1. A. Each local school system shall establish in each school a unified school library media program for the use of all students which shall include, but not be limited to:

   1. (1) An organized and centrally managed collection of instructional materials and technologies;
   2. (2) Instruction emphasizing digital, media, and information literacy integrated into all content areas;
   3. (3) Appropriate materials and technologies to support the instructional programs of the local school system; and
   4. (4) A certified school library media specialist.

2. B. The school library media program shall be integrated with the local school system’s instructional programs by having certified library media personnel:

   1. (1) Participate in the development and implementation of all educational programs;
   2. (2) Participate in the selection of school library media materials; and
   3. (3) Instruct students, in cooperation with other teachers, in information literacy skills, which have been integrated into other areas of the curriculum.

3. C. Each local school system shall develop and implement a plan for its school library media program which shall include the following goals and subgoals to:

   1. (1) Provide direct instruction to help students become digital, media, and information literate through the achievement of the following learner outcomes:

      1. (a) Locating and using information resources including digital technologies;
      2. (b) Reviewing, evaluating, and selecting materials and digital tools for an identified information need;
      3. (c) Learning and applying reading, research, and critical thinking skills to organize information;
      4. (d) Comprehending content in various types of media;
      5. (e) Retrieving and managing information;
      6. (f) Demonstrating an appreciation of literature and other creative expressions as sources of information and recreation;
      7. (g) Creating materials with digital tools and formats; and
      8. (h) Applying ethical behavior to the use of information through digital citizenship instruction;

   2. (2) Support instruction by:

      1. (a) Collaborating with school and system level staff as well as with other individuals and organizations;
      2. (b) Including school library personnel in curriculum development implementation and evaluation at each grade level;
      3. (c) Providing resources to support instruction; and

      4. (d) Providing professional development services which include but are not limited to:

         1. (i) Copyright;
         2. (ii) Privacy;
         3. (iii) Accessibility;
         4. (iv) Instructional technology and digital learning; and
         5. (v) Digital citizenship;

   3. (3) Provide services which include but are not limited to:

      1. (a) Evaluating and selecting instructional materials and technologies in accordance with local board of education policies;
      2. (b) Implementing procedures for the acquisition, organization, circulation, and removal of instructional materials and technologies in accordance with Education Article, §4-142, Annotated Code of Maryland;
      3. (c) Providing reference and information assistance for specific requests;
      4. (d) Promoting instructional materials, technologies, and services that address the interest, information, and instructional support of students, staff, parents, and the community; and
      5. (e) Providing access to people and information outside of the school community;

   4. (4) Provide personnel who include:

      1. (a) Certified school library media personnel with technical or clerical assistance at the school building level to organize and operate a school library media program, and
      2. (b) A certified library media administrator or central office leadership and technical and clerical assistance to support and coordinate the school library media program;
   5. (5) Make accessible a comprehensive and organized collection of selected instructional materials and technologies according to policies established by local boards of education; and
   6. (6) Provide an adequate physical facility which is accessible and conducive to learning.

4. D. Each local school system shall have school library media program implementation documents which are reviewed and approved by the local school system on a periodic basis. These documents shall include:

   1. (1) Selection policies and procedures consistent with §B(2) of this regulation;
   2. (2) Objection policies and procedures consistent with §E of this regulation;

   3. (3) Curriculum and instruction documents for teaching digital and information literacy skills including reading, research, and critical thinking skills which:

      1. (a) Align with the Maryland Standards for School Library Media;
      2. (b) Align with the Maryland Digital Learning Standards for Students;
      3. (c) Integrate with content curriculum;
      4. (d) Include a scope and sequence of skills and objectives; and
      5. (e) Include the use of technology; and

   4. (4) Handbooks or manuals of operational procedures which include but are not limited to:

      1. (a) Circulation policies and procedures;
      2. (b) Budgeting and purchasing policies and procedures;
      3. (c) Policies and procedures for the evaluation and removal of obsolete or damaged books;
      4. (d) Inventory policies and procedures; and
      5. (e) Policies and procedures for end-of-year reports.

5. E. Objection Policies and Procedures.

   1. (1) Objection Review Committee.

      1. (a) Each local school system shall establish a committee to review objections to materials in a school library media program.
      2. (b) The committee must include at least one certified school library media specialist or certified school library media administrator, one classroom teacher, one school administrator, one student, and one parent or guardian representative.
   2. (2) Each local school system shall establish a uniform process to submit an objection to materials in a school library media program by a student, parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school in the local school system, or school personnel.

   3. (3) The process shall include:

      1. (a) The standards or criteria used to review materials;
      2. (b) A reasonable timeline to conduct and conclude the review process;
      3. (c) A requirement that the objection review committee make a recommendation to the local superintendent regarding the objected materials;
      4. (d) A requirement that the recommendation of the objection review committee be posted publicly for the local school community;
      5. (e) A 30-day period for the local school community to provide written comment to the local superintendent before the superintendent issues a written decision;

      6. (f) A requirement that the local superintendent publicly post:

         1. (i) The written decision;
         2. (ii) The basis for the decision; and
         3. (iii) Notice of the right to appeal to the local board for individuals and organizations with established standing; and
      7. (g) A right to appeal to the local board.
   4. (4) The local superintendent’s decision is considered prima facie correct, and the local board may not substitute its judgment for that of the local superintendent unless the decision is arbitrary, unreasonable or illegal.
   5. (5) The approved policy and procedures shall be posted on the website of the local school system.

   6. (6) The approved policy and procedures shall align with the following standards:

      1. (a) The materials, services, and resources provided in a school library media program are provided for the interest, information, and instructional support of students and school personnel of the schools the program serves;
      2. (b) Materials may not be excluded from a school library media program solely because of the origin, background, or views of the individual who created the material; and
      3. (c) Materials may not be excluded or removed from the catalogue of a school library media program because of partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval.
   7. (7) Materials under review due to an objection shall remain available for use by students and school personnel until the review process has concluded and a final decision has been issued.
   8. (8) A county board may not dismiss, demote, suspend, discipline, reassign, transfer, or otherwise retaliate against a librarian, certified library media specialist, or school library media program support staff for performing their job duties consistent with the standards in §F(4) of this regulation.

Authority: Education Article, §5-206 and Title 23, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: April 3, 1964

Regulation .01 repealed and new Regulation .01 adopted effective July 28, 1986 (13:15 Md. R. 1735)

Regulation .01 amended effective September 12, 1994 (21:18 Md. R. 1511); April 3, 2000 (27:6 Md. R. 643)

Regulation .02 effective September 1, 1954

Regulation .02 repealed and new Regulation .02 adopted effective January 1, 1987 (13:24 Md. R. 2561)

Regulation .02 amended effective November 8, 2004 (31:22 Md. R. 1596)

Regulation .02B amended effective June 30, 2008 (35:13 Md. R. 1181)

Regulation .02C amended effective December 14, 1987 (14:25 Md. R. 2661); October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 975)

Regulation .03 adopted effective February 26, 1979 (6:4 Md. R. 278)

Regulation .03 amended effective June 7, 1993 (20:11 Md. R. 915); November 8, 2004 (31:22 Md. R. 1596)

Regulation .03D, F amended effective October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 975)

Regulation .04 amended effective February 22, 1980 (7:4 Md. R. 350)

Regulation .05 amended effective September 12, 1994 (21:18 Md. R. 1511); October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 975)

Regulation .06 adopted effective May 30, 1988 (15:11 Md. R. 1331)

Regulation .06 amended effective June 30, 2008 (35:13 Md. R. 1181)

Regulation .06A amended effective September 12, 1994 (21:18 Md. R. 1511)

Regulation .06A, B amended effective October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 975)

Regulation .07 adopted effective September 4, 1989 (16:17 Md. R. 1886)

Regulation .07 amended effective October 4, 1999 (26:20 Md. R. 1547); September 25, 2006 (33:19 Md. R. 1561)

Regulation .07B, D amended effective October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 975)

Regulation .08 adopted effective August 27, 2007 (34:17 Md. R. 1509)

Regulation .08 amended effective October 22, 2018 (45:21 Md. R. 976)

Annotation: COMAR 13A.05.04.06 cited in Attorney General Opinion No. 87-057 (December 9, 1987)

Regulation .01 repealed and new Regulation .01 adopted effective May 25, 2026 (53:10 Md. R. 455)

Regulation .02 repealed and new Regulation .02 adopted effective May 25, 2026 (53:10 Md. R. 455)

Regulation .03 repealed and new Regulation .03 adopted effective May 25, 2026 (53:10 Md. R. 455)