§ 711. Aid for the purchase of school library materials. 1. In the several cities and school districts of the state, boards of education, trustees or such body or officers as perform the functions of such boards, shall designate school library materials to be used in the schools in the district.

2. School library materials, for the purposes of this article shall mean digital materials, audio/visual materials and printed materials that may or may not require magnification which meet all of the following criteria: (1) materials which are catalogued and processed as part of the school library or media center for use by elementary and/or secondary school children and teachers; (2) materials which with reasonable care and use may be expected to last more than one year; and (3) materials which would not be eligible for aid pursuant to sections seven hundred one and seven hundred fifty-one of this title. School library materials meeting these criteria may include (i) hard cover, paperback books and e-books, periodicals, that is, print and digital publications which are subscription-based and appear at regular intervals of less than one year on a continuing basis for an indefinite period, documents other than books, pamphlets, musical scores, other printed, digital and published materials, (ii) for school year nineteen hundred eighty-six–eighty-seven and thereafter, audio/visual materials including films, film strips, micro-film, sound recordings, processed slides, transparencies, kinescopes, video tapes, maps, charts, globes, pictorial works, including pictures and picture sets, reproductions, photographs, graphic works, and any other audio/visual materials of a similar nature made.

3. No school district shall be required to purchase or otherwise acquire school library materials, the cost of which shall exceed an amount equal to the library materials factor multiplied by the sum of the public school district enrollment and the nonpublic school enrollment in the base year as defined in subparagraphs two and three of paragraph n of subdivision one of section thirty-six hundred two of this chapter. For aid payable in the nineteen hundred ninety-eight–nineteen hundred ninety-nine school year, the library materials factor shall be four dollars. For aid payable in the two thousand seven–two thousand eight school year and thereafter, the library materials factor shall be six dollars and twenty-five cents.

4. Commencing July first, nineteen hundred ninety eight, the commissioner, in addition to the annual apportionment of public monies pursuant to other articles of this chapter, shall apportion to each school district an amount equal to the cost of the school library materials purchased by the district pursuant to this section in the base year, but in no case shall the aid apportioned to the district exceed the product of the library materials factor and the sum of public school district enrollment, nonpublic school enrollment, and additional public enrollment as defined in subparagraphs two, three, and six of paragraph n of subdivision one of section thirty-six hundred two of this chapter. Aid payable pursuant to this section shall be deemed final and not subject to change after April thirtieth of the school year for which payment was due.