The purpose of this Act is to prescribe matters concerning the establishment, operation, support, etc. of school libraries, which are basic facilities for school education, thereby strengthening public education through the promotion of school libraries and contributing to the development of lifelong education of local communities.
The terms used in this Act are defined as follows: <Amended on Feb. 17, 2012; Dec. 20, 2016; Dec. 7, 2021>
| 2. | The term "school library" means a library or reading room whose main purpose is to support students and teachers' learning and teaching activities in schools; |
| 3. | The term "school library support center (hereinafter referred to as "support center")" means an organization that supports the Office of Education of the Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Special Self-Governing City, Do, or Special Self-Governing Province (hereinafter referred to as "City/Do Office of Education") to efficiently perform the affairs of school libraries; |
| Article 3 (Obligations of the State and Local Governments) |
| (1) | The State and local governments shall take measures necessary to promote school libraries. |
| (2) | The State and local governments shall provide administrative and financial support necessary for the promotion of school libraries. |
| Article 4 (Relationship to Other Statutes) |
Except as otherwise provided for in other Acts, school libraries shall be governed by this Act.
| Article 5 (Establishment) |
The superintendent of education of the Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Special Self-Governing City, Do, or Special Self-Governing Province (hereinafter referred to as the "superintendent of education") shall establish school libraries in schools. <Amended on Dec. 20, 2016>
| Article 6 (Duties of School Libraries) |
| (2) | A school library may be open for the local community to the extent that it does not interfere with the performance of duties under paragraph (1). |
| (3) | A school library may develop and distribute programs for parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other local residents in accordance with the circumstances of schools and communities. |
| Article 7 (Master Plans for Promotion of School Libraries) |
| (1) | The Minister of Education shall formulate and implement a master plan for the promotion of school libraries (hereinafter referred to as "master plan") to promote school libraries in accordance with the comprehensive plan for the development of libraries under Article 14 of the Libraries Act. In such cases, the Minister shall consult with the heads of the relevant central administrative agencies in advance. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (2) | A master plan shall be formulated every five years, including the following matters: <Amended on Feb. 17, 2012> |
| 1. | Comprehensive plans for promotion of school libraries; |
| 2. | Establishment of school libraries and expansion and maintenance of facilities and materials; |
| 3. | Research on promotion of school libraries; |
| 4. | Securing, fostering, and education of librarian teachers, vocational teachers, and librarians; |
| 5. | Other matters necessary for promotion of school libraries. |
| (3) | A master plan shall be subject to deliberation by the school library promotion committee under Article 8. the same shall also apply to any amendment thereto. |
| (4) | Matters necessary for the formulation and implementation of a master plan shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| Article 8 (School Library Promotion Committee) |
| (1) | The School Library Promotion Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Promotion Committee") shall be established under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Education to deliberate on important matters concerning school libraries. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (2) | The Promotion Committee shall deliberate on the following matters: |
| 1. | Evaluation of formulation and implementation of master plans; |
| 2. | Matters requested by relevant central administrative agencies and the heads of local governments with respect to school libraries; |
| 3. | Matters requested by the superintendent of education, the school library operation committee under Article 10, specialized organizations, and experts with respect to school libraries; |
| 4. | Other matters necessary for promotion of school libraries. |
| (3) | The Promotion Committee shall be comprised of not less than nine but not more than 11 members, including one chairperson. |
| (4) | The chairperson and members of the Promotion Committee shall be appointed or commissioned by the Minister of Education from among persons with abundant knowledge and experience related to the affairs of school libraries and persons recommended by civil society organizations (referring to non-profit, non-governmental organizations under Article 2 of the Assistance for Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Organizations Act) <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (5) | The term of office of each member shall be three years. |
| (6) | Other matters necessary for the operation, etc. of the Promotion Committee shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| Article 9 (Implementation Plans of Cities/Dos and School Library Development Committees) |
| (1) | The superintendent of education shall formulate and implement an implementation plan appropriate for the actual conditions and characteristics of the relevant region in accordance with the master plan. |
| (2) | The School Library Development Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Development Committee") shall be established under the jurisdiction of the superintendent of education to deliberate on important matters concerning school libraries in the region. |
| (3) | Matters necessary for the composition, operation, and affairs of the Development Committee shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| Article 10 (School Library Operation Committee) |
| (1) | A school library operation committee shall be established in each school to deliberate on the following matters: |
| 1. | School library operation plans; |
| 2. | Determination of budget for collection, production, development, etc. of materials; |
| 3. | Discard or removal of materials; |
| 4. | Events and activities of school libraries; |
| 5. | Other matters necessary for operating school libraries. |
| (2) | The head of a school may have the school governance committee perform the duties of the school library governance committee under paragraph (1) with the consent of the school governance committee. |
| Article 11 (Subsidies for School Libraries) |
| (1) | The Special Metropolitan City, a Metropolitan City, a Special Self-Governing City, a Special Self-Governing City, a Do, or a Special Self-Governing Province may compile expenses incurred in promoting school libraries (hereinafter referred to as "subsidies") in the budget for the relevant year and provide support to City/Do offices of education. <Amended on Dec. 20, 2016> |
| (2) | The superintendent of the education may compile and subsidize expenses to be borne by himself/herself in the budget for the relevant year (hereinafter referred to as "response expenses") in response to the subsidies. |
| (3) | Subsidies and response expenses shall be used for the following purposes: |
| 1. | Establishment of school libraries and expansion of facilities and materials thereof; |
| 2. | Establishment and operation of support centers; |
| 3. | Informatization of school libraries; |
| 4. | Securing specialized human resources for school libraries; |
| 5. | Other expenses necessary for supporting school libraries. |
| (4) | The superintendent of education shall report to the Minister of Education on the operation plan and performance of subsidies and response expenses, as prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| Article 12 (Establishment of Dedicated Departments) |
| (1) | The Ministry of Education and City/Do offices of education may have a dedicated department in charge of the promotion of school libraries. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (2) | A School Library shall have librarian teachers, vocational teachers, or librarians (hereinafter referred to as "librarian teachers, etc.") <Amended on Feb. 17, 2012; Feb. 21, 2018> |
| (3) | The composition of a dedicated department under paragraph (1), the fixed number of librarian teachers, etc., the standards for placement, the scope of duties, etc. under paragraph (2) shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree: Provided, That the fixed number of librarian teachers, etc., the standards for placement, the scope of duties, etc. shall be determined in consideration of the size of a school and the types of qualifications of librarian teachers, etc. <Amended on Feb. 21, 2018> |
| Article 13 (Facilities and Materials) |
| (1) | A school library shall be equipped with facilities and materials suitable for the characteristics of the relevant school and the demands of users. |
| (2) | In order to efficiently use materials, a school library may discard or remove materials which are not worthy of use or damaged. |
| (3) | Matters necessary for the standards for facilities and materials of school libraries under paragraph (1) and the standards and scope of discard and removal under paragraph (2) shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| Article 14 (Establishment of Cooperative School Library Network) |
| (1) | In order to efficiently utilize information on school libraries, the Minister of Education shall establish a cooperative school library network (hereinafter referred to as "cooperative network") in connection with City/Do offices of education, the Korea Education and Research Information Service under the Korea Education and Research Information Service Act, various libraries, such as public libraries, and other related institutions. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (2) | The superintendent of education may establish support centers in City/Do offices of education to support the efficient operation and mutual cooperation of school libraries. |
| (3) | The President of the Korea Education and Research Information Service shall establish and operate an information service system to support the distribution and utilization of school library information. |
| (4) | Matters necessary for the establishment and operation of a cooperative network, the establishment and operation of a support center, etc. shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
| Article 15 (Reading Education) |
| (1) | The Minister of Education, the superintendent of education, the head of a school shall formulate and implement a detailed plan to support reading education and information use education in schools, as prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| Article 16 (Cooperation in Business Affairs) |
| (1) | The Minister of Education may request cooperation from relevant central administrative agencies, local governments, public institutions, and other institutions or organizations, if necessary for formulating and implementing a master plan. <Amended on Feb. 29, 2008; Mar. 23, 2013> |
| (2) | An Institution or organization in receipt of a request for cooperation under paragraph (1) shall comply with such request unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. |
| Article 17 (Donation of Money) |
A corporation, organization, and individual may contribute money or other property for the purpose of supporting the establishment, facilities, materials, and operation of a school library.
| Article 18 (Guidance and Supervision) |
ADDENDUM <Act No. 8677, Dec. 14, 2007>
This Article shall enter into force six months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 8852, Feb. 29, 2008>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation: Provided, That...(Omitted)...the amended parts among the statutes amended under Addenda 6 that were promulgated before the enforcement of this Act but their enforcement dates have yet to arrive shall enter into force on their respective enforcement dates of the relevant statute.
Articles 2 through 7 Omitted.
ADDENDA <Act No. 11310, Feb. 17, 2012>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Article shall enter into force six months after the date of its promulgation.
Article 2 Omitted.
ADDENDA <Act No. 11690, Mar. 23, 2013>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
| (1) | This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation. |
Articles 2 through 7 Omitted.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 14401, Dec. 20, 2016>
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 15368, Feb. 21, 2018>
This Article shall enter into force six months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA <Act No. 18547, Dec. 7, 2021>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Act shall enter into force one year after the date of its promulgation.
Articles 2 through 10 Omitted.