General Provisions - Public Library Finance - CA Education

Section § 18010

This law emphasizes that free public libraries are crucial for spreading information and knowledge. Libraries support lifelong learning and act as educational resources beyond traditional schooling. They serve everyone, regardless of age, cultural background, or economic status. Therefore, they should be financially supported by government institutions at all levels.

The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the interest of the people and of the state that there be a general diffusion of information and knowledge through the continued operation of free public libraries. Such diffusion is a matter of general concern inasmuch as it is the duty of the state to provide encouragement to the voluntary lifelong learning of the people of the state.

The Legislature further declares that the public library is a supplement to the formal system of free public education, and a source of information and inspiration to persons of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and economic statuses, and a resource for continuing education and reeducation beyond the years of formal education, and as such deserves adequate financial support from government at all levels.

free public libraries lifelong learning information diffusion public education supplement government financial support continuing education cultural backgrounds economic statuses voluntary learning state duty educational resources reeducation formal education

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1498, Sec. 1. Section operative July 1, 1983, pursuant to Section 18031.)

Section § 18011

This law section aims to start and evaluate a program to ensure fair and adequate funding for public libraries in California. These libraries have traditionally relied on local property taxes, but due to limits on these taxes, they are facing financial challenges that existing laws have not fully addressed.

It is the intent of the Legislature under this chapter to initiate and examine a specific program providing equitable and adequate funds to the public libraries of the state which are established under various provisions of law, and which, historically dependent for their support on local property tax revenues, face a fiscal crisis as a result of ad valorem tax limitations imposed by Article XIII A of the California Constitution, which fiscal crisis has not been sufficiently resolved through application of existing statutes.

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(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1498, Sec. 1. Section operative July 1, 1983, pursuant to Section 18031.)

Section § 18012

This law explains that the state wants to ensure all California residents have equal access to good public library services, regardless of the area's wealth. It aims to provide steady and predictable funding for libraries using both state and local money. The funding process should be simple and easy to manage. While local areas will control their libraries, they must still keep track of state and local funds used for libraries and report on them.

In adopting this chapter, the Legislature declares that its policy, and its objective in enacting the specific program prescribed in Section 18011, is to do all of the following:

(a) Assure the availability to every resident of the state of an adequate level of public library service regardless of the taxable wealth of the local jurisdiction providing the service.

(b) Provide permanent, stable, and predictable financing for public libraries of the state through a combination of state and local revenues.

(c) Provide state funds for public library service through application of a simple formula whose variable elements can be readily predicted and ascertained by both state and local officials, and which can be administered by the Controller and the State Librarian as ministerial functions.

(d) Reaffirm the principle of local control of the government and administration of public libraries under broad state policy determinations, and subject to the necessity for financial accounting to the state for the expenditure of state funds and required local matching funds.

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(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1498, Sec. 1. Section operative July 1, 1983, pursuant to Section 18031.)

Section § 18013

This section explains that the state wants all public libraries to provide a basic level of services called the 'foundation program,' if there are enough state funds to support it. These state funds count towards the overall state spending limits. However, if there isn't enough state money, local governments aren't required to start new programs or enhance services beyond what's prescribed.

The Legislature finds and declares that this chapter effects a state policy that each public library provide a minimum level of service, known as the foundation program, to the extent state funds are made available for that purpose as prescribed by this chapter. The Legislature, therefore, declares that state funds made available to each public library pursuant to this chapter, to the extent those funds are appropriations subject to limitation of a public library, shall be included in the appropriations limit of the state for purposes of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. However, this chapter does not mandate any new program or higher level of service on any local government for which state funds are not made available as prescribed by this chapter.

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(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1498, Sec. 1. Section operative July 1, 1983, pursuant to Section 18031.)