§ 16-23-102 - County law library boards. - Arkansas Statutes

16-23-102. County law library boards.

(a) (1) A county law library established pursuant to this chapter shall be under the control of a county law library board of not less than three (3) nor more than five (5) persons, who shall be practicing attorneys residing in the county and who shall be appointed by the county court from attorneys nominated by the county bar association or, in counties where there is no county bar association, by a regional bar association which includes that county.

(2) In any county in which there are fewer than three (3) practicing attorneys, the board shall be composed of not less than three (3) nor more than five (5) persons, including the practicing attorney or attorneys in the county together with one (1) or more additional persons who are legal residents and qualified electors of the county, appointed by the county court.

(b) Members of the board shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years, but the initial appointments shall be so arranged that the terms of each member initially appointed expire in succeeding years.

(c) (1) The board shall have charge of the operation and maintenance of the county law library and the custody and care of its property. It shall direct the expenditure of funds derived for law library purposes under this chapter, and any other funds received by the county, or the board, for the use of the law library.

(2) Any excess funds in the county law library book fund not needed for the operation and maintenance of the county law library may be expended by the board for any other purpose necessary for improvement in the administration of justice in the county.

(d) (1) The board, subject to approval of the county court, is authorized, in implementation of the purposes of this chapter, to enter into agreements with any person, including other public bodies, in this state pertaining to the operation and maintenance of a county law library.

(2) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, agreements entered into pursuant to the provisions hereof may contain provisions:

(A) Making available to any institution of higher learning the county law library, and related facilities, and the books, volumes, treatises, pamphlets, and other educational materials located therein;

(B) Authorizing the institution to maintain, locate, and relocate in the county law library, select, replace, supervise the use of, buy, sell, lend, borrow, receive bequests and donations of, and otherwise deal in and contract concerning, such books, volumes, treatises, pamphlets, and other educational materials; and

(C) Providing for the operation, maintenance, and supervision of the county law library and related facilities for the benefit of the institution, the county, judges and attorneys, and the public.

(3) The agreements may make available to the institution all or a portion of the collections of the costs levied pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, for the purpose of performing the obligations of the institution thereunder.