2007 Minnesota Statutes

134.31 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; LIBRARY RESPONSIBILITIES.
    Subdivision 1. Library service. The state shall, as an integral part of its responsibility for
public education, support the provision of library service for every citizen, the development
of cooperative programs for the sharing of resources and services among all libraries, and the
establishment of jointly operated library services at a single location where appropriate.
    Subd. 2. Advice and instruction. The Department of Education shall give advice and
instruction to the managers of any public library or to any governing body maintaining a library
or empowered to do so by law upon any matter pertaining to the organization, maintenance, or
administration of libraries. The department may also give advice and instruction, as requested,
to postsecondary educational institutions, state agencies, governmental units, nonprofit
organizations, or private entities. It shall assist, to the extent possible, in the establishment and
organization of library service in those areas where adequate services do not exist, and may aid in
improving previously established library services. The department shall also provide assistance
to school districts, regional library systems, and member libraries interested in offering joint
library services at a single location.
    Subd. 3. Library resources. The department may provide, for any library in the state, books,
journals, audiovisual items, information services or resource materials it deems appropriate and
necessary and shall encourage the sharing of library resources and the development of interlibrary
cooperation.
    Subd. 4. Collect statistics. The department shall collect statistics on the receipts,
expenditures, services, and use of the regional public library systems and the public libraries of
the state. It shall also collect statistics on all activities undertaken pursuant to sections 134.31
to 134.355.
    Subd. 4a. Services to the blind and physically handicapped. The Minnesota Department of
Education shall provide specialized services to the blind and physically handicapped through the
Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped under a cooperative plan with the
National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress.
    Subd. 5.[Repealed, 2001 c 161 s 58]
    Subd. 6. Advisory committee. The commissioner shall appoint an advisory committee
of five members to advise the staff of the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped on long-range plans and library services. Members shall be people who use the
library. Section 15.059 governs this committee except that the committee shall not expire.
History: 1978 c 546 s 2; 1986 c 471 s 3,4; 1989 c 329 art 10 s 1; 1991 c 265 art 11 s 20;
1993 c 224 art 5 s 37,38; art 9 s 41; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 192 s 23; 1Sp2001 c 3 art 4 s
2; 2003 c 130 s 12; 1Sp2003 c 9 art 6 s 5; art 12 s 21; 1Sp2005 c 5 art 3 s 15; 2007 c 146 art 6 s 1