Increase Library Funding

Section 1. Legislative intent. It is the intent of the legislature to provide the people of New York with access to the information and library services they need today and will need tomorrow by establishing a New Century Libraries Initiative.

§ 2. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Century Libraries: Libraries 2017 act".

§ 3. Section 271 of the education law, as amended by section 1 of part O of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:

§ 271. Apportionment of state aid to Indian libraries. Any Indian library chartered by the regents or in the absence of such library any tribal government contracting for service from a chartered and registered library or approved library system, shall be entitled to receive state aid during each calendar year consisting of the following amounts:

1. [Eighteen] Nineteen thousand dollars, and

2. The sum of [eighteen] nineteen dollars and [twenty] twenty-five cents per capita for persons residing on the reservation served by the Indian library or contract as shown by the latest federal census or certified by the New York state director of Indian services, and

3. The sum of one dollar and [fifty] fifty-five cents per acre of area served by the Indian library or contract.

Such sums shall be paid annually to the Indian library board of trustees for the use of the Indian library, or in the absence of such a board, to the tribal government for a contract for library service. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to diminish the

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD04872-01-7

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funds, services or supplies provided to any Indian library by a library system as defined in section two hundred seventy-two of this [article] part. Increases in appropriations for such purposes during a calendar year shall be pro rated.

§ 4. Section 273 of the education law, as amended by section 3 of part O of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, subdivision 7 as amended by chapter 362 of the laws of 2013, subdivision 11 as added by section 3 of part A-5 of chapter 58 of the laws of 2006 and subdivision 12 as amended by section 3 of part A of chapter 58 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:

§ 273. Apportionment of state aid to libraries and library systems. 1. Any public library system providing service under an approved plan during a calendar year shall be entitled to receive during that calendar year state aid consisting of the following amounts:

a. An annual grant of:

(1) Ten thousand five hundred dollars where the library system serves less than one county, or

(2) [Twenty] Twenty-one thousand dollars where the library system serves one entire county, or

(3) Where the library system serves more than one county the system shall be entitled to receive [twenty-five] twenty-six thousand two hundred fifty dollars for each entire county served and/or ten thousand five hundred dollars for each county, any part of which is served by the library system. If an entire county is served by two or more library systems, each of which serves a part thereof, each of such library systems shall be entitled to receive a grant of ten thousand five hundred dollars and in addition, a pro rata share of an additional sum of ten thousand five hundred dollars, such share to be computed in accordance with the ratio which the population of the area of the county served by such library system bears to the total population of the county, as determined under subdivision one of section two hundred seventytwo of this [article] part.

b. In a library system which submits a plan for further development of its central library, which plan shall be approved by the commissioner in relation to standards for such central libraries, the amount of central library development aid shall be:

(1) [thirty-two] thirty-four cents per capita of the population within the chartered area of service of such library system with a minimum amount of one hundred [five] ten thousand two hundred fifty dollars, and

(2) an additional [seventy-one] seventy-five thousand [five hundred] two hundred fifty dollars to the library system for the purchase of books and materials including nonprint materials, as defined in regulations of the commissioner, for its central library. Ownership of library materials and equipment purchased with such central library aid provided by this paragraph shall be vested in the public library system.

c. The sum of [ninety-four] ninety-eight and seven-tenths cents per capita of population of the area served.

d. (1) An amount equal to the amount by which expenditures by the library system for books, periodicals, binding and nonprint materials during the preceding fiscal year exceeds forty cents per capita of population of the area served but the total apportionment pursuant to this subparagraph shall not exceed [sixty-eight] seventy-one and four-tenths cents per capita of population served. In the first year in which any library system changes its reporting from the calendar year to a fiscal year other than the calendar year, it shall file any additional report-

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ing schedules deemed necessary by the commissioner for the purpose of determining state aid for the calendar year.

(2) Each public library system with an automation program to support bibliographic control and interlibrary sharing of information resources of member libraries, and to coordinate and integrate the automated system or systems of such member libraries consistent with regulations of the commissioner, shall be eligible to receive an amount equal to seven percent of the amount earned in subparagraph one of this paragraph, or [seventy-six] eighty thousand [five] three hundred twenty-five dollars, whichever is more.

e. The sum of [fifty-two] fifty-five dollars and twenty-five cents per square mile of area served by the library system in the case of library systems serving one county or less. Such sum shall be increased by five dollars for each additional entire county served, provided, however, that no apportionment pursuant to this paragraph shall exceed [seventytwo] seventy-five dollars and twenty-five cents per square mile of area served. If an entire county is served by two or more library systems, each of which serves a part thereof, each of such library systems shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the aid computed in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, a pro rata share of an increase of five dollars to be computed as follows: the sum resulting from the computation of five dollars per square mile of area served by the one of such library systems which would receive the largest amount of aid pursuant to this paragraph shall be pro rated among the library systems serving such county in accordance with the ratio which the population of the area served by each of such library systems bears to the population of the county as determined under subdivision one of section two hundred seventy-two of this [article] part.

f. (1) Local library services aid. Except in cities with a population in excess of one million inhabitants, each chartered and registered public and free association library meeting standards of service promulgated by the commissioner, and each public or free association library serving a city with a population of one hundred thousand or more which merged with the public library system on or before January first, nineteen hundred seventy-six and which meets standards of service promulgated by the commissioner, shall be eligible to receive annually [thirtyone] thirty-two and fifty-five hundredths cents per capita of the population of the library's chartered service area as on file with the commissioner on January first of the calendar year for which aid is payable, or, [thirty-one] thirty-two and fifty-five hundredths cents per capita of the population of the city with a population of one hundred thousand or more whose public or free association library merged with the public library system on or before January first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, with a minimum amount of one thousand five hundred seventy-five dollars, except that no library shall receive less than the amount of local library services aid received in two thousand one. Regulations of the commissioner shall provide a method for establishing changes in chartered service areas or determining populations thereof. Local library services aid shall be paid to the system for distribution within thirty days of receipt to its member libraries in accordance with this subdivision. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this subparagraph, the commissioner shall establish procedures under which a public or free association library may apply for a waiver of the requirements of the standards of service; provided, however, that any such waivers may only be granted in the same year in which the commissioner has apportioned a reduction adjustment.

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(2) Local services support aid. Except in cities with a population in excess of one million inhabitants, each public library system operating under an approved plan of service shall be eligible to receive annually local services support aid equal to two-thirds of the total dollar amount paid in local library services aid to the member libraries of the system plus [thirty-one] thirty-two and fifty-five hundredths cents per capita of the system's population who do not reside within the chartered service area of a member library.

(3) Local consolidated systems aid. In cities with a population in excess of one million inhabitants, each public library system operating under an approved plan of service shall be eligible to receive annually local consolidated system aid equal to the sum of (i) [thirty-one] thirty-two and fifty-five hundredths cents per capita of the population served by the system, but not less than the amount of local library incentive aid received in nineteen hundred ninety-one as reported on the library's nineteen hundred ninety-one annual report increased by five percent of that amount; and (ii) an additional amount equal to twothirds of the total dollar amount computed for the system pursuant to clause (i) of this subparagraph.

g. In addition to the sums otherwise provided in [paragraphs a, b, c, d, e, f, h and i of] this subdivision, the New York Public Library shall receive an amount equal to its actual expenditures for books, periodicals and binding for its research libraries which expenditures are not otherwise reimbursed or [seven] eight hundred [sixty-seven] five thousand three hundred fifty dollars, whichever is less, and the additional sum of five million [six] nine hundred [forty-nine] thirty-two thousand [six hundred] eighty dollars for the general support of such research libraries. In addition to any other sums provided to such library, the sum of two million dollars shall be payable annually to the New York Public Library for the general support of library services provided by the New York Public Library to the students of the City University of New York and the sum of one million dollars shall be payable annually to the New York Public Library for the general support of its science, industry and business library.

h. (1) Coordinated outreach services. Each public library system which provides coordinated outreach services, as defined by regulations to be promulgated by the commissioner, to persons who are educationally disadvantaged or who are members of ethnic or minority groups in need of special library services, or who are unemployed and in need of job placement assistance, or who live in areas underserved by a library, or who are blind, physically disabled, have developmental or learning disabilities, or who are aged or confined in institutions, shall be entitled to receive annually [forty-three] forty-five thousand one hundred fifty dollars and [thirteen] fourteen cents per capita of the total population of the area served.

(2) Adult literacy grants. The commissioner shall award annual grants for approved expenses for library-based programs conducted by public library systems and public and free association libraries which are members of a public library system to assist adults to increase their literacy skills. The commissioner shall award such grants having determined that such programs are being operated in direct coordination with local public schools, colleges and other organizations which are operating similar adult literacy programs. Annual state aid of [two] four hundred sixty thousand dollars shall be awarded for grants in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner. Ninety percent of the amount of any such adult literacy grant shall be payable to the library

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or system upon approval by the department. The final ten percent shall be payable upon completion of the project.