Maine § 110. - Definitions

§ 110.. Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.   [PL 1989, c. 700, Pt. B, §24 (AMD).]

1.  Appeals board.  "Appeals board" means the Maine Library Commission acting, on request from interested citizens, as a board of review for decisions made concerning the State's library plan.

2.  Area reference and resource center.  "Area reference and resource center" means a large public, school or academic library designated by the State Librarian and receiving state aid for the purposes of making its resources and services available without charge to all residents within a library region, of providing supplementary library services to local libraries within the library region and of coordinating the services of all local libraries within the library region that by contract become part of the library region.

3.  Common borrower's card.  "Common borrower's card" means a system of personal identification for the purpose of borrowing and returning books and other materials from any library that participates in the regional system.

4.  Maine State Library consultant or specialist.  "Maine State Library consultant or specialist" means an individual who acts as a general library consultant or specialist to one or more library regions.

5.  District council. 

6.  District plan. 

7.  Library region.  "Library region" or "region" means a defined geographic area consisting of local libraries. Libraries from multiple regions may be joined cooperatively to an area reference and resource center and a research center. Local libraries within the library region may also be joined cooperatively with other types of libraries.

8.  Local library board.  "Local library board" means the body which has the authority to give administrative direction or advice to a library through its librarian.

9.  Media center. 

9-A.  Maine Library Advisory Council.  "Maine Library Advisory Council" means an advisory body representing a constituency of participating libraries from all geographical library regions, as described in section 114-A.

10.  Public library.  "Public library" means a library freely open to all persons and receives its financial support from a municipality, private association, corporation or group. The above serves the informational, educational and recreational needs of all the residents of the area for which its governing body is responsible.

11.  Regional library system.  "Regional library system" means a network of library regions interrelated by formal or informal contract for the purpose of organizing library resources and services for research, information and recreation to improve statewide library service and to serve collectively the entire population of the State.

12.  Research center.  "Research center" means any library designated as such by the State Librarian and receiving state aid for the purposes of making its major research collections, under such rules and regulations as are defined by its governing board and head librarian, available to the residents of the State.