(a) Appointment of State Librarian.--The department shall appoint a suitably qualified State Librarian to exercise the powers and duties set forth in this section, who shall also serve as Deputy Secretary for Libraries.
(b) Powers and duties.--The State Librarian shall have the power and duty to:
(1) Control, direct, supervise and manage the State Library as an agency providing information and fostering continuing education in the State education program.
(2) Maintain a law library as part of the State Library.
(3) Maintain a definitive, organized collection of all Commonwealth publications in the State Library, receive copies of all publications of all agencies of the Commonwealth and provide for the distribution of those publications to other libraries.
(4) Designate selected academic or local libraries within this Commonwealth as State government document depository libraries under criteria and regulations approved by:
(i) The advisory council.
(ii) The Joint Committee on Documents, in the case of documents published under the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth Documents Law.
(5) Coordinate a Statewide system of local libraries.
(6) Establish service standards for local libraries applying for aid under sections 9334 (relating to quality libraries aid) and 9335 (relating to incentive for excellence aid), which standards shall recognize and encourage the use and development of current and emerging technologies and concern the following:
(i) Minimum standards for number and quality of library staff.
(ii) Resources of books and other materials.
(iii) Hours of operation.
(iv) Continuing professional development.
(v) Collections expenditures.
(vi) Physical facilities.
(vii) Accessibility, including physical and electronic access to library materials.
(7) Advise local libraries, district library centers, Statewide library resource centers, municipalities and groups regarding:
(i) The selection of books, cataloging and other details of library management.
(ii) The location of new local libraries.
(iii) Those items listed in paragraph (6).
(iv) The best means of establishing and administering a library.
(8) Inspect local libraries, district library centers and Statewide library resource centers and require reports in any manner that the State Librarian deems proper.
(9) Purchase and maintain a general collection of books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, slides, films and other library materials for the use of State and local governments, libraries and the public generally.
(10) Make available all library materials of the State Library for circulation to local libraries and the public generally under rules and regulations promulgated by the State Librarian.
(11) Promote and demonstrate library services throughout this Commonwealth.
(12) Collect, preserve and publish library statistics.
(13) Study library problems throughout this Commonwealth and make the resultant findings available to all libraries within the State that request the findings.
(14) Conduct and arrange training programs for and certify library personnel.
(15) Whenever necessary, for the purpose of administering the library laws of this Commonwealth, act as arbiter in defining the direct service area of any library.
(16) Receive funds allocated to the Commonwealth for library purposes by the Federal Government or private agencies and administer those funds in library maintenance, improvement or extension programs consistent with Federal and State library objectives.
(17) Promote and support cooperation among the various types of libraries in Pennsylvania for the purpose of increasing the services and resources available through libraries.
(18) Subject to approval by the advisory council, promulgate rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying out the library powers and duties that are imposed by law.
(c) Restrictions on circulation.--The State Librarian may restrict the circulation of library materials from the State Library that are rare or used intensively in the State Library for reference or other purposes.