An Act to promote the further development of public library service in rural areas
PL 84-597 (H.R.2840), enacted 06/19/1956

70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 597-JUNE 19, 1956 
293 
Public Law 597 
CHAPTER 407 
AN A C T 
June 19, 19J16 
To promote the further development of public library service in rural areas. 
[H. R. 2840] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may ^^| 
be cited as the "Library Services Act". 
ibrary Services 
DECLARATION OF POLICY 
SEC. 2, (a) It is the purpose of this Act to promote the further 
extension by the several States of public library services to rural areas 
without such services or with inadequate services. 
(b) The provisions of this Act shall not be so construed as to 
interfere with State and local initiative and responsibility in the 
conduct of public library services. The administration of public 
libraries, the selection of personnel and library books and materials, 
and, insofar as consistent with the purposes of this Act, the determi-
nation of the best uses of the funds provided under this Act shall be 
reserved to the States and their local subdivisions. 
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 3. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal 
year ending June 30, 1957, and for each of the four succeeding fiscal 
years the sum of $7,500,000 which shall be used for making payments 
to States which have submitted and had approved by the Commis-
sioner of Education (hereinafter referred to as the Commissioner) 
State plans for the further extension of public library services to 
rural areas without such services, or with inadequate services. 
ALLOTMENTS TO STATES 
SEC. 4. (a) From the sums appropriated pursuant to section 3 for 
'*<>*'' P* ^^i' 
each fiscal year, the Commissioner shall allot $10,000 to the Virgin 
Islands and $40,000 to each of the other States, and shall allot to each 
State such part of the remainder of such sums as the rural population 
of the State bears to the rural population of the United States, 
according to the most recent decennial census. 
(b) The amount of an^ allotment to a State under subsection (a) 
for any fiscal year remaining unpaid to such State at the end of such 
fiscal year shall be available for payment to such Stat« under section 
6 until the end of the succeeding fiscal year. No payment to a State 
under section 6 shall be made out of its allotment for any fiscal year 
until its allotment for the preceding fiscal year has been exhausted or 
has ceased to be available. 
STATE PLANS 
SEC. 5. (a) To be approved under this section, a State plan for the 
further extension of public library services to rural areas must— 
(1) provide for the administration, or supervision of the ad-
ministration, of the plan by the State library administrative 
agency, and provide that such agency wall have adequate au-
thority under State law to administer the plan in accordance with 
its provisions and the provisions of this Act; 
(2) provide for the receipt by the State treasurer (or, if there 
be no State treasurer, the officer exercising similar functions for 
the State) of all funds paid to the State pursuant to this Act 
and for the proper safeguarding of such funds by such officer, 
204 
PUBLIC LAW 597-JUNE 19, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
provide that such funds shall be expended solely for the purposes 
for which paid, and provide for the repayment by the State to 
the United States of any such funds lost or diverted from the 
purposes for which paid; 
(3) provide policies and methods of administration to be fol-
lowed m using any funds made available for expenditure under 
the State plan, which policies and methods the State library 
administrative agency certifies will in its judgment assure use 
of such funds to maximum advantage in the further extension of 
public library services to rural areas without such services or 
Avith inadequate services; 
(-t) provide that the State library administrative agency will 
make such reports as to categories of expenditures made under 
this Act, as the Commissioner may from time to time reasonably 
require; and 
(5) provide that any library services furnished under the plan 
shall be made available free of charge Under regulations pre-
scribed by the State library administrative agency. 
(b) Tlie (Commissioner sliall approve any plan which fulfills the 
conditions specified in subsection (a) of this section. 
(c) The determination of whether library services are inadequate in 
any area Avithin any State shall be made by the State library adminis-
trative agency of such State. 
Conditions. 
Post, 
p. 911. 
Estimation. 
PAYMENTS TO STATES 
SEC. 6. (a) From the allotments available therefor under section 4, 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall from time to time pay to each 
State which has a plan approved under section 5 an amount computed 
as provided in subsection (b) of this section, equal to the Federal 
share of the total sums expended by the State and its political subdi-
visions under such plan during the period for which such payment was 
made, except that no payments shall be made to any State from its 
allotment for any fiscal year unless and until the (Commissioner finds 
that (1) there will be available for expenditure under the plan from 
State or local sources during the fiscal year for which the allotment 
is made (A) sums sufficient to enable the State to receive under this 
section payments in an amount not less than $10,000 in the case of the 
Virgin Islands and $40,000 in the case of any other State, and (B) 
not less than the total amount actually expended, in the areas covered 
by the plan for such year, for public library services from such sources 
in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, and (2) there will be avail-
able for expenditure for public library services from State sources 
during the fiscal year for Avhich the allotment is made not less than 
the total amount actually expended for public library services from 
such sources in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956. 
(b) The (Commissioner shall from time to time, but not less often 
than semiannually, and prior to the period for AA'hich a payment is 
to be made, estimate the amount, Avithin the balance of the allotments 
for each State, Avhich may be necessary to ])ay the Federal share of 
the total expenditures for carrying out the approved State plan for 
such period. 
The Commissioner shall certify to the Secretary of the 
Treasury the amount so determined, reduced or increased as the case 
may be by the amount by Avhich he finds that his estimate for any prior 
period Avas greater or less than the amount which should have been 
paid to the State for such period. 
The Secretary of the Treasury 
shall thereupon, prior to audit or settlement by the General Account-
ing Office, pay to the State, at the time or times fixed by the Com-
missioner, the amount so certified. 
70 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 597-JUNE 19, 1956 
295 
(c) For the purposes of this section the "Federal share" for any 
State shall be 100 per centum less the State percentage and the State 
percentage shall be that percentage which bears the same ratio to 
50 per centum as the per capita income of such State bears to the 
jjer capita income of the continental United States (excluding Alaska), 
except that (1) the Federal share shall in no case be more than 66 
per centum or less than 33 per centum, and (2) the Federal share for 
Hawaii shall be 50 per centum and for Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands shall be 66 per centum. 
(a) The "Federal share" for each State shall be promulgated by 
the Commissioner between July 1 and August 31 of each even-num-
bered year, on the basis of the average of the per capita incomes of 
the States and of the continental United States (excluding Alaska) 
for the three most recent consecutive years for which satisfactory 
data are available from the Department of Commerce. 
Such pro-
mulgation shall be conclusive for each of the two fiscal years in the 
period beginning July 1 next succeeding such promulgation: Pro-
vided^ That the Commissioner shall promulgate such percentages as 
soon as possible after the enactment of this Act to be effective until 
July 1, 1957. 
(e) No portion of any money paid to a State under this Act shall 
be applied, directly or indirectly, to the purchase or erection of any 
building or buildings, or for the purchase of any land. 
(f) No portion of any money paid to a State under this Act shall 
be used, directly or indirectly, to provide or improve library services 
in any area other than a rural area; except that nothing contained 
herein shall be construed to prohibit the utilization of such money 
by public libraries in nonrural areas for the exclusive purpose of 
extending public library services to rural areas, if such utilization 
has been provided for in an approved State plan covering the areas 
affected. 
WITHHOLDING 
SEC. 7. If the Commissioner finds after reasonable notice and oppor-
tunity for hearing to the State agency administering or supervising 
the administration of the State plan approved under this Act, that 
the State plan has been so changed that it no longer complies with 
the requirements of this Act or that in the administration of the plan 
there is a failure to comply substantially with the provisions required 
to be included in the plan, he shall notify such State agency that 
further payments will not be made to the State under this Act until 
he is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply. Until 
he is so satisfied, he shall make no further certification to the Secretary 
of the Treasury with respect to such State: Provided^ That any State 
or State agency is entitled to judicial review in the United States Dis-
trict Court wherein the State or State agency is located of any such 
withholding determination in accordance with applicable provisions 
of the Administrative Procedures Act. 
"Federal share*. 
Post, p. 911. 
Promulgation. 
Restriction. 
60 Stat. 237. 
5 u s e 1001 note. 
ADMINISTRATION 
SEC. 8. (a) The Commissioner shall administer this Act under the 
supervision and direction of the Secretary of Health, Education, and 
Welfare, and shall, with the approval of the Secretary, prescribe such 
regulations as may be necessary for the administration of this Act. 
(b) The Commissioner is also authorized to make such studies, 
investigations, and reports as may be necessary or appropriate to 
carry out the purposes of this Act, including periodic reports for 
public distribution as to the values, methods, and results of various 
296 
PUBLIC LAW 59&-JUNE 19, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
Administration 
appropri ations. 
State demonstrations of public library services in rural areas under-
taken under this Act. 
(c) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for expenses 
of administration such sums as may be necessary to carry out the 
functions of the Secretary and the Commissioner under this Act. 
Post, 
p. 911. 
DEFINITIONS 
SEO. 9. For the purposes of this Act— 
(a) The term "State" means a State, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, 
or the Virgin Islands; 
(b) The term "State library administrative agency" means the 
official State agency charged by State law with the extension and 
development of public library services throughout the State; 
(c) The term "public library" means a library that serves free all 
residents of a community, district, or region, and receives its financial 
support in whole or in part from public funds; 
(d) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health, Educa-
tion, and Welfare; and 
(e) The term "rural area" does not include an incorporated or 
unincorporated town having a population of more than ten thousand 
persons. 
Approved June 19, 1956. 
Public Law 598 
CHAPTER 408 
June 19, 1956 
AN ACT 
'^' 
' "
* 
•
* 
Authorizing the conveyance of certain propertj- of the United States to the 
State of New Mexico. 
Santa Fe, N.Mex. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of RepTesentatives 
of the 
United States of Amer'ica in Congress oj^sembled^ That the Secretary 
of the Army is authorized and directed to convey to the State of 
New Mexico, all the right, title, and interest of tlie United States in 
and to the fifty-one acres of land, more or less, of the former Bruns 
General Hospital area in Santa Fe, New Mexico, now under license 
to the State of New Mexico, the property to be used for the train-
ing and support of the National Guard of New Mexico and for other 
military purposes, and the conveyance to be made without monetary 
consideration therefor, but upon condition that it shall be used for 
the aforesaid purposes and that if such real property shall ever 
cease to be used for such purposes, all the right, title, and interest 
in and to such real property shall revert to and become the property 
of the United States which shall have the immediate right of entry 
thereon, and to be further subject to the reservation by the United 
States of all mineral rights, including oil and gas; the right of re-
entry and use by the United States in the event of need therefor 
during a national emergency declared by the President or the Con-
gress, and such other reservations, restrictions, terms, and conditions 
as the Secretary determines to be necessary to properly protect the 
interests of the United States. 
SEC. 2. The cost of any surveys necessary as an incident of the 
conveyance authorized herein shall be borne by the State of New 
Mexico. 
Approved June 19, 1956.