Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 78 § 19C

Current through Chapters 1 to 249 and Chapters 253 to 255 of the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 78:19C - Regional public library service; annual appropriation

The board shall establish a comprehensive statewide program of regional library service, consisting of regional library systems, which shall not exceed six, for the purpose of providing reference and research services, interlibrary loan, delivery, and other regional services to public, school, academic, and special libraries in the region. For each regional library system, the board shall designate an administrative agency. For such purpose, there shall be an annual appropriation which the board shall apply in the following manner:

(1) Insofar as practicable the board shall enter into an arrangement or arrangements with such public library or libraries in each regional area as it may determine under the terms of which such library or libraries shall supply services or space, equipment, personnel, books, periodicals and other library materials to communities having fewer than twenty-five thousand inhabitants;

(2) [Deleted by 2010 amendment.]

(3) Any regional library system providing service under an approved plan shall be entitled to receive annually in state aid an amount per capita of its served population per square mile of the area served in accordance with the following schedules:

1,000 or over population $1.60 per capita

750-999 population $1.75 per capita

500-749 population $2.07 per capita

Under 500 population $2.26 per capita

(4) In addition to the sums provided in clause (3), the Boston public library, as the library of the commonwealth for reference and research services, shall be entitled to receive in state aid the sum of fifty cents for each resident of the commonwealth;

(5) Any employee employed in a position identified as a regional position in a public library which accepts funds under this section shall not be required to comply with residency requirements. For purposes of this section, "regional position" shall mean a full-time or part-time position for which at least fifty per cent of the funding is provided by the commonwealth pursuant to this section.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 78, § 19C

Amended by Acts 2011, c. 68,§ 75, eff. 7/1/2011.

Amended by Acts 2010, c. 131,§ 56, eff. 7/1/2010.