Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 5, May 24, 2024
Section 75-2 - Certification Program for Public LibrariansA. Employment Regulations.(1) Each public library serving a population of 10,000 or more shall employ in professional positions and in pre-professional positions covered by State Aid and grant programs only those librarians and assistants holding the appropriate certificate.(2) Failure by the trustees of any public library to meet these requirements or observe these regulations shall be deemed a valid reason for withholding all public funds unless the library board files a formal application for excuse of default and is granted exemption by the South Carolina State Library. The exemption granted shall be valid for one year only unless renewed.B. Requirements and Types of Certificates.(1) Professional.(a) Professional certificate is issued to library staff who are graduates from an accredited undergraduate college or university, who have a degree from a graduate program of library study accredited by the American Library Association, and who are currently and have been employed in a professional full-time position in a public library for three years of continuous service.(b) Provisional Professional certificate is issued to library staff members who have less than three years of continuous full-time professional experience in a public library. Although the Provisional Professional certificate is valid for four years it can be exchanged for a permanent Professional certificate upon completion of three years of full-time public library experience.(2) Pre-Professional.(a) Pre-Professional certificate is issued to library staff members who have satisfactorily completed a bachelor's degree in a college or university approved by an agency of more than statewide standing and who have completed not less than 18 semester hours in library science. This certification is initially valid for five years and renewable by continuous full-time library experience and the successful completion of six semester hours in academic and/or library science courses. After five year' experience and the additional six hours credit, the certification remains valid so long as the holder is continuously employed in a full-time library position.(b) Provisional Pre-Professional certificate is issued to library staff members who have completed a bachelor's degree in a college or university of recognized standing. This certificate is valid for three years and renewable by continuous full-time library experience and successful completion of six semester hours of library science courses. After completion of 18 semester hours in library science, the Provisional certificate may be exchanged for the regular Pre-Professional certificate.(3) Exemption of positions.(a) The South Carolina State Library may at its discretion, based on a formal application, from the public library board, stating clearly the steps that have been taken to locate a qualified person, excuse the default of a library board employing a librarian not properly certified and legalize the time so served.(b) If a public library serving a population of over 150,000 at any time shall find it impossible to employ a satisfactory holder of a public librarian's professional certificate for a position requiring unusual background and education in a special field, the library board may submit to the South Carolina State Library a statement of facts involved and request that the position be exempt from certification regulations.(4) Reciprocity.(a) A librarian's certificate duly issued by the State authority in a State meeting South Carolina State Library's standards and currently in full force and effect shall be endorsed provided the holder of such certificate shall have had not less than three years of professional library experience one of which has been within the past three years prior to request or that applicant can submit evidence of the satisfactory completion of a refresher course.(5) Renewal of Certificate.(a) The Provisional and Preprofessional certificates are renewable. It is the responsibility of the applicant and the library board to request renewals before the expiration date. Renewal blanks may be obtained from the South Carolina State Library and should be filled out and returned, together with the certificate to be renewed, to the South Carolina State Library prior to the expiration date.Added by State Register Volume 29, Issue No. 5, May 27, 2005.