A bill that would change the educational requirements for state librarians cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Republican State Sen. Dan Sullivan is the bill’s sponsor. SB181 removes the requirement for Arkansas library directors to have a master's degree from a graduate school of library science accredited by the American Library Association.
In remarks, Sullivan categorized the ALA as a largely political group. Sullivan added that no Arkansas schools currently offer ALA-accredited programs in library science, though online courses are available to meet the requirements.
SB181 passed the committee unanimously with no discussion. On Friday, Library Board Member Jason Rapert failed to pass a motion to remove references to the American Library Association from the board’s policies. On Monday, another bill sponsored by Sen. Sullivan passed the Senate and is now heading to the House. It would eliminate the AETN Commission and the Arkansas Library Board, placing them under the Arkansas Department of Education.
