Chapter 257 — Chapter 257

There is created and established the State Library which shall be located at the capital. The State Library shall be administered by the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State.

As used in this chapter, the term:(1) “Department” means the Department of State.(2) “Depository library” means a library that has been designated as a depository for receiving state publications in accordance with s. 257.05(3).(3) “Division” means the Division of Library and Inf…

(1) There shall be a State Library Council to advise and assist the division with planning, policy, and priorities related to the development of statewide information services. The council shall consist of nine members who shall be appointed by the Secretary of State. Of the nine…

(1) The State Librarian shall be appointed by the Secretary of State, shall have completed a library school program accredited by the American Library Association, and shall serve as the director of the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State. The …

(1) All books, pictures, documents, publications, and manuscripts received through gifts, purchase, or exchange, or on deposit from any source for the use of the state, shall constitute a part of the State Library and shall be placed therein for the use of the public under the co…

(1) The Legislature finds that the State Publications Program increases accessibility to culturally and historically significant information about the state and its government for researchers and the general public through the distribution of state publications to depository libr…

Any state official or state agency, board, commission, or institution having charge of state publications hereinafter named is authorized and directed to furnish the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., upon requisition from the Library of Congress, up to three copies of the …

(1) The Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State is designated as the state library administrative agency authorized to accept, receive, administer, and expend any moneys, materials, or any other aid granted, appropriated, or made available by the U…

The Division of Library and Information Services has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this chapter.

The Division of Library and Information Services shall establish reasonable and pertinent operating standards under which libraries will be eligible to receive state moneys.

Any library receiving grants under ss. 257.14-257.25 shall file with the Division of Library and Information Services on or before December 1 of each year a financial report on its operations and furnish the division with such other information as the division may require.

A political subdivision that has been designated by a county or municipality as the single library administrative unit is eligible to receive from the state an annual operating grant of not more than 25 percent of all local funds expended by that political subdivision during the …

Units of local government may establish a multicounty library. For a multicounty library, a local government may pay moneys in advance in lump sum from its public funds for the provision of library services only.

(1) The administrative unit of a multicounty library that serves a population of 50,000 or more and serves two or more counties, at least one of which qualifies for an equalization grant, is eligible for an annual grant from the state. The grant funds are to be used for the suppo…

(1) Any county qualifying for an operating grant is eligible to receive an equalization grant if it meets the following criteria:(a) The county was eligible for an equalization grant in fiscal year 2007-2008.(b) The value of 1 mill adjusted to reflect the average statewide level …

The Division of Library and Information Services may accept and administer library construction moneys appropriated to it and shall allocate such appropriation to municipal, county, and regional libraries in the form of library construction grants on a matching basis. The local m…

The Division of Library and Information Services is authorized to accept and administer appropriations for library program grants and to make such grants in accordance with the Florida long-range plan for library services.

(1) There is created within the Department of State a Community Libraries in Caring Program.(2) The purpose of the Community Libraries in Caring Program is to assist libraries in rural communities, as defined in s. 288.0656(2) and subject to the provisions of s. 288.06561, to str…

In the event of revenue shortfalls which necessitate budget reductions during any fiscal year, the total appropriation for library grants from state sources shall have the same ratable reduction as that applied to the operating funds of the Division of Library and Information Ser…

Any reduction in grants because of insufficient funds shall be prorated on the basis of maximum grants allowable.

Any moneys that may be appropriated for use by a county, a municipality, a special district, or a special tax district for the maintenance of a library or library service shall be administered and allocated by the Division of Library and Information Services in the manner prescri…

The board of county commissioners of any county, the chief executive officer of a municipality, or the governing body of a special district or a special tax district desiring to receive a grant under the provisions of ss. 257.14-257.25 shall apply therefor to the Division of Libr…

State funds allocated to libraries shall be expended only for library purposes in the manner prescribed by the Division of Library and Information Services. Such funds shall not be expended for the purchase or construction of a library building or library quarters, except such fu…

Free library service shall constitute as a minimum the free lending of library materials that are made available for circulation and the free provision of reference and information services.

(1) All registration and circulation records of every public library, except statistical reports of registration and circulation, are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and from s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.(2) As used in this section, the t…

The Interstate Library Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state with all states legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:INTERSTATE LIBRARY COMPACTThe contracting states solemnly agree that:Article IBecause the desire for the services …

No city, town, county, library system, library district, or other political subdivision of this state shall be party to a library agreement which provides for the construction or maintenance of a library pursuant to Art. III, subdivision (c)7. of the compact, pledge its credit in…

As used in the compact, “state library agency,” with reference to this state, means Florida State Library or agency designated by the Secretary of State.

An interstate library district lying partly within this state may claim and be entitled to receive state aid in support of any of its functions to the same extent and in the same manner as such functions are eligible for support when carried on by entities wholly within this stat…

The Secretary of State shall be the compact administrator pursuant to Art. X of the compact. The Secretary of State may appoint a deputy compact administrator pursuant to said article.

In the event of withdrawal from the compact, the Secretary of State shall send and receive any notices required by Art. XI (b) of the compact.

(1) There is created within the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State the Florida International Archive and Repository for the preservation of those public records, as defined in s. 119.011, manuscripts, international judgments involving disputes…

(1) There is created within the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State the Florida State Archives for the preservation of those public records, as defined in s. 119.011(12), manuscripts, and other archival material that have been determined by the…

(1) There is created within the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State a records and information management program. It is the duty and responsibility of the division to:(a) Establish and administer a records management program directed to the app…

In enacting this law, the Legislature is cognizant of the fact that there may be instances where an agency may be microfilming and destroying public records or performing other records management programs pursuant to local or special acts. The Legislature is further aware that it…

There is hereby created within the Division of Library and Information Services a Records Management Trust Fund which shall consist of fees collected for records management and archival services. Funds deposited in the Records Management Trust Fund shall be used to support the pr…

(1) For purposes of this section, “nonpublic manuscript or other archival material” means a manuscript or archival material that is not otherwise made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any governmental agency.(2…

It is the intent of the Legislature to meet the educational and informational needs of the residents of this state by encouraging and assuring cooperation among libraries of all types for the development of library services. It is the further intent of the Legislature to foster c…

(1) Libraries that are under separate governances may establish nonprofit library cooperatives for the purpose of sharing resources. Library cooperatives shall be constituted of more than one type of library, including any combination of academic, school, special, state instituti…

The administrative unit of a library cooperative is eligible to receive an annual grant from the state for the purpose of sharing library resources based upon an annual plan of service and expenditure and an annually updated 5-year, long-range plan of cooperative library resource…

(1) CITIZEN SUPPORT ORGANIZATION.—The division may support the establishment of a citizen support organization to provide assistance, funding, and promotional support for the library, archives, and records management programs of the division. For the purposes of this section, a “…