BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1044|
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 1044
Author: Liu (D)
Amended: 3/19/12
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 4/18/12
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Huff, Liu, Price,
Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Blakeslee, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Libraries
SOURCE : California Library Association
DIGEST : This bill streamlines the administration of
public libraries to reflect changes in technology and
functions due to budget constraint.
ANALYSIS : The California Library Services Act was
established in 1977 for the purpose of ensuring that all
people have free and convenient access to all library
resources and services, regardless of where they live or of
the tax base of their local government.
The Library of California Act was established in 1998 for
the purpose of ensuring that all Californians have free and
convenient access to library resources and services, and
enable libraries of all types and in all parts of the state
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to interact, cooperate and share resources. A library
system is defined as:
1.Two or more library systems (jurisdictions) consolidating
to form a library system.
2.Adding independent public library jurisdictions to an
existing system.
3.A cooperative library system that was designated a system
under the Public Library Services Act of 1963.
This bill streamlines the administration of public
libraries to reflect changes in technology and functions
due to budget constraints. Specifically, this bill:
1.Repeals the Library of California Act.
2.Provides that, beginning January 1, 2013, the members of
the California Library Services Board are to be the same
people who are serving on the former Library of
California Board as it existed on December 31, 2012.
Those members are to serve for the duration of their
term.
3.Repeals the requirement that each library system
establish an advisory board.
4.Repeals provisions regarding annual funding for
coordinated reference services.
5.Repeals provisions regarding special service programs.
6.Updates the name of the federal Library Services and
Technology Act (was the federal Library Services and
Construction Act).
Comments
Task force . The California Library Association convened a
task force in January 2012 to discuss the need for reform,
which resulted in recommendations that are included in this
bill.
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Two library acts . The California Library Services Act was
enacted in 1977 for the purpose of enhancing equal access
to library materials throughout the state's public
libraries. Provisions related to resource sharing were
designed before the advent of the Internet and other
information sharing technologies.
The Library of California Act was established in 1998 to
enhance free and convenient access to all library resources
and services. The goal was for the state to compensate
individual libraries for services provided to patrons of
other libraries throughout the state to make the resources
of public libraries, school libraries and private libraries
available to all Californians. The full cost of
implementation was estimated at $60 million annually.
Virtually none of these resource and information sharing
programs have been funded or implemented. In addition,
technological advances since the passage of the Library of
California Act have rendered some functions outdated.
Governance . Each library act includes provisions for a
governing board. While two library acts exist in law, two
governing boards never operated concurrently. The Library
Services Act board morphed into the Library of California
board. This bill transfers the duties of the Library of
California board back to the California Library Services
board.
Local advisory board . A library system consists of two or
more public library jurisdictions that agree to share
resources among the patrons of each participating library.
This bill repeals the requirement that each library system
establish an advisory board because current law also
requires an administrative council that consists of the
head librarians of each jurisdiction in the system.
According to the Senate Education Committee analysis, local
advisory boards are duplicative and unnecessary.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/7/12)
California Library Association (source)
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California Special Districts Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "In
recent months the California State Librarian held a series
of stakeholder meetings to examine the California Library
Services Act. The genesis of these meetings was to be able
to provide some assurances to the legislature and the
Governor's Administration that the program was addressing
only the most basic needs in supporting the infrastructure
of the state's critical public library loaning and lending
program. At the largest of the stakeholder meetings, over
130 public libraries were represented in the discussions,
and the work product result of those meetings resulted in
SB 1044."
PQ:do 5/8/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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