§ 29-6-3 - Eligibility requirements – Municipalities.
SECTION 29-6-3
§ 29-6-3 Eligibility requirements –Municipalities. – (a) To qualify for state aid under § 29-6-2, a city or town shall:
(1) Appropriate from local tax revenues an amount not lessthan the amount appropriated the previous year from local tax revenues andexpended for library operating expenses, except in the fiscal years ending June30, 2009 and June 30, 2010, during which the amount appropriated from local taxrevenues is not less than eighty percent (80%) of the amount appropriated fromthe previous year from local tax revenues and expended for library operatingsystems. The appropriation would exclude any state funds received for publiclibrary services. Any funds received from the state shall not be used tosupplant funds from local tax revenues;
(2) In the case of a city or town having more than one freepublic library therein, submit or cause to be submitted to the office oflibrary and information services a plan for the allotment or division of theproposed state aid among the free public libraries in the city or town. Theplan shall be developed by agreement among the free public libraries of thecity or town;
(3) Submit or cause to be submitted to the office of libraryand information services evidence that free public libraries in the city ortown meet standards of service as set forth in regulations to be made by thedirector of state library services pursuant to the provisions of chapter 3.1 ofthis title or that the regulations are inappropriate for that library;
(4) Submit or cause to be submitted a plan describing how thepublic library or libraries plan to address one or more of the prioritiesestablished by the office of library and information services.
(b) The director of the office of library and informationservices upon application and for cause shown may authorize an annualgrant-in-aid under § 29-6-2, or a portion thereof, to a city or town notfully meeting the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) – (3) of thissubsection.
(c) Decisions as to the eligibility of cities and towns forgrants-in-aid under this chapter, and the amounts of the grants-in-aid, shallbe made by the director of the office of library and information services.
(d) The director of the office of library and informationservices shall require a preservation plan from any public library whichreceives an appropriation from the state of Rhode Island which states thepreservation needs and objectives of the library for the coming fiscal year.The plan shall include, but not be limited to: condition of materials,assessment of building and environmental controls, and preservation measures tobe taken.
(e) The director of the office of library and informationservices shall require a disaster preparedness plan from any public librarywhich receives an appropriation from the state of Rhode Island which states theplan of action to be taken in the event of a natural or human made disaster.The plan shall be in accordance with a suggested plan published by the office.The plan shall be submitted no later than January 1, 1993 and shall be updatedyearly.