2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 24 - Government - State
Libraries
Article 90 - Libraries
Part 1 - Library Law
§ 24-90-103. Definitions

As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Academic library" means a library established and maintained by a state-supported institution of higher education primarily for the use of its students and faculty.

(2) "County library" means a public library established and maintained by a county.

(3) "Governmental unit" means any county, city, city and county, town, or school district of the state of Colorado.

(3.5) "Institutional library" means a library, with the exception of a law library, contained within a correctional, residential, or mental health facility operated by the state.

(4) "Joint library" means a library established and jointly funded through an agreement by two or more governmental units or by one or more governmental units and an institution of higher education providing at least two of the following types of library services: Academic, public, or school.

(4.5) "Legal service area" means the geographic area for which a public library has been established to offer services and from which, or on behalf of which, the library derives income. A "legal service area" shall be defined in terms of geographic units for which official population estimates can be obtained or derived annually from the Colorado state data center. Legal service area population estimates shall be collected and reported according to guidelines developed by the state library. "Legal service area" includes any areas served under contract for which the library is the primary provider of library services and for which the library receives funds to serve.

(5) "Legislative body" means the body authorized to determine the amount of taxes to be levied in a governmental unit or in a library district or that undertakes other action on behalf of the governmental unit or library district as specified in this article. Governing bodies to which the term legislative body may apply include but are not limited to a board of county commissioners, a city council, a town board of trustees, or a library board of trustees as the context requires.

(5.5) "Library" means an entity that provides:

(a) An organized collection of printed or other resources or a combination of such resources;

(b) Paid staff;

(c) An established schedule in which services of the staff are available to its clientele; and

(d) The facilities necessary to support such collection, staff, and schedule.

(6) "Library district" means a public library established as its own taxing authority by one or more governmental units or parts thereof. A library district shall be a political subdivision of the state.

(7) "Library network" means libraries or other organizations cooperatively interconnected by communication links or channels which can be used for the exchange or transfer of materials and information.

(8) and (9) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2003, p. 2442, § 1, effective August 15, 2003.)

(9.5) "Metropolitan area" means a geographical area designated as a metropolitan area by the office of management and budget of the United States government.

(10) "Municipality" means any city or any town operating under general or special laws of the state of Colorado or any home rule city or town, the charter or ordinances of which contain no provisions inconsistent with the provisions of this part 1.

(11) "Municipal library" means a public library established and maintained by a municipality.

(12) "Notice" means publication, once a week for two consecutive weeks, in one newspaper of general circulation in the library service area or proposed library service area or by more than one such newspaper if no single newspaper is generally circulated throughout said area. Not less than seven days, excluding the day of the first publication but including the day of the last publication, shall intervene between the first and last publications.

(13) (a) "Public library" means an administrative entity that is:

(I) Operated and maintained for the free use of the public residing within its legal service area;

(II) Operated and maintained in whole or in part with money derived from local taxation; and

(III) Open to the public a minimum number of hours per week in accordance with rules established by the state library.

(b) An administrative entity may provide public library services through a single public outlet or any combination of any of the following types of outlets: A central or main library, branch libraries, or bookmobiles.

(13.5) "Public library services" means services customarily provided by a public library.

(14) "Publicly supported library" means a library supported principally with money derived from taxation. Publicly supported libraries shall include all public libraries and may include academic libraries, school libraries, and special libraries.

(15) "Registered elector" or "elector" means a person who is registered to vote at general elections in this state.

(15.5) "Regional library authority" means a separate governmental entity created by an agreement entered into by any two or more governmental units for the purpose of providing and funding public library services to the residents of the governmental units that are parties to the agreement.

(16) "Regional library service system" means an organization of publicly supported member libraries, established to provide, develop, and coordinate cooperative interlibrary services within a designated geographical area, that is governed by an independent board.

(17) "Resource center" means a library designated through contractual arrangements with the state library to provide specialized, statewide library services.

(18) "School library" means a library established and maintained by a school district for the use of its students and staff as well as for the general public under such regulations as the board of education of the school district may prescribe.

(19) "Special library" means a library established and maintained primarily for the use of a specialized population, including libraries operated by an Indian tribe having a reservation in this state; except that, where the specialized population that is an Indian tribe having a reservation in this state requests classification of a library established and maintained for its use as a public library and the library satisfies the definition of a public library as specified in subsection (13) of this section, the library shall be treated as a public library for purposes of this article.

(20) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2003, p. 2442, § 1, effective August 15, 2003.)

(21) "State library" means the state library created pursuant to section 24-90-104.