Sec. 1. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.

2001-02

MAINE STATE LIBRARY

Statewide Library Information

System

All Other $750,000

Provides funds to negotiate and purchase licenses for the publication of copyrighted materials and periodicals to create a statewide database for use by state, school, public and academic libraries in the State. The licensing agreement must include, subject to the availability of funds, a full text reference collection, full text newspapers, full text consumer health information and full text periodical databases for both general research and business research.

SUMMARY

This bill appropriates funding for the Maine State Library to on-line reference materials in order to provide less costly and more equitable access to organized, reliable, valid and age- appropriate information for all Maine citizens from school, home or library. Statewide licensing of these materials will give citizens across the State equal access to an expansive collection of data and knowledge; provide businesses and entrepreneurs access to current information; and give educators and students at all levels the most up-to-date teaching and learning tools and resources. This legislation will allow local libraries and schools to offer reference material and periodicals without the burden of paying expensive licensing fees charged by information providers.