SECTION 1.72. Public Library Service

(a) Library services for the general public must be provided without charge or deposit to all persons residing in the local political subdivisions which provide monetary support to the library. These library services include the dissemination of materials or information by the library to the general public during the hours of operations of all library facilities. In this context, library services include the circulation of any type of materials, reference services, use of computers to access information sources, databases, or other similar services, and admissions to the facility or any programs sponsored or conducted by the library.

(b) The following charges are permitted at the discretion of the library's governing authority: reserving library materials; use of facilities; replacement of lost borrower cards; fines for overdue, lost, or damaged materials in accordance with local library policies; postage; in-depth reference services on a contractual basis; photocopying; printing; telefacsimile services; library parking; service to nonresidents; sale of publications; rental and deposits on equipment; and charges for the use of materials and machine-readable data bases not owned by the library for which the vendor or supplier has charged a borrowing fee.

(c) Fees may not be charged for library services on the library premises by individuals or organizations other than the library unless the charges are permitted by subsection (b) of this section.

(d) As permitted by §1.73 of this subchapter, relating to Public Library: Legal Establishment, non profit corporations may enter into a contract with a school district to provide library services to the general public residing in the district. This public library service must be in addition to that provided to school students, faculty, and staff. Public library services must be provided at least the required number of hours all weeks of the year, except those weeks with national or state holidays. The number of hours is specified in §1.81 of this subchapter, relating to Quantitative Standards for Accreditation of Library.

Source Note: The provisions of this §1.72 adopted to be effective September 1, 1977, 2 TexReg 1925; amended to be effective September 1, 1979, 4 TexReg 2675; amended to be effective March 26, 1980, 5 TexReg 906; amended to be effective January 19, 1984, 9 TexReg 178; amended to be effective August 23, 1990, 15 TexReg 4577; amended to be effective December 16, 1991, 16 TexReg 7010; amended to be effective November 11, 2007, 32 TexReg 7930; amended to be effective November 30, 2014, 39 TexReg 9200