General Law Committee
Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING A STATE-WIDE PLATFORM FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONIC BOOKS
SUMMARY: This act expands the statewide library service programs that the State Library Board may establish and conduct to include creating and maintaining a statewide platform for distributing electronic books (e-books) to public library patrons.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2014
BACKGROUND
E-Books
An e-book is a book published in a digital form that is readable on computers or other electronic devices. Libraries allow patrons to download e-books they wish to read using different lending models, which depend on individual distributorship agreements.
State Library Board Programs
The statewide library services programs include:
1. cataloging and processing services;
2. creating and maintaining current and retrospective union catalogs of books, union lists of serials, and similar cooperative listings of library materials;
3. coordinating, acquiring, storing, and depositing library materials;
4. supporting and encouraging the transfer, as loans or copies, of library materials between libraries and to nonresident library patrons;
5. providing suitable high-speed communications facilities;
6. creating and maintaining bibliographic and regional reference centers;
7. providing traveling collections of library materials and book examination centers; and
8. providing publicity and public relations service for libraries.
Related Act
PA 14-98, § 2(k), authorizes $2. 2 million in general obligation state bonds for the State Library to create and maintain a statewide platform for distributing e-books to library patrons.
OLR Tracking: DC: RP: JKL: ro