1. (1) Public librarian's professional certificates shall be granted to those who pay the statutory fee pursuant to Education Law, section 279 and:

   1. (i) have submitted evidence that they hold a graduate library degree from a library school located within New York State which is registered by the State Education Department, or from a library school program which is accredited by the American Library Association; or
   2. (ii) hold a conditional certificate and have completed at least six graduate credits in library science from a library school program which has been accredited by the American Library Association or registered by the department, and two years of satisfactory professional experience in a public library located within the United States.

2. (2) A public librarian's professional certificate issued before January 1, 2010 shall be continuously valid. A public librarian's professional certificate issued on or after January 1, 2010 shall be continuously valid, provided that the professional development requirements prescribed in subdivision (c) or (d) of this section are met.

   (b) Conditional certificate.

3. (1) A holder of a librarian's certificate or license evincing the completion of professional training and college education in a degree course or courses of no less than five years of postsecondary study, issued by an agency located outside of the United States may apply for a conditional certificate. The applicant shall submit full documentation of all postsecondary study, of degrees or credentials awarded therefor, and of the librarian's certificate or license to be evaluated. If, upon review of such documentation, the department determines that the applicant's preparation is equivalent to requirements for a professional librarian degree from a library school which is registered by the State Education Department or which program is accredited by the American Library Association, a conditional certificate may be issued for a period of two years. Such conditional certificate shall be valid for appointment to a beginning level professional position. The conditional certificate may be reissued at any future date for one, and only one, additional two-year period upon presentation of evidence that the holder has completed, within the preceding two years:

   1. (i) at least three graduate credits in library science from a library school accredited by the American Library Association or registered by the department; or
   2. (ii) six months of satisfactory professional experience in a public library located within the United States, as certified by the director of such public library.

4. (2) A holder of a graduate library degree from a library school outside New York State which is, at the time of graduation, a regionally accredited institution of higher education may apply for a conditional certificate. The certificate is issued for a period of two years. Such conditional certificate may be reissued at any future date for one, and only one, additional two-year period, upon presentation of evidence that the holder has completed, within the preceding two years:

   1. (i) at least three graduate credits in library science from a library school program accredited by the American Library Association or registered by the department; or
   2. (ii) six months of satisfactory professional experience in a public library located within the United States, as certified by the director of such public library.

5. (3) The applicant shall pay a statutory fee pursuant to Education Law, section 279 for the evaluation of credentials pursuant to this subdivision and the issuance of a conditional certificate.

   (c) Professional development requirements for public librarian professional certificate holders employed by a library or library system.

6. (1) Except as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e) of this section, each holder of a public librarian's professional certificate issued on or after January 1, 2010, who is employed by a library or library system, in order to maintain the continuous validity of such professional certificate, shall complete 60 hours of professional development within each immediately succeeding five-year period thereafter, as measured from the date of initial issuance of the holder's certificate.

7. (2) Professional development shall consist of instruction and/or activities, as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department, relating to:

   1. (i) library science;
   2. (ii) information science;
   3. (iii) computer science;
   4. (iv) management;
   5. (v) public administration;
   6. (vi) public relations;
   7. (vii) human relations;
   8. (viii) human resources;
   9. (ix) education; and/or
   10. (x) any other relevant subject areas.
8. (3) Applications for pre-approval of professional development programs shall be in a format and submitted pursuant to a timeline prescribed by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department, as applicable.

9. (4) Professional development may be provided in:

   1. (i) formal classes or coursework;
   2. (ii) workshops;
   3. (iii) e-courses;
   4. (iv) seminars;
   5. (v) institutes;
   6. (vi) lectures;
   7. (vii) State or national library association conference programs; and/or
   8. (viii) any other program format or content, as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system or the State Education Department.

10. (5) Professional development may be provided by:

    1. (i) an institution of higher education registered by the State Education Department or accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education;
    2. (ii) a government agency;
    3. (iii) a state or national library association;
    4. (iv) a public library system;
    5. (v) a reference and research library resources system;
    6. (vi) a school library system; or
    7. (vii) any other institution or provider as pre-approved by the employing library, employing library system, or the State Education Department.

11. (6) Up to 12 hours of the required 60 hours in professional development may include:

    1. (i) supervised internship(s) for which no academic credit is awarded;
    2. (ii) instructional activities that include relevant content both created by and delivered by the public librarian professional certificate holder; and/or

    3. (iii) a supervised development project in a relevant content area for which no academic credit is awarded.

       (d) Professional development requirements for public librarian professional certificate holders not employed in a library or library system.

       Each holder of a public librarian professional certificate issued on or after January, 1, 2010, who is not employed by a library or library system, in order to maintain the continuous validity of such professional certificate, shall complete professional development in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (c) of this section, provided that the required 60 hours in professional development shall be reduced by 10 percent for each year, within the five-year period, that the certificate holder is not employed by a library or library system.

       (e) Temporary certificate.

12. (1) As used in this subdivision, eligible applicant shall mean:

    1. (i) a holder of a public librarian's professional certificate who has not completed the professional development requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) and (d) of this section; or
    2. (ii) a holder of a public librarian's professional certificate who is found through audit to have insufficient or unacceptable evidence of completion of the professional development requirements pursuant to subdivision (c) or (d) of this section.
13. (2) An eligible applicant may apply at any time to the commissioner, in a format prescribed by the commissioner, for a temporary certificate valid for appointment to any level public, free association and Indian librarian position in a library or library system in the same manner as a public librarian's professional certificate. The applicant shall pay the statutory fee pursuant to Education Law, section 279 for each temporary certificate.
14. (3) Such temporary certificate shall be valid for one year from date of issuance or until such time as the valid professional certificate is reinstated pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subdivision, whichever occurs first.
15. (4) In order to be reinstated as a holder of a valid professional certificate, the holder of a temporary certificate shall submit to the commissioner evidence of completion of the professional development requirements as set forth in subdivision (c) or (d) of this section, as applicable, that are lacking from the previous five-year period, as well as completion of one additional hour of professional development per month during the period of temporary certification.

(a) Professional certificates.