---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 9122"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "9122"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/9122"
units:
  - "Chapter 72 — Museum and Library Services"
  - "Subchapter II — Library Services and Technology"
---

# §9122. Definitions


As used in this subchapter:

- (1) **Library—** The term “library” includes—
  - (A) a public [library](#1);
  - (B) a public elementary school or secondary school [library](#1);
  - (C) a tribal [library](#1);
  - (D) an academic [library](#1);
  - (E) a research [library](#1), which for the purposes of this subchapter means a [library](#1) that—
    - (i) makes publicly available [library](#1) services and materials suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available to the public; and
    - (ii) is not an integral part of an institution of higher education; and
  - (F) a private [library](#1) or other special [library](#1), but only if the [State](#3) in which such private or special [library](#1) is located determines that the [library](#1) should be considered a [library](#1) for purposes of this subchapter.
- (2) **Library consortium—** The term “library consortium” means any local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of [library](#1) entities which provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of school, public, academic, and special [libraries](#1) and information centers, for improved services for the clientele of such [library](#1) entities.
- (3) **State—** The term “State”, unless otherwise specified, includes each of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
- (4) **State library administrative agency—** The term “State library administrative agency” means the official agency of a [State](#3) charged by the law of the [State](#3) with the extension and development of public [library](#1) services throughout the [State](#3).
- (5) **State plan—** The term “State plan” means the document which gives assurances that the officially designated [State library administrative agency](#4) has the fiscal and legal authority and capability to administer all aspects of this subchapter, provides assurances for establishing the [State](#3)’s policies, priorities, criteria, and procedures necessary to the implementation of all programs under this subchapter, submits copies for approval as required by regulations promulgated by the [Director](/usc/20/9101.md?p=3), identifies a [State](#3)’s [library](#1) needs, and sets forth the activities to be taken toward meeting the identified needs supported with the assistance of Federal funds made available under this subchapter.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 213, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(e) [title VII, § 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009–296; amended Pub. L. 105–128, § 3, Dec. 1, 1997, 111 Stat. 2548; Pub. L. 108–81, title II, § 202, Sept. 25, 2003, 117 Stat. 997; Pub. L. 115–410, § 8, Dec. 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 5416.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Par. (1)(C) to (F). Pub. L. 115–410 added subpar. (C) and redesignated former subpars. (C) to (E) as (D) to (F), respectively.

2003—Pars. (1) to (6). Pub. L. 108–81 redesignated pars. (2) to (6) as (1) to (5), respectively, and struck out heading and text of former par. (1). Text read as follows: “The term ‘Indian tribe’ means any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska native village, regional corporation, or village corporation, as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), which is recognized by the Secretary of the Interior as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.”

1997—Par. (2)(E). Pub. L. 105–128 inserted “or other special library” after “a private library” and “or special” after “such private”.