18840-18849
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 18840-18849
18840. To be eligible for funds under this article, a regional library network shall submit a plan to the state board for its approval. The plan shall include all of the following: (a) An organizational structure. (b) Bylaws. (c) Membership policies, assuring that all eligible libraries in eligible public library jurisdictions and in eligible institutions in the geographic region will be enabled to participate. (d) A long-range plan, including the transition of services from the California Library Services Act to the Library of California Act, the criteria and functions for regional resource libraries, and the linkages with information agencies in the region. (e) The endorsement of the charter members. The charter members shall include more than one type of library. (f) Geographical contiguity. 18841. (a) Each regional library network shall establish a regional library council. Every eligible public library jurisdiction is designated as a member of the regional library network and its library director or designee is its representative on the regional network council. Every eligible institution of which one or more libraries is a participating library, as described in Section 18830, is designated as a member of the regional library network and shall designate its representative on the regional network council from among the directors of those participating libraries and its chief library coordinator. In addition, the regional library council shall include one library user from each type of member library. There shall be one vote per person on the regional network council. Duties of the regional network council include overall administrative responsibility for the network, adopting an annual plan of service, assuring the appropriate expenditure of funds, and submitting annual budget proposals to the state board for implementation of the provisions of this article. (b) Each regional network council shall elect from its membership a representative board to carry out its policies. The board shall include at least one representative from each type of library elected by representatives of that type of library and at least one library user. There shall be one vote per person on the representative board. (c) Administration and management of the regional library network shall provide the vision and leadership necessary to perform the functions and deliver the services in a timely and satisfactory manner. 18842. Each regional library network shall do all of the following: (a) Make available a telecommunications system for the transfer of information and communications among its members. (b) Provide regional communications based upon the most effective methods of exchanging information among its members. (c) Provide intraregional delivery service based upon the most cost-effective methods for moving materials among its members. (d) Provide online access to the information files, resources, and bibliographic records of its members which may be accessed regionally and statewide. 18843. Any eligible library or combination of eligible libraries may receive funds from a regional library network for the provision of public access to the range of library resources and services available statewide through electronic online resources. 18844. Each eligible library may participate in one or more of the access services components through its regional library network and be reimbursed fully for its service to Californians who do not constitute its primary clientele. Reimbursement rates shall be equitable. The state board shall develop the reimbursement rate formulas. All of the following are access services components: (a) Interlibrary loan. Each eligible library shall be reimbursed fully to cover the handling costs of each interlibrary loan among members of the regional library networks. Participants shall provide, as well as utilize, interlibrary loan services and may not charge handling fees to other members. (b) Patron referral and onsite services. Each eligible library shall be reimbursed fully for services and resources that are provided to Californians who would otherwise be ineligible for services from that public library jurisdiction or that institution. These persons must be referred by another member of a regional library network. Information agencies that are not libraries may also participate in this component and be reimbursed if they are the only source for the information. (c) Direct loan. Each eligible library may provide access to Californians by providing direct borrowing privileges to the primary clientele of other libraries. They shall be reimbursed fully for the handling costs of all loans according to an allocation formula. Each public library jurisdiction that is a member of a regional library network shall provide direct borrowing privileges to all residents of the area served by the regional library network. (d) Electronic direct access. Each eligible library may provide access to Californians by providing electronic borrowing privileges or electronic document delivery privileges, or both, to the primary clientele of other participating libraries. They shall be reimbursed fully for the handling costs of each transaction. Members participating in the electronic direct access component shall provide and utilize electronic direct access services and may not charge handling fees for this service to other members participating in this program or to their primary clientele. (e) Document delivery. Each eligible library shall be reimbursed fully to cover the costs of document delivery resulting from an interlibrary loan transaction and electronic loan transaction as defined in this section. 18845. Each regional library network shall provide opportunities for training and continuing education activities that encourage the most effective use of the resources and services authorized under this chapter, and that respond to the needs of its members in the effective delivery of services. 18846. (a) Each regional library network shall provide information and referrals to answer requests that are beyond the capacity or capability of its members by accessing the resources and expertise of other libraries, improving general reference service in participating libraries, and improving reference service to respond to the needs of the underserved populations in the region. (b) Any eligible library or combination of eligible libraries or regional library network may receive funds from the state board for information service enhancement within the service area. 18847. Each regional library network shall augment the public awareness programs of its members by providing public relations packages to them for customization and dissemination. 18848. Any combination of eligible libraries may receive funds from the regional library network for cooperative, coordinated resource development programs of benefit to the local service area and to the region as a whole. Each library participating in this program shall already be capable of meeting the basic, recurring needs of its primary clientele through its locally supported collection. Library resources purchased, in whole or in part, under this program shall be widely accessible to Californians for the useful life of those resources. 18849. Any regional library network may apply to the state board for funds for services to the underserved programs on a region-wide basis. Regional library networks may also apply for funds for other region-wide programs, but these programs shall include a component for serving the underserved on a region-wide basis.