The money from selling bonds, which are like government loans, must be put into a special fund called the California Public Library Construction and Renovation Fund. This fund is set up to handle these specific revenues.

This law states that the money in a specific fund is set aside to be used by the State Librarian for grants, without needing further approval. These grants can be given to any local government or district that is eligible to own and operate a public library, for purposes outlined in another section of the law.

This law specifies how grant and matching funds for public libraries can be used. They may be spent on building new library facilities, adding to existing ones, or acquiring land for these projects. Funds can also be used for remodeling or upgrading current library facilities, including necessary electrical and telecommunications updates to support internet technology. Additionally, they can cover the cost of furniture and equipment, but only if they're part of a construction or remodeling project. Lastly, the law allows these funds to be used to pay architects, engineers, and other professionals involved in planning or carrying out the projects.

This section says that certain funds from grants or matching funds can't be spent on specific things. These include buying books or other library items, administrative project costs like grant applications and elections, interest charges related to project financing, and ongoing day-to-day expenses of running a facility, including staff and supplies.

If a construction project gets funding from grants under this chapter, the project must be awarded through a competitive bidding process, following the rules in another section of law.

The State Librarian is in charge of running this chapter, while a board will create rules and policies to put it into effect.

Cities, counties, or districts in California can apply for grants from the State Librarian for certain projects. These projects must align with purposes outlined in another law (Section 19989). Applicants can't seek funds for projects where construction bids have already been requested, and each project application must ask for at least $50,000.

If you're looking to establish new public libraries in California, applications are prioritized based on collaboration and need. Projects that involve a joint use agreement between libraries and school districts are first in line. All other library projects come next. For remodeling existing libraries, priority goes to those near schools with poor tech facilities. Remaining projects are considered afterward.

If you receive a grant for a project, you need to come up with 35% of the project costs from other sources, while the remaining 65% can be funded from the project fund, not exceeding $20 million. The money you use to match must be cash and used for specific costs, but land donations or purchases can count if appraised at application time. Older purchases of architecture plans can also count towards your 35% match if they are for library renovations.

This section discusses rules for project cost estimates and grant applications for public construction projects. First, project costs should match typical public construction costs in the area. If a project has higher costs, applicants can still apply for a grant that covers up to 65% of normal costs, with a cap at $20 million per project, as long as they can fund the rest from other sources.

Once your funding application has been approved, the amount you receive cannot be increased. Any cost overruns will be your responsibility to cover. If the project ends up costing less than anticipated, you must return the extra funding. Also, if you decide not to move forward with the project, you must give back all the funds you received.

This section outlines the criteria used by a board to review applications for library projects. When deciding on priorities, the board looks at factors like local needs, population growth, the current state of libraries, and whether a new project will meet community needs better. They also assess how well technology is integrated into the plans and if the location is suitable. Lastly, the board considers the financial ability of the local agency to maintain the library. If significant changes are made after submitting an application, applicants can submit a new statement for further evaluation.

This law is about how facilities improved with certain public library grants must remain as public libraries for at least 20 years. If a grant-funded library stops being used for its intended purpose before that time, the state has the right to reclaim money proportional to what the grant originally covered. Also, the state's interest in properties linked to a project may be shifted to new library sites. Any recovered funds will be used for new library projects.