Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

LIBRARIES

43.001   Legislative findings and declaration of policy.

43.01   Definitions.

43.03   General duties of state superintendent.

43.05   General duties of the division.

43.06   Collection and maintenance of data.

43.07   Council on library and network development.

43.09   Certificates and standards.

43.11   County library planning committees.

43.12   County payment for library services.

43.13   Division review.

43.15   Standards for public library systems.

43.16   Resource libraries.

43.17   Public library systems; general provisions.

43.18   Withdrawal, abolition and expulsion.

43.19   Federated public library systems.

43.21   Consolidated public library systems.

43.24   State aid.

43.27   Distribution of materials from resources for libraries and lifelong learning collection to public library systems.

43.30   Public library records.

43.52   Municipal libraries.

43.53   Joint libraries.

43.54   Municipal library board composition.

43.57   Consolidated county libraries and county library services.

43.58   Powers and duties.

43.60   County appointments to municipal and joint public library boards.

43.64   County tax.

43.70   Common school fund.

43.72   Library exchanges.

43.001 43.001 Legislative findings and declaration of policy.

43.001(1) (1) The legislature recognizes:

43.001(1)(a) (a) The importance of free access to knowledge, information and diversity of ideas by all residents of this state;

43.001(1)(b) (b) The critical role played by public, school, special and academic libraries in providing that access;

43.001(1)(c) (c) The major educational, cultural and economic asset that is represented in the collective knowledge and information resources of the state’s libraries;

43.001(1)(d) (d) The importance of public libraries to the democratic process; and

43.001(1)(e) (e) That the most effective use of library resources in this state can occur only through interlibrary cooperation among all types of libraries and the effective use of technology.

43.001(2) (2) The legislature declares that it is the policy of this state to provide laws for the development and improvement of public libraries, school libraries and interlibrary cooperation among all types of libraries.

43.001 History History: 1985 a. 177; 1997 a. 150.

43.001 Annotation Municipal libraries are a matter of statewide concern. Accordingly, home rule provisions will not justify local departures from the provisions of ch. 43. 76 Atty. Gen. 203.

43.01 43.01 Definitions. In this chapter:

43.01(1) (1) “Department” means the department of public instruction.

43.01(2) (2) “Division” means the division for libraries and technology in the department.

43.01(3) (3) “Municipality” means a city, village, town, tribal government or tribal association, or a school district that maintained and operated a public library facility prior to December 17, 1971.

43.01(4) (4) “Network” means a formal arrangement between libraries or other informational service organizations whereby materials, information and services are exchanged and made available to potential users.

43.01(5) (5) “Public library system” means a system established as either a federated public library system under s. 43.19 or a consolidated public library system under s. 43.21.

43.01(6) (6) “State superintendent” means the state superintendent of public instruction.

43.01(7) (7) “Tribal college” means an accredited college, operated or controlled by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, that meets the requirements of 25 USC 1804.

43.01 History History: 1971 c. 152; 1977 c. 418; 1979 c. 347; 1983 a. 189; 1985 a. 177 ss. 4, 5; 1993 a. 335; 1995 a. 27 ss. 1967, 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 48; 2011 a. 158; 2015 a. 306.

43.03 43.03 General duties of state superintendent. The state superintendent shall:

43.03(1) (1) Promote, assist and plan the organization, development and improvement of school library media services to provide the resources needed for teaching and learning in the schools.

43.03(2) (2) Promote, assist, plan and coordinate the organization, development and improvement of public library services and public library systems to serve the needs of all citizens in the state.

43.03(3) (3) 

43.03(3)(a) (a) Promote cooperation and resource sharing among public libraries, school libraries, other types of libraries and related agencies.

43.03(3)(b) (b) Plan, coordinate, evaluate and set statewide priorities for the development of networks to enable library cooperation and resource sharing within this state and between this state and resource providers in other states.

43.03(3)(d) (d) Submit to the council on library and network development a biennial report which describes the programs and policies carried out under pars. (a) and (b) in the preceding biennium and the programs and policies to be carried out under pars. (a) and (b) in the succeeding biennium.

43.03(4) (4) Plan and coordinate the provision of library services to groups with special needs, including institutional residents, the physically and mentally handicapped, the socially and economically disadvantaged and racial and ethnic minorities.

43.03(5) (5) Accept, on behalf of the state, grants from the federal government or any federal agency or gifts or grants from any other source to be used for the purposes designated under this chapter.