The current configuration
43.15 Standards for public library systems. (Created in 1971.)
A public
library system shall not be established unless it meets the requirements
under this section.
(1) POPULATION. The territory within the system shall:
(a) Have a population of 100,000 or more. If, because of the
withdrawal or realignment of participating counties, a public
library system has fewer than 3 participating counties and a population
under 200,000, the remaining parts of the system shall
realign with an existing system within 2 years after the date on
which the population falls below 200,000.
(b) After July 1, 1998, no new system may be established
unless it serves a population of at least 200,000.
(2) FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Each county proposed to be included
within a system shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the division,
its ability to provide adequate funding to implement the plan
submitted under s. 43.11 (3) and the report submitted under s. 43.13 (1).
1973: The first 4 public library systems
(3) TERRITORY INCLUDED.
(a) A consolidated system shall
consist of one county only. A federated system shall consist of one
or more counties.
(b) No more than one system may be established within a
single county. If the territory of a municipality lies in 2 or more
counties which are not in the same public library system, the
municipal library board or, if no such board exists, the municipal
governing body shall determine the system in which the municipality
will participate.
(c) If the territory of a joint library lies in 2 or more counties
that are not in the same public library system, the joint library
board or, if no such board exists, the governing bodies of the
municipalities and counties that created the joint library shall
determine the system in which the joint library will participate.
(4) METHOD OF ORGANIZATION.
(a) A public library system
may be organized as a
- single−county federated public library system, a
- multicounty federated public library system, or a
- single−
county consolidated public library system.
Two public library
systems may merge with the approval of
- each public library system
board and
- the county boards of the participating counties.
1983: Every county except Florence, Ozaukee, and Washington
(b) A county may participate in a federated public library system
if it does all of the following:
1. Adopts and maintains the plan of library service submitted
and approved under
ss. 43.11 (3) and
43.13 (1).
2. Provides the financial support for library services required
under sub. (2).
3. Enters into a written agreement with the public library system
board to participate in the system and its activities and to furnish
library services to residents of those municipalities in the
county not maintaining a public library.
2000: All 72 counties in 17 public library systems;
Wood, Portage, and Adams counties have moved
to South Central since 1993.
Fond du Lac will later move to Winnefox.
(c) A municipal, county or joint public library may participate
in a public library system if it meets all of the following requirements:
1. Is established under this chapter.
2.
Is located in a county that participates in a public library
system.
3.
Is authorized by its municipal governing body or county
board to participate in the public library system.
4.
Enters into a written agreement with the public library system
board
- to participate in the system and its activities,
- to participate
in interlibrary loan of materials with other system libraries
and
- to provide, to any resident of the system area, the same library
services, on the same terms, that are provided to the residents of
the municipality or county that established the member library.
This subdivision does not prohibit a municipal, county or joint
public library from
- giving preference to its residents in library
group programs held for children or adults if the library limits the
number of persons who may participate in the group program, or
from
- providing remote access to a library’s electronic database
only to its residents.
6. Employs a head librarian who is certified as a public
librarian by the department and whose employment requires that
he or she be present in the library for at least 10 hours of each week
that the library is open to the public, less leave time.
7. Beginning in 2008, annually is open to the public an average
of at least 20 hours each week except that for a library in existence
on June 3, 2006, annually is open to the public an average
of at least 20 hours or the number of hours each week that the
library was open to the public in 2005, whichever is fewer.
8. Beginning in 2008, annually spends at least $2,500 on
library materials.
(d) A county may establish a consolidated public library system
in which the included county and its underlying communities
form a single system. The county may, for such purposes, take
over and acquire any library property by consent of the authority
controlling that property.
(5) CAPITAL COSTS EXCLUDED. For the purpose of determining
the amount of financial support required under sub. (4) (b) 2.,
amounts spent for capital projects shall be excluded.
(5m) LIMIT. A public library system may not be established
if its establishment would cause the number of public library systems
to exceed the number in existence on June 3, 2006.
History:
1971 Senate Bill 47. Created in 1971.
1981 Assembly Bill 829. References to "cities, villages, and towns" changed to "municipalities".
1985 Wisconsin Act 29. 43.15 (22) is amended; 43.15 is repealed and recreated.
.
Related posts:
Part 1: Legislative findings and declaration of policy.
Part 2: Definitions.
Part 3: General duties of the State Superintendent.
Part 4: General duties of the Division.
Part 5: Council on Library and Network Development.
Part 6: Certificates and standards..
Part 7: County library planning committees.
Part 8: County payment for library service.
Part 9: Division review.
