Chap. 315.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Chapter 350 of the Acts of Assembly
of 1942, approved March 31, 1942, providing for State aid in the development
of public library services, so as to authorize the State Library Board to grant
from appropriations made for this purpose funds for aiding certain libraries
and library systems, peroutarly in rural communities, and to prescribe the
powers and duties of the State Library Board and of certain other persons with
respect to the expenditure of funds appropriated for such State aid. [H 121]

Approved March 29, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1, That chapter three hundred fifty of the Acts of Assembly of
nineteen hundred forty-two, approved March thirty-first, nineteen hun-
dred forty-two, be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 1. In order to provide State aid in the development of
public library service throughout the State, particularly in rural com-
munities, the State Library Board shall grant from such appropriations
as are made for this purpose funds to help provide new county and
regional free library systems, established pursuant to the provisions of
section three hundred sixty-five of the Code of Virginia, with minimum
collections of books necessary to undertake county-wide or region-wide
library service (constructed as one-fourth book per capita of the rural in-
habitants of the county or region, as shown by the last preceding United
States census); provided the amount of State aid granted initially to
any new county free library system shall not exceed five thousand
dollars ($5,000.00), and the amount granted initially to any new re-
gional free library system shall not exceed ten thousand dollars
($10,000). Not more than one library in a county or regional free
library system shall receive aid under this act, and such library shall
serve as an administrative center for county or regional free library
service to the whole county or region; provided that in the case of a
contract with an adjacent library for county or regional free library
service as provided in section three hundred sixty-five of the Code of
Virginia, such aid shall be given to the library contracting to give such
service, which library shall then be the administrative center for a
county or regional free library system.

Section 2. In order to encourage the maintenance and development
of proper standards, including the standards of the American Library
Association for books per capita (one to three volumes in inverse ratio
to population of library service units), and the combination of library
systems or libraries into larger and more economical units of service,
in the case of regional, county and city library systems established in
any prior State fiscal year, and in the case of town libraries established
in any prior State fiscal year in any county where no county or regional
free library system exists, grants of State aid may be made by the State
Library Board to any such qualifying library system or qualifying library
lacking the prescribed ratio of books per capita to an amount equal to
that expended, exclusive of State aid funds, by any such library system
or library in its current fiscal year for books, or a bookmobile, or
additional personnel, as approved by the State Library Board, but not
to exceed, in any year of the biennium, five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)
to any one regional library system, one thousand dollars ($1,000) to
any one county library system, five hundred dollars ($500.00) to any
one city library system, and one hundred dollars ($100.00) to any one
town library serving a population of less than five thousand in a county
where no county or regional free library system exists. Any such
previously established library systems of counties, regions, and cities,
and libraries of towns in any county where no county or regional library
system exists, contracting for library service as provided in sections
three hundred sixty-four and three hundred sixty-five of the Code ot
Virginia, may qualify separately for State aid as provided herein.

Section 3. The obligations of the various library systems, or con-
tracting libraries, or town libraries, shall consist in supplying adequate
quarters, personnel, equipment, supplies, and means of distribution, in
accordance with standards set up by the State Library Board; provided
that a bookmobile for the distribution of books in all sections of a county
or region may be supplied from State aid funds in lieu of an equal
cost of books; and provided further that personnel standards shall con-
form to the provisions of section three hundred sixty-three of the Code
of Virginia for the certification of librarians, and with rules and regu-
lations prescribed by the State Board for the Certification of Librarians
in accordance with such section.

Section 4. The State Library Board shall establish standards under
which library systems and libraries shall be eligible for State aid and
may require reports on the operation of all libraries receiving State
aid.

Section 5. As long as funds are available, grants shall be made to
the various libraries, library systems or contracting libraries applying
for State aid in the order in which they meet the standards established
by the State Library Board. Not to exceed five per cent per annum
of appropriations may be used by the State Library Board to defray
the expense of administering the provisions of this act. _

Section 6. All proposals for books and bookmobiles to be purchased
with State aid funds shall be submitted for approval to the State Library
by the libraries, library systems or contracting libraries applying for
State aid, in form prescribed by the State Library Board, and those
approved may be ordered by the libraries, library systems, or con-
tracting libraries, which shall. after receipt, certify the invoices of such
books and bookmobiles to the State Library with bills for same rendered
to the State Library. Payments and disbursements from the funds
appropriated for this purpose shall be made by the State Treasurer
upon warrants of the Comptroller issued upon vouchers signed by the
duly authorized representative of the State Library Board. The State
Library Board shall act to obtain the best prices and most advantageous
arrangements in securing all books and bookmobiles purchased through
State aid.
Section 7. The service of books in library systems receiving State
aid shall be free and given to all parts of the county, region, city or town.
Section 8. The term “books” as used in this act may be interpreted
in the discretion of the State Library Board to mean books, magazines,
newspapers and other printed library matter.