The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-24
CHAPTER 179s Il No 517

!
CHAPTER 173-S. F. NO. SIT.
AN ACT to establish and provide for the
maintenance of public libraries and
| feadlng rooms; to create board Of IL
powers and duties, and to repeal GER
tain acts inconsistent herewith.
Be 1t enacted by the legislature Of the
State of Minnesota:
Section L. That the city council of any
| incorporated city. or village council of
any incorporated village. shall have pow
brary and reading room, or either Of
them, for the use and benefit Of the in
hab1tants of such city, or village, and, by
benefit of such library, real estate or
other public property belonging to the
| municipality, and may levy tax not
| exceeding two mills on the dollar annual
| ~, and in cities of over twenty thousand
| (2O,OOO) inhabitants not to exceed one %
mill on the dollar annually on all the
be levied and collected, in like manner,
with other general taxes of said city or
village. and to be known as library
| fund" And the board Of directors in this
| chapter provided for shall have power, in
their discretion, to admit to the benefit
| OF such library persons not residing with
| In the corporate limits of the city or viii
| lage, and they shall execute a contract in
writing In the form of a bond, to the vii
| !age or city council, to be approved by
| the board of directors, conditioned to
| make good all damages or loss of books
| issued to them, with sufficient sureties,
and coVenanting that the person so re-
ce1vIng the benefits of the library shall
at all times conform to all the laws, rules
/ and regulations governing the said Ii
! brary. And such nonresident patrons
shall pay for such privileges such sums
! and at such times as may be by the di-
rectors prescribed, into the city or village
| treasury, for the use Of the said library.
Upon. petition of fifty freeholding citi-
zens in any such city or village the coun-
| Gil Of any such city or village shall sub
| NIT the question of the esta blishment of
such pupHc library or reading room to
the legal voters of such city or village
| at the next annual election held therein,
| and If a two-thirds majority of the votes
cast on such question at such election are
In faVor of the establishment of such
public library or reading room, then the
council of such city or village shall es-
tablish the same and shall annually Their
after levy for the maintenance of such
public library OF reading room a. tax not
| to exceed the rate hereinbefore provided.
whenever any council has heretofore es-
taolished library or reading room. and,
by ordinance, set apart property for it's
use and benefit, its action is hereby con-
in11 Ell mat any public library, or read
room which has heretofore been estab-
| lished in any city or village under any
law Of this state, and is being maintained
as such by any such city or village Is
hereby confirmed and continued in exist
ence and shall hereafter be maintained
and operated under the provisions of this
act.
Sec. 2. When any city or village
council shall have decided to establish
and maintain public library and read
ing room, or either Of them, under this
act. the mayor of such city or president
| OF such village council shall, with the
| approval Of the city or village council,
| proceed to appoint board of nine direc-
| tors for the same, CHOSEN from the citi-
| zens at large with reference to their fit
| ness for such Office, and not more than
one member Of the city or village council
IF
| board.
Sec. 3. Said directors shall hold office,
| t 4hhe.tnird thereof for one year, one-third
tnereof for two years and one-third
| thereof for three years from the third
| Saturday of July following their appoint
ment, the term for which each member is
appointed to be specified by the appoint
Ing power; and annually thereafter the
mayor Of such city or president of such
village shall, before the third Saturday of
July IN each year, appoint as before three
directors to take the place of the retiring
| directors, who shall hold office for three
years yejdfe5 ana until their successors are APP
president may, by and with the consent
| misconduct or neglect of duty
sec. 4. vacancies in the board of d.
rectors occasloned by removals, resigna-
! lions, death or otherwise shall be re-
ported to the city or village council and
| De nlled In like manner as original ap-
| polntments, but appointments to fill va
canc1es shall be for the unexpired term.
no director Shall receive any compensa-
| ton as such.
Sec. .. Said directors shall, Immediate
| ~ atter appointment meet and organize
by the election of one Of their number
president, and another OF their number
secretary, and by the election of such
oIncers as they may deem necessary.
and said secretary, before entering upon
the duties of his of5ce, shall be required
TO give pond, with SureueS, to the salts
1actlon of and in an amount to be fixed
by said directors.
70 they shall make and adopt such by
laws, rules and regulations for their own
guidance, and for the government of the
! library and reading room, or either of
them, as may be expedient, not incon-
Sistent with this act.
| They shall have the exclusive control
| or the expenditure of all moneys collect
| ed and placed to the credit Of the library
fund and Of the construction of any IL
| care and custody Of the grounds, rooms
! or buildings constructed, leased or set
| apart for that purpose;
| ProVlded, that all moneys received for
| such library shall be paid by the county
| treasurer to the treasurer of said city or
| village who shall deposit the same to the
credit OF the library fund, and shall be
Kept separate and apart from other
| money of said city or village, and shall
pc paid out only upon the properly au-
thentlcated vouchers of the library board.
| SAID board shall have the power to
| lease and provide appropriate rooms for
| the use Of said library; shall have power
to appoint suitable librarian and neces-
sary assistants, and fix their compensa-
| ton, and shall also have power to re-
| move such appointees, and shall in gen
eral carry out the spirit and intent Of
| this act. Said board shall have the
| power, when approved by such city or
| village council, to purchase ground and
erect thereon suitable building for the
| use of said library.
| SAID board, with the consent of the
common council, or other governing body
OF any such city or village, duly ex-
| pressed by resolution or ordinance, NAV
| accept any conveyance, gift, grant, dona-
| ton, devise or bequest for library pur-
poses or for the establishment mainte-
nance or enlargement of an art gallery or
| museum in connection with such library
| Whlcn may be given, granted, conveyed
donated, devised or beQueathed by anv
| person, company or corporation to any
| such city or village for library purposes
ana may enter into any agreement with
| any such person, company or CORPORATION
| or with his or their legal REPRESENTATIVE
aHecung such gift, grant, donation, be-
| quest OF devise as may be proposed or
| imposed concerning the same subieS
| however, to the limitations in this act
| contained, and any such agreement shall
nave the full and binding effect of con
| tract between such person, company or
| corporation and such city or village
| Sec 3. Directors Of all such public IL
| Drarles and reading rooms now in office
! by virtue of election or appointment
| under existing laws, shall continue in Of
| nee until the expiration of the terms for
| out their successors in office shall be an
| pointed upon expiration of their respect
| i've terms of office under the provisions
| OF this act, and any vacancies OCCURRING 2,
| prior to the expiration of the regular
| terms of such directors now in office shall
L c da6 GO,.s u