Waiver refers to a waiver of the Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR). The ability to grant waivers of this requirement is given to the Board of Library Commissioners in statute and reiterated or changed in budget language each year. The process for waivers is outlined in Board administrative policy.
Accommodation refers to the lessening of the minimum standards of hours open and materials expenditure to either 80% or 90% levels. Because there are no waivers of these minimum standards, a library is ineligible for state aid if the library performance falls below the 80% level for either standard. The details of accommodation are contained in Board administrative policy.
Because the State Aid to Public Libraries program is an integrated program, the minimum standards of hours open and materials expenditures work in concert with the Municipal Appropriation Requirement. Thus, a library must maintain hours open and materials expenditures above the 80% level in order to be eligible to apply for State Aid to Public Libraries and a waiver of the MAR.
If accommodation is used, the municipality and its library receive a reduced state aid award (see the policy). If a municipality and its library apply for and receive a waiver of the MAR, the state aid award is not affected. A municipality and its library are certified in the State Aid to Public Libraries program if they receive a waiver of the MAR.
This post was written by dcarty on February 9, 2010
Posted under Hours Open Requirement, MAR Waivers, Materials Expenditure Requirement, Municipal Appropriation Requirement, State Aid to Public Libraries
