§ 141.22. District library centers.
(a) General. In approving or disapproving plans for the use of State funds for district library center service, decisions of the State Librarian shall be determined by whether or not the library meets or surpasses the minimum standards set forth in subsections (b)—(f) or whether or not the plan leads toward achievement of them.
(b) Structure and government. The structure and government of a district library center shall be as follows:
(1) A district library center is a library designated as such by the State Librarian and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Library Development and which shall receive State aid for the purpose of making resources and services available without charge to all the residents and the taxpayers of its district as specified by section 211 of The Library Code (24 P.S. § 4211).
(2) The library must meet or exceed minimum standards as a local library or a library system and fully qualify for State aid for its direct service area.
(3) There shall be an advisory council to the district center to review the district budget and help develop the district plans, policies, services, and programs. It shall consist of a librarian and trustee from each library in the district, except that districts shall have the option to develop a plan of rotation of local library representation if membership is representative of the various sized local libraries in the district and the various parts of the district, and if local libraries designate their own representative in turn. In such cases, membership shall not be less than 9 members, one of whom must be from the district center board, and shall include at least 30% trustees and at least 30% librarians. It shall meet at least three times a year.
(4) The library shall file with the State Librarian for approval a 5 year plan for the development and provision of district services and resources. The library shall actively seek input on the plan from local librarians and trustees and provide the opportunity for them to participate in its development. Progress on the plan shall be evaluated annually and revisions made as needed. Copies of the plan and an annual review and necessary revisions shall be sent to the State library and local libraries in the district.
(5) The library shall submit appropriate written reports at least annually to the State Library, the member libraries of the district, and the municipalities from which it receives its financial support.
(c) Service. Service shall conform with the following:
(1) The library shall maintain a regular schedule of service which permits all residents and libraries of the district access to the materials and services of the district library center during not less than 64 hours weekly.
(2) Interlibrary reference and information service shall be available for at least the number of hours specified in subsection (c)(1) under the supervision of a librarian with at least a provisional certificate. Equipment for photo-duplication and rapid communication to and from the district library center shall be available.
(3) Direct reference and information and community information and referral shall be available for at least the number of hours specified in subsection (c)(1) under the supervision of a librarian with at least a provisional certificate.
(4) Interlibrary loan service shall be provided to the libraries in the district in accordance with the most current edition of ‘‘Pennsylvania Interlibrary Loan Code.’’ The service shall be supervised by a librarian with a professional certificate and the assistance of appropriate support staff. Provision shall be made for obtaining materials which are not available at the district library center from the regional resource libraries and other libraries. Status Reports shall be available upon request.
(5) The library shall be responsible for developing an interlibrary delivery system using public transportation, special vehicles, or other means if existing public delivery services will not result in delivery within 1 week.
(6) The consultant staff, as provided in subsection (e)(2)(ii), shall visit each local library periodically and shall be responsible for providing professional library knowledge to local librarians and others by means of counselling and continuing education on all aspects of library service including but not limited to the following:
(i) Materials selection and collection development, including weeding.
(ii) Service to special groups.
(iii) Modern library service, administration, library governance, finance.
(iv) Inservice training of local library personnel and trustees.
(v) Implementation and promotion of cooperation among local libraries.
(vi) Provision of public relations programs and materials.
(7) The library shall develop cooperatively with member libraries and disseminate widely to the public, information about district library center services and the need for library services in the district.
(d) Materials. Materials shall conform with the following:
(1) The library shall have on file at the State Library a written statement of policy covering the selection and maintenance of its collection of library materials with emphasis on its role as a resource center for the district.
(2) The library shall provide a currently useful collection large enough to meet the demands based on district population size but in no case to be less than 75,000 cataloged items.
(3) The library shall maintain a currently useful noncirculating collection of reference materials.
(4) The library shall receive regularly a balanced collection of periodicals to meet the responsible demands based on district population size but in no case be less than 125 titles.
(5) The library shall have a minimum of 300 16MM film titles or equivalent audio-visual media in its collection or accessible within the district for circulation.
(6) No less than 12% of the total operating budget of the library shall be spent on materials. A minimum of at least 5.0% of the materials budget of the library shall be allocated for audiovisual materials.
(e) Personnel. Personnel policy shall be in accordance with the following:
(1) The library shall have a written personnel policy which includes job descriptions and classifications, a pay schedule, a retirement plan, fringe benefits, grievance procedures and a commitment to affirmative action.
(2) The library shall fulfill local library or system standards on the number of staff and provide full-time professional positions as set forth in this subsection, provided that the qualifications do not apply to employes appointed to the positions prior to December 13, 1977, the date of final adoption of this subsection:
(i) Library administrator. The library administrator shall be a librarian with a professional certificate with at least 5 years of public library experience, including a minimum of 2 years supervisory experience or its equivalent.
(ii) Consultant staff. Each consultant shall be a librarian with a professional certificate and have a minimum of 2 years public library experience or its equivalent. The library shall provide consultant services to local libraries, municipal officers, and interested groups in the district. The district library center shall employ not less than one full-time consultant librarian and such additional consultant staff that is necessary to carry out the library’s plan for district library service. If fewer than five local libraries are in the district, the consultant librarian may be assigned not more than half-time to other professional duties related to district library center activities.
(iii) Responsibility for the following functions shall be assigned to or supervised by personnel with a professional librarian’s certificate:
(A) Collection management.
(B) Information services.
(C) Interlibrary loan service.
(D) Children, young adult and adult services.
(E) Technical service.
(iv) Responsibility for the following functions shall be assigned to personnel with training or experience in their fields:
(A) Audiovisual materials and programs.
(B) Public relations.
(f) Facilities. The library facilities shall be capable of housing the collection, staff and services as listed in the district plan for service and indicated by the standards.
(Editor’s Note: The Library Code (24 P.S. § § 4101—4503) was repealed by the act of November 1, 2012 (P.L. 1683, No. 210) and replaced by 24 Pa.C.S. Chapter 93 (relating to Public Library Code).)
Source The provisions of this § 141.22 amended through August 31, 1984, effective September 1, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 3155. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (62253) and (62257).
Cross References This section cited in 22 Pa. Code § 141.2 (relating to district library centers).
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