SUBCHAPTER 2. STATE LIBRARY AID
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.1 Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide per capita library aid to public libraries according to N.J.S.A. 18A:74-1 et seq.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.2 Governance
(a) Any municipal library which has been established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:54-1 et seq. or pursuant to any special Act shall provide for a library board of trustees in the manner and with the duties and powers specified in N.J.S.A. 40:54-1 et seq. or any special Act.
(b) Association libraries receiving local tax support under N.J.S.A. 40:54-35 shall be governed by a board of trustees and shall be incorporated as a non-profit corporation pursuant to N.J.S.A. 15A:1-1 et seq.
(c) Any joint library which has been established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:54-29.3 et seq. shall provide for a library board of trustees in the manner and with the duties and powers specified in N.J.S.A. 40:54-12, 40:54-29.10, 40:54-29.12 and 40:54-29.13.
(d) Any county library which has been established pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:33-1 et seq. shall provide for a county library commission in the manner and with the duties and powers specified in N.J.S.A. 40:33-7, 40:33-8, 40:33-8.1, 40:33-13.2a, 40:33-13.2b, 40:33-13.2d et seq., 40:33-13.2e.a, b and c, and 40:33-13.2f.
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Added statutory cites.
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
Added (d).
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.3 Certification
(a) In order to receive any State Library aid, all public libraries must annually certify that:
1. Each municipality or county that supports, in whole or in part, library service from municipal or county tax sources pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:33-1 et seq., or 40:54-1 et seq., complies fully with N.J.S.A. 40:33-1 et seq., or 40:54-1 et seq., except that municipal libraries currently funded below the minimum of 1/3 mill for operating expenditures as per N.J.S.A. 40:54-8 due to capital outlay expenditures, shall be exempt from meeting the 1/3 mill requirement for the purposes of State library aid until such time as the current debt is retired;
2. Each member of the board or commission has received a minimum of two total hours of library-related education annually; and
3. Libraries serving populations of 7,500 or above, the statute notwithstanding, will employ in all professional librarian positions counted for State Library Aid purposes librarians holding a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate as required in N.J.S.A. 45:8A-1 et seq.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.4 Employees
(a)All public libraries (municipal, joint, association and county) shall meet the following minimum requirements based on the population of the area from which the library receives tax support:
- Number of employees: All libraries shall employ a minimum of one full-time staff member as variously defined in this section. In addition, one full-time employee or the equivalent thereof in part-time paid employment for the initial 4,000 population and each succeeding 4,000 population shall be employed as set forth in Chart A below. Security, janitorial and custodial employees may be counted not to exceed 10 percent of total staff.
Chart A
Minimum Number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Employees
| Population Category | Number of Professional FTE [na] Required (based on 35 hour work week) | Number of all Other Staff FTE [nb] Required (based on 30 hour work week) | Total Number of Paid FTE [nc] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3,999 | 0 | 1 [nb] | 1 | |||
| 4,000-4,999 | 0 | 1 [nb] | 2 | |||
| 5,000-7,499 | 0 | 2 (at least one person must work a minimum of 30 hours per week) | 2 | |||
| 7,500-7,999 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 8,000-11,999 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| 12,000-15,999 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 16,000-19,999 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 20,000-23,999 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||
| 24,000-27,999 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |||
| 28,000-29,999 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
| 30,000-31,999 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||
| 32,000-35,999 | 3 | 6 | 9 | |||
| 36,000-39,999 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |||
| 40,000-43,999 | 4 | 7 | 11 | |||
| 44,000-47,999 | 4 | 8 | 12 | |||
| 48,000-49,999 | 4 | 9 | 13 | |||
| 50,000-51,999 | 5 | 8 | 13 | |||
| 52,000-55,999 | 5 | 9 | 14 [nd] | |||
| 56,000-59,999 | 5 | 10 | 15 | |||
| 60,000-63,999 | 5 | 11 | 16 | |||
| 64,000-67,999 | 5 | 12 | 17 | |||
| 68,000-69,999 | 5 | 13 | 18 | |||
| 70,000-71,999 | 6 | 13 | 19 | |||
| 72,000-73,999 | 6 | 13 | 19 | |||
| 74,000-75,999 | 6 | 14 | 20 | |||
| 76,000-77,999 | 6 | 14 | 20 | |||
| 78,000-79,999 | 6 | 15 | 21 | |||
| 80,000-81,999 | 6 | 15 | 21 | |||
| 82,000-83,999 | 6 | 16 | 22 | |||
| 84,000-85,999 | 6 | 16 | 22 | |||
| 86,000-89,999 | 6 | 17 | 23 | |||
| 90,000-93,999 | 7 | 17 | 24 | |||
| 94,000-97,999 | 7 | 18 | 25 | |||
| 98,000-101,999 | 7 | 19 | 26 | |||
| 102,000-109,999 | 7 [nc] | 20 [nf] | 27 |
[na] For municipalities of 7,500 population or more, one FTE is the director and must work a minimum of 35 hours per week.
[nb] For municipalities of under 5,000 population, one FTE must be filled by a person working at least 30 hours per week or two part time persons working a combined 30 hours per week with neither working less than 10 hours per week.
[nc] Professional FTE at 35 hours/week and all other staff FTE at 30 hours/week (security, janitorial and custodial employees may be counted not to exceed 10 percent of total staff).
[nd] Add one additional full time equivalent for each additional 4,000 population over 52,000.
[ne] 110,000 requires eight professionals, 130,000 and over requires nine professionals plus one additional full time equivalent professional for each additional 20,000 population.
[nf] To continue the increase of “number of all other staff FTE,” subtract the “number of professional staff FTE” from the “total number of paid FTE.”
i. Full-time means a minimum of 30 hours per week except that for municipalities of under 5,000 population, full-time may be defined as two part-time persons working a combined 30 hours per week. At no time shall either part-time employee work less than 10 hours per week.
i. N.J.S.A. 45:8A-3 notwithstanding, all libraries serving populations of 7,500 or more must employ as library director a full-time professional librarian who holds a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate. Libraries serving between 7,500 and 9,999 in population shall be exempt from meeting the requirement of a professional library director until such time as the incumbent director, employed at the time of the adoption of this revision, of said library is no longer employed by that library.
ii. The minimum full-time work week shall be 35 hours. The minimum work week shall apply to all libraries receiving aid under this section.
iii. Libraries serving 7,500 to 50,000 population must employ a minimum of one full-time professional librarian holding a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate or the full-time equivalent for each 10,000 population up to 50,000 and one additional full-time professional librarian or the full-time equivalent for each 20,000 population over 50,000 as set forth in Chart A above.
iv. Libraries serving a population over 50,000 must employ a minimum of one full-time professional librarian holding a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate or the full-time equivalent for each 20,000 population over 50,000 as set forth in Chart A above.
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1987 d.398, effective October 5, 1987.
See: 19 N.J.R. 1128(a), 19 N.J.R. 1796(a).
(a)2iii population changed from 10,000 to 20,000.
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Recodified from 1.4 and added new (a)1i.
Administrative Correction to (a)2iii: changed 129,000 to 129,999.
See: 22 N.J.R. 2359(a).
Amended by R.2000 d.145, effective April 3, 2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 174(a), 32 N.J.R. 1244(b).
Rewrote (a)2.
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
Rewrote the section.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.5 Library materials
(a) A minimum collection of 8,000 volumes or one volume per capita, whichever is greater, shall be available in all libraries established pursuant to the provisions at N.J.S.A. 40:54-1 et seq., 40:54-29.3 et seq., and 40:33-1 et seq.
(b) Each library shall provide the public free access to the Internet all hours the library is open.
(c) Those libraries that are in municipalities providing tax support for a county library may count the materials provided by the county library to the local library toward meeting the requirements at (a) above. The materials provided can be used to satisfy the requirements for minimum collection by the exact number provided by the county library in each category.
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Amended by R.2000 d.145, effective April 3, 2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 174(a), 32 N.J.R. 1244(b).
In (b), substituted references to non-print materials for references to audio-visual materials throughout; rewrote (c); inserted a new (d); and recodified former (d) as (e).
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2010 d.290, effective December 20, 2010.
See: 42 N.J.R. 1492(b), 42 N.J.R. 3069(b).
In (c), deleted “annually periodical holdings” preceding “indexes”; and in Chart B in (c), deleted the “Number of Paid Titles: Print, Microform or CD Based” column.
Amended by R.2025 d.135, effective November 3, 2025.
See: 57 N.J.R. 1666(a), 57 N.J.R. 2500(a).
Rewrote the section.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.6 Service
(a) The following concerns hours of service:
1. The following minimum hours of service are required as set forth in Chart C below.
Chart C
Population Served and Hours Open
| Population Served | Hours Open Per Week | Minimum Hours Open Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 0-7,499 | 30 | 1,500 |
| 7,500-9,999 | 35 | 1,750 |
| 10,000-24,999 | 45 | 2,250 |
| 25,000-49,999 | 50 | 2,500 |
| 50,000 and over | 60 | 3,000 |
2. Minimum hours open to the public must be scheduled to provide some service five days per week to include some evening and/or weekend hours every week.
3. Libraries serving communities of under 7,500 population must meet the minimum requirement of 30 hours per week.
(b) Libraries shall provide the minimum level of service set forth in this subsection. Libraries shall:
1. Offer interlibrary loan through current technology;
2. Provide children’s programming; and
3. Provide a library webpage with links to databases offered by the State or the library cooperative.
(c) Libraries shall provide knowledgeable service.
1. All public libraries must certify that all members of the staff who do not hold a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate and are counted to meet the minimum requirements at N.J.A.C. 15:21-2.4(a) have received, annually, a minimum of four hours of library-related education.
2. All public libraries must certify that each member of the staff who holds a New Jersey State Professional Librarian Certificate and are counted to meet the minimum requirements at N.J.A.C. 15:21-2.4(a) has received annually a minimum of six hours of library-related education.
3. All public libraries should be members of the library cooperative.
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Added State Librarian Authorization to make local hour variations.
Amended by R.2000 d.145, effective April 3, 2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 174(a), 32 N.J.R. 1244(b).
In (a), changed Population Served references; and in (c), substituted “7,500” for “10,000” following “under”.
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
Section was “Hours of service”. Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2018 d.175, effective October 1, 2018.
See: 49 N.J.R. 3808(a), 50 N.J.R. 2069(b).
In (a)2, rewrote the last sentence; in (b)3, substituted “webpage” for “Webpage”, and “or the” for “or regional”; and in (c)3, substituted “the” for “a regional”.
Amended by R.2025 d.135, effective November 3, 2025.
See: 57 N.J.R. 1666(a), 57 N.J.R. 2500(a).
Rewrote the section.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.7 Reduction of aid for failure to meet minimum requirements
(a) Failure to meet the requirements at N.J.A.C. 15:21-2.2 and 2.3 will result in the loss of all per capita State Aid (PCSA).
(b) Failure to meet the requirements specified at N.J.A.C. 15:21-2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 will result in the loss of PCSA by a percentage in proportion to the number of requirements not yet achieved, each requirement to have the following weights (not to exceed 100 percent):
i. Basic book collection: 25 percent.
ii. Public Internet access: 50 percent.
i. Hours of service: 25 percent.
ii. Extended Service: 25 percent.
iii. Knowledgeable Service: 25 percent.
Chart E
PCSA Percent Loss
| N.J.A.C. | Covers | Percent Loss |
|---|---|---|
| 15:21-2.3 | Library Director, | 100 |
| Trustees, Compliance | ||
| with applicable statutes | ||
| 15:21-2.4 | Employees | 25 |
| 15:21-2.5 | Materials — Basic book collection | 25 |
| Public Internet access | 50 | |
| 15:21-2.6 | Service — Hours | 25 |
| Service — Extended service | 25 | |
| Service — Knowledgeable service | 25 |
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Deleted (b).
Amended by R.1995 d.290, effective June 5, 1995.
See: 27 N.J.R. 620(a), 27 N.J.R. 2202(a).
Added (b).
Amended by R.2000 d.145, effective April 3, 2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 174(a), 32 N.J.R. 1244(b).
In (b)2, substituted “20 percent” for “30 percent” in ii, and added iv.
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
Rewrote (b).
Amended by R.2018 d.175, effective October 1, 2018.
See: 49 N.J.R. 3808(a), 50 N.J.R. 2069(b).
In (a), inserted “(PCSA)”; and in the introductory paragraph of (b), substituted “PCSA” for “per capita State Aid (PCSA)”.
Amended by R.2025 d.135, effective November 3, 2025.
See: 57 N.J.R. 1666(a), 57 N.J.R. 2500(a).
Rewrote the section.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.8 Use of per capita aid; decision by public library board of trustees or county library officials
(a) State Aid must be used for library purposes. Upon receipt of State Aid checks pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:74-3, municipal and county treasurers shall make these funds immediately available to public library trustees, county library commissioners, or the board of county commissioners. Decisions on the use and expenditures of per capita State Aid rest with the board of trustees of municipal, joint, and association libraries and with the county library commission of the county libraries, or the county board of county commissioners. The State Librarian may require a certified audit if he or she deems necessary.
(b) State Aid funds must be expended within two years of the date of receipt of the funds. If not expended, the board of trustees, the county library commission, or the board of county commissioners must submit to the State Librarian, a plan for the use of the unspent balances at least 60 days before the deadline for expenditure. Failure to submit such a plan, or disapproval of the plan by the State Librarian, shall result in the withholding of State Aid payments.
(c) In reviewing the plan, the State Librarian will give consideration to the following:
1. Priority for the use of balances for expenditures that enable the library to comply with the provisions of this chapter; and
2. Demonstration that expenditures contribute to the provision of efficient and effective library services, including capital needs and facilities.
HISTORY:
As amended, R.1978 d.121, effective April 7, 1978.
See: 10 N.J.R. 95(a), 10 N.J.R. 183(b).
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Board of Chosen Freeholders added and 60 days before deadline for expenditure in (b) added.
Amended by R.2005 d.226, effective July 18, 2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 723(a), 37 N.J.R. 2697(b).
In (a), added the first sentence .
Amended by R.2018 d.175, effective October 1, 2018.
See: 49 N.J.R. 3808(a), 50 N.J.R. 2069(b).
In (a), rewrote the second sentence; and inserted a comma following “joint”.
Amended by R.2025 d.135, effective November 3, 2025.
See: 57 N.J.R. 1666(a), 57 N.J.R. 2500(a).
Rewrote the section.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.9 Application of special census
An application for the use of a special census for the receipt of aid pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:74-3 shall be submitted in writing to the State Librarian for transmittal to the State Treasurer on or before October 15 of the year preceding that in which the special census would be used as a basis for the payment of per capita State Aid. The application must include the new census figure to be used and written verification from the United States Bureau of the Census.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.10 (Reserved)
HISTORY:
Amended by R.1990 d.179, effective March 19, 1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3822(a), 22 N.J.R. 921(c).
Deleted “extensive renovations”; added “structural changes”.
Repeal by R.2025 d.135, effective November 3, 2025.
See: 57 N.J.R. 1666(a), 57 N.J.R. 2500(a).
Section was “Library buildings; submission of program”
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.11 Revision of criteria
The State Librarian shall review all State Library Aid rules every seven years and recommend appropriate revisions to the Secretary of State to ensure that libraries throughout the State develop appropriate library service.
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.12 State Library Aid application
(a)An application form is available at the following address:
New Jersey State Library
Per Capita State Aid
185 West State Street
PO Box 520
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0520
or by email:
N.J.A.C.
15:21-2.13 (Reserved)
N.J.A.C.
Subchapters 3 through 11. (Reserved)
Last Updated: March 20, 2026.