Title 725 | Chapter 002 | Regulation 060
725 KAR 2:060.Certification of public librarians.
Section 1.
Definitions.(1)
"ALA" means the American Library Association.(2)
"Asynchronous training" means training that allows students to access content or learn outside the classroom at their convenience or independent of the instructor.(3)
"Board" means the Kentucky State Board for the Certification of Librarians.(4)
"Educational contact hours" means a measurement used for an educational activity that applies extended, in-depth study in the field of library and information science or any job-related field.(5)
"Full-time" means working 100 hours or more per month.(6)
"Job-related field of study" means an area other than library science that is directly related to the applicant's job duties.(7)
) "Library services" means duties performed by library employees that require special skills and knowledge to be performed properly.(8)
"Library work experience" means employment in a library that includes administration, collection development, technical services, public services, or support for public service areas, and excludes secretarial, custodial, groundskeeping, security, food service, and messenger duties.(9)
"Part-time" means working less than 100 hours per month.Section 2.
Required Certification by Public Library Position.(1)
A full-time or part-time library director serving a population of more than 15,000 shall hold or obtain a Professional I or II certificate.(2)
A full-time or part-time library director serving a population of 15,000 or less shall hold or obtain at least the Professional III or IV certificate.(3)
A full-time or part-time assistant director, branch head, department head, manager, supervisor, or bookmobile librarian, as determined by the library director or designee, shall hold or obtain at least the Paraprofessional I certificate.(4)
Any other full-time position providing library services, as determined by the library director or designee using the Approved Guidelines for Determination of Paraprofessional Level of Certification, shall hold or obtain the Paraprofessional II or Paraprofessional III certificate.Section 3.
Types of Certificates.(1)
A Professional I Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained a master's degree in library science from an ALA accredited school; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(2)
A Professional II Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A master's degree in library science from a library school that has not been ALA accredited; or2.
A master's degree with at least fifteen (15) graduate hours in library science; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(3)
A Professional III Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A bachelor's degree with at least twenty-one (21) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science; or2.
A master's degree with at least fifteen (15) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(4)
A Professional IV Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A bachelor's degree with at least nine (9) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science and six (6) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in a job-related field of study; or2.
A master's degree with six (6) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science and three (3) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in a job-related field of study; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(5)
A Paraprofessional I Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
360 total job-related educational contact hours, including 144 educational contact hours in library science and seventy-two (72) educational contact hours in Human Resources or Management; and3.
4,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(6)
A Paraprofessional II Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
288 job-related educational contact hours; and3.
4,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(7)
A Paraprofessional III Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
144 job-related educational contact hours; and3.
2,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(8)
A Professional or Paraprofessional Certificate shall be renewed according to 725 KAR 2:070.(9)
A Temporary Certificate shall be valid for five (5) years and shall be issued to a person who:(a)
Holds or is promoted to a job requiring certification as provided in Section 2 of this administrative regulation; or(b)
Does not meet the requirements of Section 2 of this administrative regulation.Section 4.
Sources of Education for Initial Certification.(1)
The board shall accept academic credit from college credit courses offered by an institution of higher education, which is accredited by its respective regional association.(2)
The board shall accept library and information science academic credits from college credit courses offered by:(a)
Graduate schools accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association and these college credit courses shall be approved for all types of certificates;(b)
Colleges whose library and information science departments are accredited by their respective regional associations and these college credit courses shall be approved for all types of certificates;(c)
Accredited colleges that offer individual library and information science courses and these college credit courses shall be approved for Professional III and IV and Paraprofessional I, II, and III certificates; or(d)
Community and technical colleges that offer library or information science courses and these courses shall be approved for Professional III and IV and Paraprofessional I, II, and III certificates.(3)
The board shall also accept asynchronous training courses with a minimum of ten (10) educational contact hours in length provided by an institution or organization that meets the requirements of the Approved Guidelines for Asynchronous Training Courses.(4)
As an alternative source of education for the Professional III, IV, and Paraprofessional certificates, the board shall accept completion of a library institute, which shall be an in-depth program of library and information science developed according to the Approved Guidelines for Library Institutes.(a)
The program shall be submitted to the board for approval sixty (60) days in advance of implementation.(b)
One (1) institute shall substitute for a three (3) hour college credit library and information science course and shall only be substituted once for initial certification.Section 5.
Application for public library certification shall be made to the board by submitting a completed Application for Certification of Librarianship.Section 6.
A fee of twenty (20) dollars shall be charged for each certificate issued.Section 7.
A Professional or Paraprofessional certificate shall be issued to an applicant who meets the requirements and submits the required fee.Section 8.
Incorporation by Reference.(1)
The following material is incorporated by reference:(a)
"Approved Guidelines for Library Institutes", January 8, 2010;(b)
"Application for Certification of Librarianship", October 18, 2019;(c)
"Approved Guidelines for Determination of Paraprofessional Level of Certification", July 8, 2019; and(d)
"Approved Guidelines for Asynchronous Training Courses", July 8, 2019.(2)
This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.HISTORY: (18 Ky.R. 3277; Am. 19 Ky.R. 48; eff. 7-4-1992; 26 Ky.R. 897; 1157; eff. 12-16-1999; 36 Ky.R. 1335; 1957; eff. 4-2-2010; 46 Ky.R. 335, 728; eff. 1-5-2021.)
725 KAR 2:060.Certification of public librarians.
Section 1.
Definitions.(1)
"ALA" means the American Library Association.(2)
"Asynchronous training" means training that allows students to access content or learn outside the classroom at their convenience or independent of the instructor.(3)
"Board" means the Kentucky State Board for the Certification of Librarians.(4)
"Educational contact hours" means a measurement used for an educational activity that applies extended, in-depth study in the field of library and information science or any job-related field.(5)
"Full-time" means working 100 hours or more per month.(6)
"Job-related field of study" means an area other than library science that is directly related to the applicant's job duties.(7)
) "Library services" means duties performed by library employees that require special skills and knowledge to be performed properly.(8)
"Library work experience" means employment in a library that includes administration, collection development, technical services, public services, or support for public service areas, and excludes secretarial, custodial, groundskeeping, security, food service, and messenger duties.(9)
"Part-time" means working less than 100 hours per month.Section 2.
Required Certification by Public Library Position.(1)
A full-time or part-time library director serving a population of more than 15,000 shall hold or obtain a Professional I or II certificate.(2)
A full-time or part-time library director serving a population of 15,000 or less shall hold or obtain at least the Professional III or IV certificate.(3)
A full-time or part-time assistant director, branch head, department head, manager, supervisor, or bookmobile librarian, as determined by the library director or designee, shall hold or obtain at least the Paraprofessional I certificate.(4)
Any other full-time position providing library services, as determined by the library director or designee using the Approved Guidelines for Determination of Paraprofessional Level of Certification, shall hold or obtain the Paraprofessional II or Paraprofessional III certificate.Section 3.
Types of Certificates.(1)
A Professional I Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained a master's degree in library science from an ALA accredited school; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(2)
A Professional II Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A master's degree in library science from a library school that has not been ALA accredited; or2.
A master's degree with at least fifteen (15) graduate hours in library science; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(3)
A Professional III Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A bachelor's degree with at least twenty-one (21) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science; or2.
A master's degree with at least fifteen (15) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(4)
A Professional IV Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has obtained:1.
A bachelor's degree with at least nine (9) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science and six (6) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in a job-related field of study; or2.
A master's degree with six (6) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in library science and three (3) graduate or undergraduate college credit hours in a job-related field of study; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(5)
A Paraprofessional I Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
360 total job-related educational contact hours, including 144 educational contact hours in library science and seventy-two (72) educational contact hours in Human Resources or Management; and3.
4,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(6)
A Paraprofessional II Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
288 job-related educational contact hours; and3.
4,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(7)
A Paraprofessional III Certificate shall be:(a)
Awarded if the applicant has completed or obtained:1.
A high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma;2.
144 job-related educational contact hours; and3.
2,000 hours of library work experience; and(b)
Valid for five (5) years.(8)
A Professional or Paraprofessional Certificate shall be renewed according to 725 KAR 2:070.(9)
A Temporary Certificate shall be valid for five (5) years and shall be issued to a person who:(a)
Holds or is promoted to a job requiring certification as provided in Section 2 of this administrative regulation; or(b)
Does not meet the requirements of Section 2 of this administrative regulation.Section 4.
Sources of Education for Initial Certification.(1)
The board shall accept academic credit from college credit courses offered by an institution of higher education, which is accredited by its respective regional association.(2)
The board shall accept library and information science academic credits from college credit courses offered by:(a)
Graduate schools accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association and these college credit courses shall be approved for all types of certificates;(b)
Colleges whose library and information science departments are accredited by their respective regional associations and these college credit courses shall be approved for all types of certificates;(c)
Accredited colleges that offer individual library and information science courses and these college credit courses shall be approved for Professional III and IV and Paraprofessional I, II, and III certificates; or(d)
Community and technical colleges that offer library or information science courses and these courses shall be approved for Professional III and IV and Paraprofessional I, II, and III certificates.(3)
The board shall also accept asynchronous training courses with a minimum of ten (10) educational contact hours in length provided by an institution or organization that meets the requirements of the Approved Guidelines for Asynchronous Training Courses.(4)
As an alternative source of education for the Professional III, IV, and Paraprofessional certificates, the board shall accept completion of a library institute, which shall be an in-depth program of library and information science developed according to the Approved Guidelines for Library Institutes.(a)
The program shall be submitted to the board for approval sixty (60) days in advance of implementation.(b)
One (1) institute shall substitute for a three (3) hour college credit library and information science course and shall only be substituted once for initial certification.Section 5.
Application for public library certification shall be made to the board by submitting a completed Application for Certification of Librarianship.Section 6.
A fee of twenty (20) dollars shall be charged for each certificate issued.Section 7.
A Professional or Paraprofessional certificate shall be issued to an applicant who meets the requirements and submits the required fee.Section 8.
Incorporation by Reference.(1)
The following material is incorporated by reference:(a)
"Approved Guidelines for Library Institutes", January 8, 2010;(b)
"Application for Certification of Librarianship", October 18, 2019;(c)
"Approved Guidelines for Determination of Paraprofessional Level of Certification", July 8, 2019; and(d)
"Approved Guidelines for Asynchronous Training Courses", July 8, 2019.(2)
This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.HISTORY: (18 Ky.R. 3277; Am. 19 Ky.R. 48; eff. 7-4-1992; 26 Ky.R. 897; 1157; eff. 12-16-1999; 36 Ky.R. 1335; 1957; eff. 4-2-2010; 46 Ky.R. 335, 728; eff. 1-5-2021.)