(a) Allocation.--For eligible fiscal years up to and through the 1998-1999 fiscal year, 25% of the Commonwealth's total annual appropriation for the system of State aid established under section 9333 (relating to State system of aid to libraries), or a minimum of 25¢ per capita for each person residing in the municipalities of the libraries which qualify for basic aid, shall be allocated as basic aid.

(b) Minimum financial effort.--

(1) Any local library which makes a minimum financial effort equal to one-half mill, for the municipalities on behalf of which it applies for aid, or $2 per capita for each person residing in those municipalities, whichever is less, and achieves the basic standards, shall qualify for basic State aid. The aid shall not be less than 25¢ for each person residing in the municipalities.

(2) If the allocation for basic aid exceeds the amount necessary to pay the minimum rate, the entire allocation shall be distributed at a per capita rate which shall be determined by dividing the allocation by the number of persons in this Commonwealth on behalf of which local libraries and library systems apply and qualify for basic aid. In the first year in which a library applies for State aid, it shall qualify by making a minimum financial effort equal to one-quarter mill, or $1 per capita for each person residing in the municipalities, whichever is less.

(c) Qualification.--

(1) In each of the succeeding five years, the library shall qualify for maximum State aid only when it increases its financial effort by the following scale of percentages of the difference between the financial effort with which the library initially qualified for State aid and a financial effort equal to one-half mill, or $2 per capita for each person residing in the municipalities for which it applies for aid, whichever is less:

1st succeeding year-20%;

2nd succeeding year-40%;

3rd succeeding year-60%;

4th succeeding year-80%; and

5th succeeding year-100%.

(2) If the increase in any year is less than the percentage specified under paragraph (1), the amount of State aid shall be reduced by a percentage equal to one-fifth of the percentage which the difference between the required increase and the actual increase bears to the required increase multiplied by the number of years of participation in State aid beyond the first year.

(d) Ineligibility.--After the fifth succeeding year, a local library shall not be eligible for further State aid unless it makes a financial effort equal to one-half mill for the municipalities on behalf of which it applies for aid, or $2 per capita for each person residing in those municipalities, whichever is less.