
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC286b-6]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 
              SUBCHAPTER III--NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
 
                  Part D--National Library of Medicine
 
                     subpart 2--financial assistance
 
Sec. 286b-6. Grants and contracts for establishment of regional 
        medical libraries
        

(a) Existing public or private nonprofit medical libraries

    The Secretary, with the advice of the Board, shall make grants to 
and enter into contracts with existing public or private nonprofit 
medical libraries so as to enable each of them to serve as the regional 
medical library for the geographical area in which it is located.

(b) Uses for grants and contracts

    The uses for which grants and contracts under this section may be 
employed include the--
        (1) acquisition of books, journals, and other similar materials;
        (2) cataloging, binding, and other procedures for processing 
    library resource materials for use by those who are served by the 
    library;
        (3) acquisition of duplicating devices and other equipment to 
    facilitate the use of the resources of the library by those who are 
    served by it;
        (4) acquisition of mechanisms and employment of personnel for 
    the speedy transmission of materials from the regional library to 
    local libraries in the geographic area served by the regional 
    library; and
        (5) planning for services and activities under this section.

(c) Conditions

    (1) Grants and contracts under this section shall only be made to or 
entered into with medical libraries which agree--
        (A) to modify and increase their library resources, and to 
    supplement the resources of cooperating libraries in the region, so 
    as to be able to provide adequate supportive services to all 
    libraries in the region as well as to individual users of library 
    services; and
        (B) to provide free loan services to qualified users and make 
    available photoduplicated or facsimile copies of biomedical 
    materials which qualified requesters may retain.

    (2) The Secretary, in awarding grants and contracts under this 
section, shall give priority to medical libraries having the greatest 
potential of fulfilling the needs for regional medical libraries. In 
determining the priority to be assigned to any medical library, the 
Secretary shall consider--
        (A) the adequacy of the library (in terms of collections, 
    personnel, equipment, and other facilities) as a basis for a 
    regional medical library; and
        (B) the size and nature of the population to be served in the 
    region in which the library is located.

(d) Basic resources materials; limitation on grant or contract

    Grants and contracts under this section for basic resource materials 
to a library may not exceed--
        (1) 50 percent of the library's annual operating expense 
    (exclusive of Federal financial assistance under this part) for the 
    preceding year; or
        (2) in case of the first year in which the library receives a 
    grant under this section for basic resource materials, 50 percent of 
    its average annual operating expenses over the past three years (or 
    if it had been in operation for less than three years, its annual 
    operating expenses determined by the Secretary in accordance with 
    regulations).

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, Sec. 475, as added Pub. L. 99-158, 
Sec. 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 862.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 286, 286a-2, 286b-8 of this 
title.
