March 30, 2016

Question

Jaime Ball (AZ)

Hi, all,

I have a general background question: Do you know of a federal definition for “core public library services”?  I see the FSCS definition of a public library, but it doesn’t describe essential or fundamental library services. I think borrowing privileges and computer use are two such services, but what about programs?

Thanks for your insights.

SDC Comments

Stacey Malek (TX)

Hi Jaime,

In Texas, we accredit public libraries and there is a public library service criterion in our agency’s administrative code.  It’s not really a definition, but does include what libraries must provide free of charge to residents living within the political subdivisions that provide revenue to the library, mostly cities and counties.

(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.

I hope this helps.

Kathy Sheppard (SC)

Jaime, I don’t think there’s a federal statement of public library core services.   

IMLS’ intro to the annual survey report (“Public Libraries in the United States Survey”) has a lot to say about services.  Actually just the list of topics covered in the annual survey could be considered a sort of de facto set of core services, or expectations for what libraries are supposed to do:

• Visitation (providing a facility to house staff and collections, as stated in the definition of a library)

• Circulation of Materials   

• Program Attendance   (indicating that it’s normal and maybe expected that libraries offer programs)

• Public Access Computer Usage   

• Reference Transactions  

Our consultant Scott Murphy poked around and found the list of Public Library Service Responses defined by June Garcia and Sandra Nelson for PLA, in the attached publication.  Take a look at page 3 to see the list of 18 service areas.  The titles for these service areas are a bit whimsical but it’s a comprehensive list.  But, this is nine years old and things change.

I think it kind of depends on what you need to do with this set of core services.   You could use them in your statewide library standards as a kind of checklist for libraries or a “library report card,” something we have considered doing. 

It’s an interesting question!

Jamie McCanless (WI)

Jaime,

I don’t know of a federal definition, either. Wisconsin state statutes are less specific than Texas, only referring to an Attorney General opinion:

A library can charge user fees for any services that fall outside of a library's inherent information-providing functions; core "library services" must be provided free of charge to the inhabitants of the municipality.