An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine State Library

Sec. 1. 27 MRSA §31,  as amended by PL 1973, c. 626, §1, is further amended to read:

§ 31. Library hours

The State Librarian shall keep the library open at least 35 hours per week. Neither the State Director of Public Improvements nor any of the state employees under his jurisdiction shall admit anyone A person may not be admitted to the library rooms out of library hours or permit take any book to be taken therefrom or other material from the library without the consent of the librarian.

Sec. 2. 27 MRSA §34, first ¶,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1989, c. 700, Pt. B, §17, is amended to read:

The Department of Education shall maintain a school library media section in cooperation with the Maine State Library that must carry on . The State Librarian shall assist the school library media section with the following activities:

Sec. 3. 27 MRSA §34, sub-§9,  as enacted by PL 1989, c. 700, Pt. B, §17, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 27 MRSA §34, sub-§10,  as enacted by PL 1989, c. 700, Pt. B, §17, is amended to read:

Sec. 5. 27 MRSA §34, sub-§11  is enacted to read:

Sec. 6. 27 MRSA §37,  as amended by PL 1973, c. 626, §4, is repealed.

Sec. 7. 27 MRSA §66  is amended to read:

§ 66. Reports of departments and institutions

The State Librarian shall distribute reports of the departments and institutions of the State and other books and documents published or purchased by the State in such manner as the law may direct. He The State Librarian may transmit one copy of each published report of each department of the State Government to each library in the State and to the libraries of other states and territories, and make such other and further distribution as in his the State Librarian's judgment seems proper. He The State Librarian shall maintain a document room in which shall must be stored all department reports and other publications of the State intended for distribution and shall keep an accurate account of all books and documents received.

Sec. 8. 27 MRSA §69,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 683, Pt. A, §45, is further amended to read:

§ 69. Purchase of Maine histories

Sec. 9. 27 MRSA §108  is repealed.

Sec. 10. 27 MRSA §116, first ¶,  as enacted by PL 1973, c. 626, §6, is amended to read:

Research centers may be designated by the commissioner State Librarian with the advice of the Maine Library Commission.

Sec. 11. 27 MRSA §117, first ¶,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1977, c. 125, §5, is amended to read:

The State Librarian, with the advice of the district council, shall appoint a staff member, or contract with an area reference and resource center, to provide district consultant services to one or more districts as determined by the policies established by the commissioner.

Sec. 12. 27 MRSA §119,  as amended by PL 1989, c. 700, Pt. B, §33, is further amended to read:

§ 119. Distribution of appropriations

The Maine Library Commission State Librarian is authorized to apportion funds appropriated by the Legislature for the support of regional library systems.

Sec. 13. 27 MRSA §121,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 67, §5, is further amended to read:

§ 121. Confidentiality of library records

Records maintained by any public municipal library, the Maine State Library, the Law and Legislative Reference Library and libraries of the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy that contain information relating to the identity of a library patron relative to the patron's use of books or other materials at the library are confidential. Those records may only be released with the express written permission of the patron involved or as the result of a court order.

summary

This bill removes maintaining and providing a video tape library from the list of activities that the Department of Education must perform in its school library media section and adds to the list maintaining and providing an electronic library service and database library. It repeals the provision of law that authorizes the State Librarian to provide bookmobile service. It also repeals the provision of law that requires the State Librarian to make a gift of money or provide books to a municipality that is establishing a free library.

The bill decreases the amount of town histories or other books concerning the history of the State that the State Librarian must purchase from 25 copies to 2 copies. It repeals the provision that requires the State Librarian to distribute the histories to school, state, institutional and public libraries. It repeals the provision of law that allows the State Librarian to sell any surplus of the histories.

The bill also changes some of the responsibilities of managing the Maine State Library from the Commissioner of Education to the State Librarian.