Chap. 170.—An ACT to provide for the expenditure or application of certain funds,
within the appropriation for such purpose, in aid of libraries and library systems
particularly in rural communities, and to prescribe the powers, and duties of the
State Library Board and others with respect thereto; and to repeal Chapter 350,
Acts of 1942, approved March 31, 1942, and Chapter 315, Acts 1944, approved
March 29, 1944, both relating to the same subject, and all inconsistent pro-
visions of law to the extent of such inconsistency. (H B 121]

Approved March 12, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. 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 (hereinafter sometimes called the
Board) shall grant from such appropriations as are made for this pur-
pose funds to provide books to county and regional free library systems,
established pursuant to the provisions of section three hundred sixty-five
of the Code.

Original grants shall be limited to seventy-five cents ($.75) per
capita of the inhabitants of the county or region as shown by the last
preceding United States census, excluding therefrom the number of in-
habitants of municipalities having a population of five thousand (5,000)
or more, and shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) to any
county free library system and ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) to any
regional free library system. Not more than one library in a county or
regional free library system shall receive aid under this act, and such
ibrary 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, 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 develop-
ment of proper standards, including the standards of the American L1-
brary Association for books per capita (one to three volumes in inverse
ratio to population of library service units), and the combination of li-
brary systems or libraries into larger and more economical units of serv-
ice, grants of State aid may be made by the Board to any qualifying l-
brary system or qualifying library, established in any prior State fiscal
year, which lacks the prescribed ratio of books per capita. Such grants
shall be limited to matching the amount expended or to be 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 Board, but not to exceed, in any State fiscal year, five
thousand dollars ($5,000.00) to any one regional library system, one
thousands dollars ($1,000.00) to any one county library system, five
hundred dollars ($500.00) to any one library of a municipality with a
population of five thousand or more, and one hundred dollars ($100.00)
to any one library of a municipality with a population of less than five
thousand in a county where no county or regional free library system
exists. Any such previously established library system or library, con-
tracting for library service as provided in sections three hundred sixty-
four and three hundred sixty-five of the Code, may qualify separately for
State aid as provided herein.

Section 3. The obligations of the various library systems or li-
braries receiving State aid, shall consist in establishing and maintaining
an organization as approved by the Board, and 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 coun-
ty or region may be supplied from State aid funds in lieu of an equal cost
of books; and provided further that personnel standards shall conform
to the provisions of section three hundred sixty-three of the Code for the
certification of librarians, and with rules and regulations prescribed by the
State Board for the Certification of Librarians in accordance with such
sections. All books and bookmobiles purchased with State aid funds
shall, if the State Library Board so determines, become the property of
the Virginia State Library in the case of any hbrary system or hbrary
which does not meet its obligations as determined by the Board.

Section +. The Board shall establish standards under which hbrary
systems and libraries shall be eligible for State aid and may require re-
ports 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 hbraries applying
for State aid in the order in which they meet the standards established
by the Board. Not to exceed five per cent per annum of appropriations
may be used by the Board to defray the expense of administering the pro-
visions of this act.
Section 6. All proposals for books and bookmobiles to be pur-
chased with State aid funds shall be submitted for approval to the State
Library by the libraries, library systems or contracting libraries apply-
ing 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 ap-
propriated 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 Board. The 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 and libraries
receiving State aid shall be free and shall be made available to all persons
living in the county, region, or municipality.

Section 8. The term “books” as used in this act may be interpreted
in the discretion of the Board to mean books, magazines, newspapers and
other printed library matter.

2. Chapter three hundred fifty of the Acts of the General Assem-
bly of nineteen hundred forty-two, approved March thirty-one, nineteen
hundred forty-two; Chapter three hundred fifteen, Acts of the General
Assembly of nineteen hundred forty-four, approved March twenty-nine,
nineteen hundred forty-four; and all irreconcilably inconsistent sections
of the Code, parts of sections of the Code, acts and parts of acts, to the
extent of such inconsistency ; are severally and respectively repealed.