2958 ARTICLE 77

make and administer plans for carrying out the purposes of said Title
insofar as the same may be applicable to the State of Maryland. Said
commission is hereby authorized and directed to make any and all appoint-
ments of personnel on the basis of merit and efficiency and without regard
to political considerations, under the provisions of the State Merit Sys-
tem Law, provided, that this provision shall not apply to the members of
the Maryland Public Library Advisory Commission, but only to employees
thereof. The State Treasurer is hereby designated as the recipient of and
trustee for funds apportioned to this State by the Federal Government
under the provisions of said Title. The State Auditor shall provide an ade-
quate system of auditing the accounts of the said commission and shall
audit the expenditure of funds received through the provisions of said
Title and apportioned to libraries and library services. The said commis-
sion is further authorized and directed to devise and put into operation
an adequate system of reports from libraries and library services, to said
commission relative to the use of the funds so apportioned. The said com-
mission shall make such reports to the United States Commissioner of
Education with respect to the expenditure of funds received through said
Title and the progress of library service in such form and containing such
information as the said commissioner may require. Said commission shall
prepare and file with the United States Commissioner of Education a plan
for apportioning or distributing the funds in such manner as will effectively
lessen inequalities of opportunity for library service; such plan to provide
for maintenance of a cooperative and integrated system of library service
throughout the State, for suitable cooperative arrangements with school
systems, cooperative agricultural extension services and other appropriate
agencies, and if separate library services are maintained in this State for
separate races, for an equitable apportionment of such funds for library
services for separate races. Upon the passage of this Act said commission
is authorized and directed to transmit to the United States Commissioner
of Education official notice of acceptance of said Title by the State of Mary-
land, together with certified copies of this Act. Said commission is hereby
authorized and directed to take such further steps as may be necessary to
qualify Maryland as an accepting State under the provisions of Title III
aforesaid.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 171. 1912, sec. 103. 1904, secs. 113 and 114. 1902, ch. 247, secs. 4 and 5.

1910, ch. 505, sec. 98 (p. 222).

166. Said commission shall organize and conduct traveling libraries
throughout the State, shall formulate such reasonable regulations for the
use and care of the books of such traveling libraries as they may deem
proper; and shall from time to time send out and distribute such books
throughout the State, and at suitable intervals change such distributions
so as to secure the greatest advantage.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 173. 1912, sec. 105. 1910, ch. 505, sec. 100 (p. 222).

167. Said commission, upon application of the library directors of a
county, municipality or election district which has complied with the pro-
visions of this law relative to the establishment of such library may expend
not more than one hundred dollars for books, to be selected and purchased
by said commission and delivered to said directors for the purpose of
establishing a free public library.