Title 29, Title 29 Title 29

The secretary of state shall have the care and custody of the state library, except the law library, and shall receive and preserve all materials and documents that may be sent to, or purchased for, the library.

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as it may deem necessary for reference librarians in the state library, and the state librarian is hereby authorized and empowered to employ additional reference librarians. Reference librarians shall have a master’s degre…

The secretary of state shall annually, at the January session, make report to the general assembly of the condition of the library, and shall make such recommendations as he or she may deem advisable for the welfare thereof, and of the books purchased during the year preceding, a…

The state librarian, with the consent of the secretary of state, is hereby authorized and empowered to sell, exchange, or destroy all duplicate books, pamphlets, or other surplus supplies, which, in his or her judgment, are not available for use in the state library. All such fee…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended by the state librarian for the purpose of caring for, preserving, and cataloguing the property of the state in the keepi…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended by the state librarian for the purpose of caring for, preserving, and cataloguing the property of the state in the keep…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended by the state librarian for the purpose of caring for, preserving, and cataloguing the property of the state in the keep…

The state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of these sums, or so much thereof as may be required, upon his or her receipt of proper vouchers approved by the state librarian and the secretary of state.

All books, periodicals, and papers in the keeping of the Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the Newport Historical Society, shall at all reasonable times be open to the use of all the citizens of the state, under the same conditions pert…

(a) The Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the Newport Historical Society, respectively, shall place on file with the state librarian annual reports as to the manner in which the funds are expended, as long as funds are appropriated in a…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary, to be expended by the state librarian for the purchase, microfilming, and binding of newspapers published in this state, the copies to be received by the state librarian and to be deposited in th…

The supreme court shall have the custody of the state law library, and shall be responsible for the care and keeping of it. The state law library shall be open to the public; provided, however, no library materials shall be taken from it, except for the use of the Rhode Island ju…

The supreme court shall appoint a librarian, who shall cause the library to be kept open daily, Sundays and holidays excepted, from nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 a.m.) until five o’clock in the afternoon (5:00 p.m.), except during summer hours of the courts, when it may be cl…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such a sum as it may deem necessary, to be expended under the direction of the justices of the supreme court, for the purchase of legal information, both print and electronic, for the state law library, the law library in the J. Jos…

The electors in any town, qualified to vote upon any proposition to impose a tax or for the expenditure of money in the town, voting at any financial town meeting, or in the case of any city, the city council, may appropriate such sum or sums as they shall deem proper for the fou…

Any town or city having established a free public library therein, in the manner described in § 29-4-1, may annually, by the majority vote of the electors of the town qualified to vote and voting on the proposition, or by vote of the city council of the city, appropriate such sum…

Any town or city not owning a free public library may annually, by the majority vote of the electors of the town qualified to vote and voting on the proposition, or by vote of the city council of the city, appropriate such sum or sums as it shall deem proper for the maintenance a…

In case any library, or funds for the establishment thereof, may be offered to any city or town on the condition that the library shall be maintained as a free public library, the city council of any city, or town council of any town, is hereby authorized to accept this gift in b…

Whenever any city or town shall establish a free public library, or shall become possessed, as provided in this chapter, of any free public library, the city council or town council, as the case may be, shall proceed to elect a board of trustees, to consist of not less than three…

The trustees shall take possession of the library, and shall, thereafter, be the legal guardians and custodians of the library. They shall provide suitable rooms for the library, arrange for the proper care of the library, choose one or more competent persons as librarians and fi…

All appropriations from the city or town and state, and the income of all funds belonging to the library, shall be subject to the exclusive control of the trustees, and the several city and town treasurers shall pay, within the limits of the appropriations and other library funds…

In case of any bequest, legacy, or gift to, or in favor of, a public library, the trustees thereof are hereby authorized and empowered to accept the bequest, legacy, or gift on behalf of, and for the use of, the library, and their receipt shall be a full and sufficient discharge …

Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 7.4 of title 22, the city council of the city of East Providence shall be authorized to name all libraries within the city.

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: Because the desire for the services provided by libraries transcends governmental boundaries and can most effecti…

No city, town, or library district of this state, hereinafter to be created, shall be party to a library agreement that provides for the construction or maintenance of a library pursuant to article III(c)7 of § 29-5-1, nor pledge its credit in support of that library, or contribu…

As used in § 29-5-1, “state library agency”, with reference to this state, means the chief of library services or his or her designated agent.

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 these functions are eligible for support when carried on by entities wholly within this sta…

The chief of library services shall be the compact administrator pursuant to article X of § 29-5-1.

In the event of withdrawal from the compact, the chief of library services shall send and receive any notices required by article XI(b) of § 29-5-1.

(a) The general assembly hereby declares it to be the policy of this state: (1) That free public libraries are essential to the general enlightenment of citizens in a democracy; (2) That these free public libraries shall provide for the cultural, educational, informational, and r…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as it may deem necessary for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of §§ 29-6-2, 29-6-6, 29-6-7, and 29-6-9; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the genera…

If any provision of § 29-1-1, or of chapters 3.1, 4, or 6 of this title, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of these provisions, and the application of these provisions to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected …

For each city or town, the state’s share to support local public library services shall be equal to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of both the amount appropriated and expended in the second preceding fiscal year by the city or town from local tax revenues and funds from the p…

(a) To qualify for state aid under § 29-6-2, a city or town shall: (1) Appropriate from local tax revenues an amount not less than the amount appropriated the previous year from local tax revenues and expended for library operating expenses. The appropriation would exclude any st…

In cities or towns having more than one free public library, the boards of trustees, or other governing bodies of the libraries in the city or town, may appoint an interlibrary committee to include the principal librarian of each of the libraries and one other representative of e…

(a) Any city or town may enter into an agreement with another city or town, or more than one other, to establish or maintain free public library service, or one or more aspects thereof to citizens therein, and those agreements for cooperative library service shall be valid when a…

The office of library and information services may cause to be paid to a city or town treasurer, or to any free public library in the state, a grant-in-aid for the construction and capital improvement of any free public library as the chief of library services may determine is ne…

For each state supported residential institution and the school for the deaf, the state’s share under this program to support library services for residents or students shall be gradually increased until the state’s share in fiscal year 2000 is equal to at least twenty-five perce…

(a) To qualify for state aid under § 29-6-7, an institution shall: (1) Allocate from its appropriation an amount not less than the amount allocated and expended the previous year for operating expenditures to support library services for residents or students; and (2) Submit, or …

(a) In order to provide each individual in Rhode Island with equal opportunity of access to resources that will satisfy their and society’s information needs and interests, the office of library and information services is hereby authorized to establish a Rhode Island library net…

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a state publications clearinghouse for libraries that will systematically collect and distribute state publications to libraries throughout the state in order to facilitate public access to publications issued by state agencies and for …

As used in this chapter: (1) “Depository library” means a library designated to collect, maintain, and make available state publications to the general public. The clearinghouse director shall consider the geography of the state when designating depository libraries. (2) “Printed…

There is hereby created, as a section of the state library, and under the direction of the state librarian, a state publications clearinghouse for libraries, hereinafter referred to as “the clearinghouse”. The clearinghouse shall promote the establishment of an orderly depository…

The state librarian shall designate from the state library staff a director of the state publications clearinghouse. The director shall hold a graduate degree in library science from an accredited library school. The clearinghouse director shall maintain guidelines for documents …

Each state agency shall designate one person as its documents officer and shall notify the clearinghouse of his or her identity. The documents officer shall, prior to public release of a state publication, deposit with the clearinghouse as many tangible copies as are specified by…

The clearinghouse may enter into depository agreements with any municipal library, public library, private college or university library, or research library in the state of Rhode Island, and shall provide for distribution of state publications to the Center for Research Librarie…