Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-22
FREE LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Duties of the Board Appointed by the
Commissioners.
To be Divided Into Three Classes
and to Have Complete
Charge.

AS briefly stated in The Star Saturday,
the Commissioners on that day appoint
ed nine citizens of the District as members
of the board of trustees of the free public
library and reading room established by
act of Congress approved June 3, 1896. The
act under which the appointments were
made specifies that the trustees shall be
taxpayers in the District, and shall serve
without compensation. The normal term
of office for each trustee is six years, but
in order to create the desired condition
of succession whereby at no time shall a
majority of the board be composed of new
members. it is stipulated in the act that
at the first meeting of the board it's men,
bers shall be divided by lot into three
classes, each composed of three members
The first class Is to hold office for two
years, the second class for four years and
the third class for six years. Therefore, in
two years it will be necessary for the Com
missOners to make three new appoint
mentS to I'LL the vacancies then occurring
by reason of this allotment and three ap-
pointments each succeeding two years, un-
der the authority contained in the act,
which stipulates that "any vacancy occurr-
ring in said board shall be filled by the
District Commissioners"
The act of Congress provides that this
board shall have the power to make such
regulations for it's own organization and
government as it may leem necessary.
This, of course. includes the selection OF a
president and other officers, to be chosen
presumably, at the first meeting of the
beard at the same time when the members
are divided into the three classes already
president and other officers, to be chosen,
by the Commissioners are now out of the
city. so 1T is uncertain when the first
meeting will be called. In the absence Of
any organization and of any recognized
head, this initial session will undoubtedly
be called by the Commissioners.
The library and reading room are to be
entirely in charge of this board of trustees,
who are given the specific authority to
purchase the books, magazines and news
PAPERS and all other necessary appendages
fer such an establishment They are also
authorized to provide for the care and
preservation of the library, to prescribe
rules for taking and returning books, to fix,
assess and collect fines and penalties for
the loss of books or for their injury, and.
in fine, to make all the necessary rules and
regulations for the management of the
library that they may deem proper.
One of the duties of the trustees will be
the appointment of a librarian to have di-
rect charge and superintendent of the
library and to be responsible to the trustees
for the impartial enforcement of all the
rules and regulations. He shall appoint
such assistants as the trustees may deem
necessary for the proper conduct of the
library.
In view of the municipal character of the
library and reading room the trustees are
required to make an annual report to the
Commissioners of the District relative to
the management of the institution. This
character IS further indicated by that pro-
vision of the act which directs that the
library shall be located in some convenient
place in this city, to be designated by the
Commissioners upon the recommendation
of the trustees, and it is specifically pro-
vided that in any municipal building that
may hereafter be erected in the District
suitable provision shall be made for the
library and reading room sufficient to ac-
commodate not less than 10000 volumes
The public comment upon the selections
made by the Commissioners in appointing
trustees is that of unqualified approval
The trustees are viewed as being without
exception men who believe thoroughly in
the municipal library idea, who have as
sisted in one way or another to secure the
legislation upon which the new library is
based, and who will work harmoniously to-
gether to carry to full and perfect success
this great undertaking.