PA HB769

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each public school building must maintain a physical space for a library or information center capable of supporting required library collections.

Public schools must maintain library collections with a minimum of 1,000 items per grade served, including print materials, nonprint materials, and related equipment.

Library collection items include books, films, tapes, records, globes, periodicals, audio-visual equipment, and maps, but exclude textbooks unless used as reference books.

The State Board of Education must incorporate library space requirements into building standards and review them every ten years; the Secretary of Education may deny approval to construction projects that fail to meet standards.

Cyber charter schools and fully online public schools are exempt from both the physical space and collection requirements.