Article 1. General Provisions of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 11. >> Chapter 1.5. >> Article 1.

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.

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.

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.

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.