It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 29-3.1-2.2, 29-3.1-3.1, 29-3.1-4.2 and 29-3.1-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 29-3.1 entitled "Department of State Library Services" are hereby amended to read as follows:
{ADD 29-3.1-2.2. Library board of Rhode Island established. -- ADD} There is hereby created the library board of Rhode Island, sometimes hereinafter referred to as the "library board". Said library board shall be protected from sudden changes in membership and reversal of policy by having staggered terms for its public members and is hereby made successor to all powers, rights, duties and privileges pertaining to public library services and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing.
The library board shall consist of {DEL thirteen (13) DEL} {ADD seventeen (17) ADD} members. The governor shall appoint {DEL eleven (11) DEL} {ADD fifteen (15) ADD} members {DEL . The DEL} {ADD , four (4) of whom shall be representative of general library users. The remainder of the ADD} governor's appointments shall be representative of the following: users of the regional library for the blind and physically handicapped, economically disadvantaged, {DEL general library users DEL} {ADD corporate or special librarians ADD} ; school {DEL librarians DEL} {ADD library media specialists ADD} ; librarians serving institutionalized persons; public library trustees, statewide library advocacy group; librarians from small public libraries, librarians from large or medium public libraries, and academic librarians. The chairman of the senate finance committee or a designee and the chairman of the house finance committee or a designee shall also serve on the library board. The commissioner for elementary and secondary education or a designee and the commissioner for higher education or designee shall serve as nonvoting ex-officio members. The governor shall appoint from the library board's public members a chairperson. Board members shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be allowed travel expenses related to attendance at board meetings.
{ADD 29-3.1-3.1. Appointment of members of the library board. -- ADD} The governor shall, with the consent of the senate, appoint the members of the library board. The governor shall establish the library board by appointing four (4) members for terms of three (3) years, four (4) members for terms of two (2) years, and three (3) members for terms of one (1) year. The initial appointments to the library board shall become effective without senate confirmation until the senate next convenes. In the year of enactment hereof, terms shall commence with the date of appointment and expire on the 31st day of December thereafter corresponding with the number of years of the term to which appointed. {ADD With respect to the new appointments, the term of the corporate or special librarian shall expire December 31, 1995; and the three (3) new general library user appointments shall expire December 31, 1994, December 31, 1995, and December 31, 1996, respectively. ADD} Thereafter, appointments shall be made for terms of three (3) years commencing on January 1st in the year of appointment and ending on December 31st in the third year thereafter.
A member shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified. Any vacancy among the public members of the board shall be filled by appointment of the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term. Public members shall not be appointed for more than two (2) successive three (3) year terms. Legislative members of the board shall serve during their legislative terms.
{ADD 29-3.1-4.2. Meetings of the board. -- ADD} The library board shall hold regular meetings at least {DEL> twice in each quarter of DEL} {ADD six (6) times ADD} each calendar year. All meetings of the library board of Rhode Island shall be open to the public, provided that executive sessions may be held as subordinate parts of public meetings.
{ADD 29-3.1-7. Duties of director. -- ADD} The director of state library services shall be the executive and administrative officer in charge of the department of state library services. The position of director shall be in the unclassified service of the state and he or she shall serve as the chief executive officer of the library board and as the chief administrative officer of the department of state library services. He shall also carry out the duties required of him by this chapter and by chapters 5 and 6 of this title. In addition to the general supervision of the department of state library services and the appointment of the several officers and employees of the department, it shall be the duty of the director of state library services:
(1) To develop a systematic program of information gathering, processing, and analysis addressed to every aspect of public library development and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing in this state especially as that information relates to current and future library and information service needs so that current needs may be met with reasonable promptness and plans formulated to meet future needs as they arise in the most efficient and economical manner possible.
(2) To develop a master plan defining board goals and objectives for public library development and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing in the state. These goals and objectives shall be expressed in terms of the library and information services to which individuals will have access.
(3) To communicate with and seek the advice of those concerned with and affected by the library board's determinations.
(4) To develop and implement board policy as it pertains to the goals and objectives approved by the library board from time to time; to enforce standards and to exercise general supervision over interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing in the state.
(5) To prepare for the library board's approval a total state library services budget which shall include, but not be limited to, the budget of the department of state library services and state aid for public library development and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing.
(6) To present annually, with the assistance of the library board, the total state library services budget to the state budget officer.
(7) To develop annually the program for the use of federal funds that is submitted to the United States department of education.
(8) To supervise the operation of the department of state library services as defined elsewhere in title 29 and such other additional duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the library board from time to time.
(9) To supervise the following functions:
(a) To distribute state funds for public library development and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing in accordance with law and regulations of the library board.
(b) To develop standards and regulations for public library development and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing.
(c) To certify that public library standards and services are in accordance with law and regulations of the library board.
(d) To require the observance of all laws relating to public library services and interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing.
(e) To interpret library law.
(f) To give assistance, advice and counsel to public libraries and to participants in interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing activities.
(g) To require that information and statistics necessary to do the work of the department of state library services be collected, to publish findings and reports thereon.
(h) To provide eligible blind and physically handicapped citizens with library services through a regional library for the blind and physically handicapped in cooperation with the library of congress national library service for the blind and physically handicapped.
(i) To cooperate with the commissioner of elementary and secondary education in {DEL integrating DEL} {ADD supporting and encouraging effective ADD} school library media {DEL centers DEL} {ADD services and their integration ADD} into statewide library networking activities.
(j) To cooperate with the state librarian and the state law librarian in strengthening services to library users.
{ADD (k) To cooperate with the commissioner of higher education in supporting and encouraging effective library services through the state system of higher education.
(l) To coordinate with all other state departments and agencies in the provision of library services to state government and to the public. ADD}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.