1958                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND [Ch. 579

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1974.

Approved April 30, 1974.

CHAPTER 580
(House Bill 1718)
AN ACT concerning

Public Libraries — Regional Centers

FOR the purpose of allowing certain public library
systems the option of remaining in a regional system
or participating in the metropolitan cooperative
services program, and provisions generally relating
to that option.

BY repealing and re—enacting, with amendments.

Article 77 — Public Education

Section 169 (a) (1)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1969 Replacement Volume and 1973 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 169(a) (1) of Article 77 - Public
Education, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969
Replacement Volume and 1973 Supplement) be and it is
hereby repealed and re—enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

Article 77 — Public Education
169.

(a) (1) Any three or more public library systems
outside the standard metropolitan statistical areas as
defined by the United States Bureau of the Census, acting
through their several boards of library trustees, may
request the State Department of Education to establish
and maintain a regional resource center for the purpose
of providing through mutual cooperation and coordination
books, information, and other material and service
resources which an individual library could not
adequately provide by itself. HOWEVER, IF A PUBLIC
LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS IN A REGION PRIOR TO JULY 1, 1971 AND
HAS SINCE BEEN DECLARED TO BE IN A STANDARD METROPOLITAN