North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 07 - Natural and Cultural Resources › Chapter 02 - STATE LIBRARY › Subchapter I - LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT › Section .0200 - STATE AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES › Section 02I .0201 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR GRANT ELIGIBILITY

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
Libraries requesting funding from the Aid to Public Libraries
					 Fund shall submit annually to the State Library of North Carolina an application for
					 State Aid and supporting documentation including financial and statistical reports
					 as required by this Rule and shall meet the following eligibility
					 requirements:
(1) Be established pursuant
				  to Article 14, Chapter 153A of the North Carolina General Statutes;
(2) Provide library services in compliance with
				  applicable State and federal law to all residents of the political subdivision(s)
				  supporting the library. Public library services shall be provided from at least one
				  designated facility with a cataloged collection that is open to the public a minimum
				  of 40 hours per week;
(3) Employ a
				  full-time library director having or eligible for North Carolina public librarian
				  certification. For the purpose of this Rule, "full-time" means working a minimum of
				  35 hours per week;
(4) Secure
				  operational funds from local government sources at least equal to the average amount
				  budgeted and available for expenditure for the previous three years. A grant to a
				  local library system from the Aid to Public Libraries Fund shall not be terminated
				  but shall be reduced proportionately by the Department if the amount budgeted and
				  available for expenditure by local government is below the average of the previous
				  three fiscal years. State funds shall not replace local funds budgeted and available
				  for expenditure for public library operations;
(5) Secure aggregate operational funds from local
				  sources that are at least equal to State aid;
(6) Expend funds as authorized in the budget
				  adopted by the Board of Trustees of a Regional Library, a County, or a Municipality.
				  Any library having an unencumbered operational balance of more than 17 percent of
				  the previous year's operating receipts shall have the difference deducted from its
				  State allocation;
(7) Pay salaries for
				  professional positions funded from the Aid to Public Libraries Fund at least at the
				  minimum rate of a salary grade of GN10, or equivalent, as established by the Office
				  of State Human Resources;
(8) Provide to
				  the State Library of North Carolina an annual audit of the political subdivision(s)
				  funding the library consistent with generally accepted accounting
				  principles;
(9) Submit to the State
				  Library of North Carolina a copy of the bylaws of the library system's Board(s) of
				  Trustees;
(10) Submit a current
				  long-range plan of service to the State Library of North Carolina. For the purpose
				  of this Rule, a "long-range plan of service" is a plan of at least five years. Upon
				  request, the library shall submit an assessment of a community's library needs to
				  the State Library of North Carolina;
(11) Submit a copy of the agreement establishing
				  the library system, if composed of more than one local governmental unit;
				  and
(12) Meet the following when
				  establishing a new library or re-establishing eligibility for the Aid to Public
				  Libraries Fund:
(a) meet all requirements of this
				  Rule on July 1 of the year prior to the fiscal year that the library plans to
				  receive State aid;
(b) continue to meet
				  all requirements of this Rule from July 1 to June 30 of that year, which shall be
				  known as the "demonstration year"; and
(c) file a complete application for State Aid by
				  the June 30 deadline at the close of the demonstration year in order to receive
				  State aid in the next fiscal year.