Funding an update to the Model School Library Standards (MSLS)

1. The MSLS are a critical component in the state’s accountability dashboard for the Local Control Funding Formula. 
2. Since their approval in 2010, the MSLS, published on the CDE website, establish the standards used by districts for planning school library programs and integration into the broader curriculum, thus an update will hold district and site administrators, classroom teachers, and teacher librarians accountable for preparing California students to meet 21st Century information literacy and cyber safety challenges.
3. Remedy the crisis in higher education of incoming students who are unprepared to engage in college-level research and unable to conduct basic information literacy tasks like evaluating information on the internet for credibility. 
4. Ensure equity in education throughout California by providing clear standards for access to
   1. Early literacy and information literacy instruction from credentialed teacher librarians for college, career, and citizenship readiness.
   2. Current, diverse, and age appropriate library collections and curated digital collections.