SECTIONS 18840-18849

18840.  To be eligible for funds under this article, a regionallibrary network shall submit a plan to the state board for itsapproval. The plan shall include all of the following: (a) An organizational structure. (b) Bylaws. (c) Membership policies, assuring that all eligible libraries ineligible public library jurisdictions and in eligible institutions inthe geographic region will be enabled to participate. (d) A long-range plan, including the transition of services fromthe California Library Services Act to the Library of California Act,the criteria and functions for regional resource libraries, and thelinkages with information agencies in the region. (e) The endorsement of the charter members. The charter membersshall include more than one type of library. (f) Geographical contiguity.18841.  (a) Each regional library network shall establish a regionallibrary council. Every eligible public library jurisdiction isdesignated as a member of the regional library network and itslibrary director or designee is its representative on the regionalnetwork council. Every eligible institution of which one or morelibraries is a participating library, as described in Section 18830,is designated as a member of the regional library network and shalldesignate its representative on the regional network council fromamong the directors of those participating libraries and its chieflibrary coordinator. In addition, the regional library council shallinclude one library user from each type of member library. Thereshall be one vote per person on the regional network council. Dutiesof the regional network council include overall administrativeresponsibility for the network, adopting an annual plan of service,assuring the appropriate expenditure of funds, and submitting annualbudget proposals to the state board for implementation of theprovisions of this article. (b) Each regional network council shall elect from its membershipa representative board to carry out its policies. The board shallinclude at least one representative from each type of library electedby representatives of that type of library and at least one libraryuser. There shall be one vote per person on the representative board. (c) Administration and management of the regional library networkshall provide the vision and leadership necessary to perform thefunctions and deliver the services in a timely and satisfactorymanner.18842.  Each regional library network shall do all of the following: (a) Make available a telecommunications system for the transfer ofinformation and communications among its members. (b) Provide regional communications based upon the most effectivemethods of exchanging information among its members. (c) Provide intraregional delivery service based upon the mostcost-effective methods for moving materials among its members. (d) Provide online access to the information files, resources, andbibliographic records of its members which may be accessedregionally and statewide.18843.  Any eligible library or combination of eligible librariesmay receive funds from a regional library network for the provisionof public access to the range of library resources and servicesavailable statewide through electronic online resources.18844.  Each eligible library may participate in one or more of theaccess services components through its regional library network andbe reimbursed fully for its service to Californians who do notconstitute its primary clientele. Reimbursement rates shall beequitable. The state board shall develop the reimbursement rateformulas. All of the following are access services components: (a) Interlibrary loan. Each eligible library shall be reimbursedfully to cover the handling costs of each interlibrary loan amongmembers of the regional library networks. Participants shall provide,as well as utilize, interlibrary loan services and may not chargehandling fees to other members. (b) Patron referral and onsite services. Each eligible libraryshall be reimbursed fully for services and resources that areprovided to Californians who would otherwise be ineligible forservices from that public library jurisdiction or that institution.These persons must be referred by another member of a regionallibrary network. Information agencies that are not libraries may alsoparticipate in this component and be reimbursed if they are the onlysource for the information. (c) Direct loan. Each eligible library may provide access toCalifornians by providing direct borrowing privileges to the primaryclientele of other libraries. They shall be reimbursed fully for thehandling costs of all loans according to an allocation formula. Eachpublic library jurisdiction that is a member of a regional librarynetwork shall provide direct borrowing privileges to all residents ofthe area served by the regional library network. (d) Electronic direct access. Each eligible library may provideaccess to Californians by providing electronic borrowing privilegesor electronic document delivery privileges, or both, to the primaryclientele of other participating libraries. They shall be reimbursedfully for the handling costs of each transaction. Membersparticipating in the electronic direct access component shall provideand utilize electronic direct access services and may not chargehandling fees for this service to other members participating in thisprogram or to their primary clientele. (e) Document delivery. Each eligible library shall be reimbursedfully to cover the costs of document delivery resulting from aninterlibrary loan transaction and electronic loan transaction asdefined in this section.18845.  Each regional library network shall provide opportunitiesfor training and continuing education activities that encourage themost effective use of the resources and services authorized underthis chapter, and that respond to the needs of its members in theeffective delivery of services.18846.  (a) Each regional library network shall provide informationand referrals to answer requests that are beyond the capacity orcapability of its members by accessing the resources and expertise ofother libraries, improving general reference service inparticipating libraries, and improving reference service to respondto the needs of the underserved populations in the region. (b) Any eligible library or combination of eligible libraries orregional library network may receive funds from the state board forinformation service enhancement within the service area.18847.  Each regional library network shall augment the publicawareness programs of its members by providing public relationspackages to them for customization and dissemination.18848.  Any combination of eligible libraries may receive funds fromthe regional library network for cooperative, coordinated resourcedevelopment programs of benefit to the local service area and to theregion as a whole. Each library participating in this program shallalready be capable of meeting the basic, recurring needs of itsprimary clientele through its locally supported collection. Libraryresources purchased, in whole or in part, under this program shall bewidely accessible to Californians for the useful life of thoseresources.18849.  Any regional library network may apply to the state boardfor funds for services to the underserved programs on a region-widebasis. Regional library networks may also apply for funds for otherregion-wide programs, but these programs shall include a componentfor serving the underserved on a region-wide basis.