FAQs about Maine Library Commission proposed rule regarding the Maine Regional Library System.

Getting Started

Please read through the entire proposed rule carefully. The Library Commission has worked through several iterations of this proposed rule, and it is important to be familiar with the proposed rule that the Commission formally approved during its September 14, 2026 meeting. Previous iterations will not provide accurate information which has led to confusion among interested parties.

View current version of proposed rule under consideration

For any questions below that are directly related to one or more sections in the proposed rule, the relevant sections are included at the end of that question to provide additional context to the question and answer. Please reference those sections accordingly.

Sources for Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my library be impacted by the proposed minimum standards of service for public libraries?

While this is the number one question on everyone’s mind, the answer is not straightforward. Each library will have to assess:

  • Which standards they may already satisfy;
  • Which are the “low-hanging fruit;”
  • Which will take some planning and maybe require rethinking some practices; and
  • Which might feel out of reach.

Some of the standards align with data that is collected in the Annual Report every year. Information about whether a library meets standards 4(C)(2), 4(D)(1), 4(D)(3), 4(D)(4), 4(D)(5), and 4(D)(6) can be found for every library that submits an Annual Report. Please also see the Impact Assessment which uses the FY2025 Annual Report data to identify libraries that do not meet one or more of the above-mentioned proposed standards that align with collected data.

The rule states that it is up to the library to self-certify compliance with the standards as part of the Annual Report.

When do the standards go into effect? [Section 6(1-5)]

Section 6 provides details about the implementation of the rule. Once a final rule is approved by the Commission and approved by the Attorney General’s Office as to form and legality, it is filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Five days after filing, the rule goes into effect with three exceptions:

  1. The requirement to have a publicly available strategic plan must be achieved within 1 year of the effective date. [4.4(C)(1)]
  2. The requirement to have a designated paid director must be achieved within 2 years of the effective date. [4.4(C)(2)]
  3. The requirement to be staffed and open to the public for an average of 12 hours per week year-round must be achieved within 2 years of the effective date. [4.4(D)(3)]

What happens if my library does not meet some of the standards? [Section 7(1-4), Section 8(1-4)]

If your library does not meet one or more of the standards once the rule goes into effect, there is time built into the rule and a process in place to help your library come into compliance. Once a library has been notified by the Commission that it is not meeting a standard, the library will need to put together a plan that provides details on how it plans to meet the standards, including a timeline. Once the plan is approved by the Commission, the library will need to stay in regular communication with the Commission so that it is clear that progress is being made on its plan to come into compliance.

While it is up to the library to come into compliance, it is important to remember there are multiple supports available to help! MSL’s consultants are a good first stop to talk through possible pathways to come into compliance. If you don’t already know the consultant for your region you can find that info here. Another good resource is your Maine Library Advisory Council (MLAC) representative which is also listed on that webpage.

What is the definition of a paid director? [Section 4(4)(C)(2)]

The Maine Library Commission understands the term “paid” to mean that an individual is compensated for their work but does not have the expertise or authority to further explain the legal requirements for what can constitute payment for a governmental or non-profit employee. To understand more about how a library can pay an employee your best course of action is to contact the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards for guidance in determining how your library can best meet this requirement at (207) 623-7900.

My library is open more hours in the summer than it is in the winter? How do I know if it meets the requirement to be open to the public an average of 12 hours per week year-round? [Section 4.4(D)(3)]

The key to this standard is that the library must be open an average of 12 hours each week for the full year (52 weeks). This does not mean that it must be open 12 hours every single week. Nor does it mean that it must be open all 52 weeks of the year. This is in recognition that there are many libraries that have different winter and summer hours as well as libraries that may close for a week or two during the year. A library must be open a total of at least 624 hours annually to meet this standard.

For example, a library that is open 8 hours per week for 26 weeks and 16 hours per week the other 26 weeks would meet the standard of an average of 12 hours per week year-round.

Will my library lose its internet connection when the rule goes into effect? [Section 4.2(A); 4.3(A); Section 6; Section 7; Section 8]

This question has several influencing factors.

To be clear, the requirement to meet the proposed standards only affects the internet connection public libraries receive through the Maine School and Library Network. The proposed rule does not preclude public libraries from seeking E-Rate support for internet and associated services on their own if they are members of the Maine Regional Library System. Eligibility for the E-Rate program is determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), not the Maine Library Commission. The one connection between the FCC’s requirements and the Library Commission’s requirements is that a public library must be a member of the Maine Regional Library System. This is because the FCC requires that a library be eligible to receive grants from the state library through its Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding. As long as a library is a member of the Maine Regional Library System and agrees to abide by any grant requirements (e.g., submitting a final report), it is eligible to receive LSTA grants from MSL. Therefore, a library would be eligible to apply for E-Rate funding on its own.

For libraries that wish to participate in the Maine School and Library Network, it is important to understand when the standards go into effect.

While some of the standards go into effect immediately, there are three which do not. Specifically, libraries have one year from the effective date of the rule to have a strategic plan in place, two years to have a paid director that is not also a member of the library’s governing board, and two years to be staffed and open to the public for an average of 12 hours per week year-round.

If a library is not in compliance with one or more of the standards, the library may request a 6-month extension from the Commission to come into compliance. It may be granted additional 6-month extensions. In addition to those built-in timelines, the library may request a 6-month extension which may be extended upon approval by the Commission.

In addition to delaying the effective date for these three standards and providing 6-month extension options to come into compliance, if after self-certifying at the time of the Annual Report, that it does not meet one or more of the standards, the library can provide a plan and timeline to the Commission for coming into compliance, including assistance and resources needed to be successful with that plan.

The bottom line is that no library will lose its internet connection on the day the rule goes into effect and there are numerous opportunities and support available for libraries to work towards meeting standards where they fall short.