Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee

HB 2926

Brief Description:  Establishing the state library in the office of the secretary of state.

Sponsors:  Representatives Clements and Grant.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Creates a state library in the Office of the Secretary of State.

$Abolishes the State Library and the State Library Commission, and their respective duties.

Hearing Date:  2/27/02

Staff:  Patricia Linehan (786‑7178).

Background:

The 1853 Organic Act that created the Territory of Washington provided for the establishment of a territorial library, and the State Library was created shortly after statehood.  The library=s primary mission is serving the government=s information needs.

The major functions of the library are:

$providing reference and research support to the Legislature and state government agencies;

$serving as a central depository for current and retrospective collections of state and federal documents, newspapers, and state historical information;

$supporting the establishment, development, and coordination of local library service statewide;

$providing library services to residents and staff of correctional institutions, psychiatric hospitals, and institutions for the developmentally disabled; and

$providing online access to state and local government information.

Legislation enacted in 2000 directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to study the mission, programs, and usage of the State Library.  The WSIPP found that the library=s mission is sound, but that the ways in which information is delivered to the Legislature and state agencies needed to change significantly.  The WSIPP made the following recommendations:

$Accelerate the move from print to online content by joining a larger purchasing unit with the publicly funded academic libraries.

$Focus the library=s activities more sharply than they are today.  Implementing a limited market system by instituting fees for service would help clarify the relative value of services for users.

$Implement a more aggressive book ?weeding@ campaign.

$Reduce the physical presence of the library on the capitol campus and develop more appropriate space for technical and service functions elsewhere.

Summary of Bill:

The State Library, the State Library Commission and their respective duties are abolished.

A state library is established within the Office of the Secretary of State.  

The state librarian is identified as the chief executive officer and must manage and administer the following state library functions:

$acquiring library materials, equipment, and supplies, and assisting the Legislature, state agencies and other libraries in the cost-effective purchase of information resources;

$providing advisory services to state agencies regarding information needs, and collecting and distributing copies of state publications;

$promoting and facilitating electronic access to public information and services;

$serving as an interlibrary loan, information, reference, and referral resource for all libraries in the state, and as the depository for newspapers published in the state;

$maintaining a library to effectively provide library and information services to the Legislature, state officials and state employees;

$providing for library and information services to persons throughout the state who are blind or physically handicapped, and to residents and staff of state-supported residential institutions; and

$entering into agreements to implement the mission, goals, and objectives of the library, employing and terminating personnel, and providing for the sale of library material.

Summary of Proposed Substitute Bill:

The primary difference between the original bill and the proposed substitute is that the governance, including rule making authority, and all employees of the State Library and the State Library Commission are transferred to the Office of the Secretary of State.  The state librarian is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the Secretary of State. 

The Office of the Secretary of State will receive all corresponding assets, tangible property, records, files, documents and reports in the possession of the State Library and State Library Commission, and all rules and pending business before the State Library and State Library Commission will be continued by the Office of the Secretary of State.

All existing contracts and obligations will remain in full force and will be performed by the Office of the Secretary of State.  Any appropriations made to the State Library and State Library Commission will be transferred and credited to the Office of the Secretary of State and will take place on July 1, 2002.

Additional duties are assigned to the state librarian, including establishing content-related standards for state agency produced information; assisting in establishing and developing library services; conducting studies and surveys to improve access to library services throughout the state; and accepting and expending grants. 

Technical changes are made to references to the State Library Commission.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect on July 1, 2002.