§ 13-2-407 - Joint city-county and regional public library systems. - Arkansas Statutes

13-2-407. Joint city-county and regional public library systems.

(a) (1) Any county library board, with the consent of its county quorum court, the board of trustees of any municipal public library, any group of municipal public libraries, and any combination of counties and cities may contract with each other or among themselves to create, maintain, and support a joint city-county public library system or regional public library system or may enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement among themselves to coordinate public library services among the different jurisdictions.

(2) Such a contract, interlocal agreement, or other arrangement shall contain terms, agreements, and conditions as may be agreed upon by the county library board, the county quorum court, and the board of trustees of the several municipalities with the final approval of the governing body of the cities.

(3) The expenses of the regional public library system or the cooperating libraries shall be apportioned between or among the entities concerned on such a basis as shall be agreed upon in the ordinance, contract, arrangement, or interlocal agreement.

(4) The library system headquarters building shall be located at a place in one (1) of the counties to be agreed upon by the quorum courts of the various counties in the regional public library or with a cooperating library system.

(b) Any county library board may contract with an entity to provide library services at any location.

(c) Any joint city-county public library system or regional public library system may extend the privilege and use of the library and library services to persons residing outside the several jurisdictions of the library system upon the terms and conditions as the several library boards may prescribe by regulations or policy.

(d) (1) If not provided for by the library system or by one (1) of the participating jurisdictions of the library system, all eligible employees of a joint city-county library or a regional public library system shall be entitled to the comparable retirement and fringe benefit coverage as are other county employees in the headquarters county.

(2) Costs for these benefits shall be apportioned among the participating jurisdictions of the joint city-county library or a regional public library system.