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AN ACT

RELATING TO LIBRARIES; ENACTING THE RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT

ACT; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES; CREATING A FUND.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the

"Rural Library Development Act".

Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Rural Library

Development Act:

A. "division" means the library division of the

cultural affairs department; and

B. "rural library" means a public library in a

municipality or unincorporated village, tribes, Indian

nations, pueblos or community with a population of less than

fifteen thousand as determined by the latest federal decennial

census.

Section 3. RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.--

A. The division shall establish a rural library

development program that provides grants-in-aid to:

(1) improve existing rural libraries'

collections and services and provide resources to plan and

establish new rural libraries;

(2) improve access to library materials and

technology for rural citizens;

(3) connect rural libraries to

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communications networks, such as wire New Mexico and national

lambdarail;

(4) provide professional development to

librarians and other library staff in rural libraries; and

(5) provide support for rural libraries to

participate in the New Mexico group catalog and the New Mexico

library portal, a statewide resource-sharing network.

B. Municipalities and counties may apply for rural

library development grants-in-aid to improve or connect a

rural library and provide training and supplemental salaries

not to exceed forty percent of compensation for a period not

to exceed three years to rural librarians. A grant-in-aid may

be awarded for qualifying rural libraries based on an

application process developed by the division.

C. The division shall establish by rule the

application and grant process to distribute available money

equitably across the state. Priority shall be given to rural

libraries that are:

(1) located more than twenty miles from a

municipality with a population of greater than fifty thousand

as determined by the latest federal decennial census; and

(2) being connected to wire New Mexico and

national lambdarail.

Section 4. RURAL LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT FUND--CREATED--

PURPOSE.--The "rural library development fund" is created as a

nonreverting fund in the state treasury. The fund consists of

appropriations; other revenue credited to the fund; gifts,

grants and donations to the fund; and income from investment

of the fund. The fund shall be administered by the division,

and money in the fund is subject to appropriation by the

legislature to carry out the provisions of the Rural Library

Development Act. No more than five percent of the fund each

year may be used for administration. Disbursements from the

fund shall be by warrant of the secretary of finance and

administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the state

librarian or the state librarian's authorized representative.

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