST:		Segura

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY02	FY03	FY02	FY03
	NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Relates to Appropriation in The General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

State Department of Education (SDE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 54 requests the Legislative Education Study Committee and SDE, with the participation of professional school librarians and library associates , to study the feasibility of establishing a permanent funding mechanism for school library materials. The study is to include a fiscal criterion the cost of one book per student per year for each New Mexico public school student for library acquisitions.

Significant Issues

According to SDE, the New Mexico Task Force for school libraries surveyed school libraries in New Mexico public schools and found that the average age of school library collections in elementary school libraries was 1978, in middle school libraries was 1981, and in high school libraries was 1982. These averages include reference books, collections in social studies, science, technology, history and geography.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The department will be required to collaborate with professional school librarians and library associations to conduct the study and present a report of findings to the LESC by November 2002.

RS/njw