SECTIONS 19640-19664 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 19640-19664

19640. The board of library trustees shall meet at least once a
month, at such time and place as it may fix by resolution.

19641. Special meetings may be called at any time by three
trustees, by written notices served upon each member at least 12
hours before the time specified for the meeting.

19642. Three members constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business.

19643. At its first meeting held after the general district
election the board shall organize by electing one of its number
president, and another one of its number secretary. They shall serve
as such for one year or until their successors are elected and
qualified.

19644. The board shall cause a proper record of its proceedings to
be kept, and at the first meeting of the board of trustees, it shall
immediately cause to be made out and filed with the State Librarian a
certificate showing that the library has been established, with the
date thereof, the names of the trustees, and the officers of the
board chosen for the current fiscal year.

19645. The board of library trustees shall make and enforce all
rules, regulations, and bylaws necessary for the administration,
government, and protection of the library under its management, and
all property belonging to it.

19646. The board of library trustees shall administer any trust
declared or created for the library, and receive by gift, devise, or
bequest, and hold in trust or otherwise, property situated in this
state or elsewhere, and where not otherwise provided, dispose of the
property for the benefit of the library.

19647. The board of library trustees shall prescribe the duties and
powers of the librarian, secretary, and other officers and employees
of the library, determine the number of and appoint all officers and
employees, and fix their compensation. The officers and employees
shall hold their offices and positions at the pleasure of the board.

19648. The board of library trustees shall purchase necessary
books, journals, publications, and other personal property.

19649. The board of library trustees shall also purchase such real
property, and erect or rent and equip, such building or rooms, as in
its judgment is necessary to properly carry out the provisions of
this chapter.

19650. The board of library trustees may request the appropriate
state officials to furnish the library with copies of any and all
reports, laws, and other publications of the state not otherwise
disposed of by law.

19651. The board of library trustees shall borrow books from, lend
books to, and exchange books with other libraries. It shall allow
nonresidents to borrow books upon such conditions as it may
prescribe.

19652. The board of library trustees shall do and perform any and
all other acts and things necessary or proper to carry out the
provisions of this chapter.

19653. The board of library trustees shall file, through the
librarian, on or before the last day in the month of August of each
year, a report with the State Librarian at Sacramento giving the
condition of the library and the number of volumes contained therein
on the 30th day of June preceding. The report shall, in addition to
other matters deemed expedient by the board of trustees or the
librarian, contain such statistical and other information as is
deemed desirable by the State Librarian. For this purpose the State
Librarian may send to the several district librarians instructions or
question blanks so as to obtain the material for a comparative study
of library conditions in the state.

19654. The board of library trustees shall designate the hours
during which the library is open for the use of the public. All
public libraries established under this chapter shall be open for the
use of the public during every day in the year except on such legal
holidays as may be determined by the board of library trustees.

19655. In any library district formed under the provisions of this
chapter, which maintains a public library, or which has petitioned
for and been granted permission to establish, and intends to maintain
a public library in accordance with this chapter, the board of
library trustees shall furnish to the board of supervisors of the
county in which the library district is situated, each and every
year, on or before the first day of September, an estimate of the
cost of any or all of the following:
(a) Leasing temporary quarters.
(b) Purchasing a suitable lot.
(c) Procuring plans and specifications and erecting a suitable
building.
(d) Furnishing and equipping the building and fencing and
ornamenting the grounds, for the accommodation of the public library.
(e) Conducting and maintaining the library for the ensuing fiscal
year.

19656. The board of library trustees may, when in its judgment it
is deemed advisable, and upon the petition of 50 or more taxpayers
residing within the library district shall, call an election and
submit to the electors of the library district the question of
whether the bonds of the library district shall be issued and sold
for any or all the purposes of this chapter.

19658. The revenue derived from the tax, together with all money
acquired by gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise, for the purposes of
the library, shall be paid into the county treasury, to the credit of
the library fund of the district in which the tax is collected,
subject only to the order of the library trustees of the district. If
payment into the treasury is inconsistent with the terms or
conditions of any gift, devise, or bequest, the board of library
trustees shall provide for the safety and preservation of the fund,
and the application thereof to the use of the library, in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the gift, devise, or bequest.

19659. Upon the receipt by the county auditor of an order of the
library trustees of the district he shall issue his warrant upon the
county treasurer for the amount stated in the order.

19660. When any warrant is presented to the treasurer for payment
and it is not paid for want of funds the treasurer shall endorse
thereon "not paid for want of funds" with the date of presentation
and sign his name thereto and from that time the warrant bears
interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum until it is paid or until
funds are available for its payment and the county treasurer gives
notice to the warrant holder that funds are available for payment.
The giving of the notice is deemed complete upon deposit thereof in
the United States mail in a sealed envelope addressed to the warrant
holder at his address given by him at the time of presentation of the
warrant to the treasurer, with postage thereon fully prepaid and
registered.

19661. Every library established under this chapter shall be
forever free to the inhabitants and nonresident taxpayers of the
library district, subject always to such rules, regulations, and
bylaws as may be made by the board of library trustees. For any
violation of the rules, regulations, or bylaws a person may be fined
or excluded from the privileges of the library.

19662. Boards of library trustees and the boards of trustees of
neighboring library districts, or the legislative bodies of
neighboring municipalities, or boards of supervisors of the counties
in which public libraries are situated, may contract to lend the
books of the libraries to residents of the counties or neighboring
municipalities, or library districts, upon a reasonable compensation
to be paid by the counties, neighboring municipalities, or library
districts.

19663. The title to all property acquired for the purposes of the
libraries, when not inconsistent with the terms of its acquisition,
or not otherwise designated, vests in the district in which libraries
are, or are to be situated.

19664. Every library district shall be designated by the name and
style of ____ Library District, (using the name of the district), of
____ County, (using the name of the county in which the district is
situated). In that name the trustees may sue and be sued, and may
hold and convey property for the use and benefit of the district. A
number shall not be used as a part of the designation of any library
district.