(2) The State Library Board shall distribute 80 percent of the funds specifically appropriated by the Legislative Assembly on a per child basis for public library services in the following manner to ensure the same population is not counted more than once:

(a) There shall be paid to each consolidated county library that is the primary provider of public library services to all persons in a county, or to each library district that is the primary provider of public library services in a county, a per capita amount for each child residing in the county.

(b) Where public library services are provided by a public library for which the governing authority has jurisdiction in more than one county, there shall be paid to that library a per capita amount for each child residing therein.

(c) Where public library services are not provided as described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, but by a library of which the governing authority is the primary provider of public library services to a jurisdiction less than county wide, there shall be paid to the library a per capita amount for children residing therein. In addition, a public library having a valid contract with a unit of local government to provide library services to a population beyond its governing authority’s jurisdiction shall be paid a per capita amount for the population of children served if specified in the contract. The number of children residing within a jurisdiction that is less than a county shall be estimated using the percentage of children in the total population of the county.

(d) Where public library services are not provided as described in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection, but are provided by a county or district library that has a valid contract with one or more libraries to provide persons in their jurisdiction with library services, there shall be paid to the county or district library a per capita amount for each child residing therein, exclusive of the populations served by libraries eligible for grants under paragraph (c) of this subsection.

(3) The State Library Board shall distribute 20 percent of the funds specifically appropriated by the Legislative Assembly for public library services on an area basis.

(4) The State Library Board may not make a grant that is less than $1,000 to a qualifying public library for public library services for children. [1979 c.835 §2; 1985 c.257 §2; 1987 c.92 §5; 1991 c.602 §2; 1993 c.20 §3; 2007 c.191 §2; 2015 c.328 §28]