Chapter 98. To amend the Act approved June 3, 1896, entitled “An Act to establish and provide, for the maintenance of a free public library and reading room in the District of Columbia.”April 1, 1926. [[S. 2673](/us/bill/69/s/2673).] [[Public, No. 85](/us/pl/69/85).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re
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CHAP. 98.— An Act To amend the Act approved June 3, 1896, entitled “An Act to establish and provide, for the maintenance of a free public library and reading room in the District of Columbia.”April 1, 1926. [[S. 2673](/us/bill/69/s/2673).] [[Public, No. 85](/us/pl/69/85).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,District of Columbia.Free public library.Vol. 29, p. 344, amended. That the Act approved June 3, 1896, entitled “An Act to establish and provide for be maintenance of a free public library and reading room in the District of Columbia,” be, and the same is hereby, amended so as to read as follows:
" “Section 1. That a free public library is hereby established andEstablished, to be maintained by the District. shall be maintained in the District of Columbia, which shall be the property of the said District and a supplement of the public educational system of said District. Said library shall consist of a central library and such number of branch libraries so located and so supported as to furnish books and other printed matter and information service convenient to the homes and offices of all residents of the said District.
All actions relating to such library, or for the recoveryAuthority over, of the District Commissioners. of any penalties lawfully established in relation thereto, shall be brought in the name of the District of Columbia, and the Commissioners of the said District are authorized on behalf of said District to accept and take title to all gifts, bequests, and devisesAcceptance for, of gifts, etc. for the purpose of aiding in the maintenance or endowment of said library; and the Commissioners of said District are further authorized to receive, as component parts of said library, collections of books and other publications that may be transferred to them.
“Sec. 2. That in order to make the said library an effective supplementBranch libraries to be kept in public schools and other buildings. of the public educational system of the said District and to furnish the system of branch libraries provided for in section 1 hereof, the board of library trustees, hereinafter provided, is authorized to enter into agreements with the Board of Education of the said District for the establishment and maintenance of branch libraries in suitable rooms in such public-school buildings of the said District as will supplement the central library and branch libraries in separate buildings.
The board of library trustees, hereinafterRental authorized. provided, is authorized within the limits of appropriations first made therefor, to rent suitable buildings or parts of buildings for use as branch libraries and distributing stations. “Sec. 3. That all persons who are permanent or temporaryLoans to residents, etc. residents of the District of Columbia shall be entitled to the privileges of said library, including the use of the books contained therein, as a lending or circulating library, subject to such rules and regulations as may be lawfully established in relation thereto.
Persons living outside of the said District, but having regular business or employment or attending school in the said’ District, shall for the purpose of this Act be deemed temporary residents. Other persons residing in counties of Maryland and Virginia adjacentBooks to residents in counties of adjacent States, on payment of fees. to the said District may gain the privilege of withdrawing books from the said library by the payment of fees fixed by the board of library trustees hereinafter provided.
After June 30,Fees to be deposited to credit of the District. 1927, all fees shall be paid weekly to the collector of taxes of the District of Columbia for deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of said District of Columbia. “Sec. 4. That the said library shall be in charge of a board ofBoard of trustees to have charge. library trustees, who shall purchase the books, magazines, and newspapers and procure the necessary appendages for such library. The said board of trustees shall be composed of nine members, each of whom shall be a taxpayer in the District of Columbia, and shall serve without compensation.
They shall be appointed by theAppointment and tenure Commissioners of the District of Columbia and shall hold office for 230*Proviso*.Division into classes, etc.six years: *Provided*, That at the first meeting of the said board the members shall be divided by lot into three classes. The first class, composed of three members, shall hold office for two years; the second class, composed of three members, shall hold office for four years; the third class, composed of three members, shall hold office for six years.
Any vacancy occurring in said board shall be filled by the District Commissioners. Said board shall have power to provide such regulations for its organization and government as it may deem necessary. “Sec. 5. Duties of board.That the said board shall have power to provide for the proper care and preservation of said library, to prescribe rules for taking and returning books, to fix, assess, and collect fines and penalties for the loss of or injury to books, and for the retention of books beyond the period fixed by library regulations, and to establish all other needful rules and regulations for the management Payment of fines, etc., to collector of taxes for deposit to credit of the District.of the library as the said board shall deem proper.
All fines and penalties so collected shall after June 30, 1927, be paid weekly to the collector of taxes of the District Librarian.of Columbia for deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of said District of Columbia. The said board of trustees shall appoint a librarian to have the care and superintendence of said library, who shall be responsible to the board of trustees for the impartial enforcement of all rules and regulations lawfully established in relation to said Assistants.library.
The said librarian shall appoint such assistants as the board shall deem necessary to the proper conduct of the library. Annual report.The said board of library trustees snail make an annual report to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia relative to the management of the said library. “Sec. 6. Submission of estimates, etc.That said Commissioners of the said District are authorized to include in their annual estimates for appropriations such sums as they may deem necessary for the proper maintenance of said library, including branches, for the purchase of land for sites for library buildings, and for the erection and enlargement of necessary library buildings.
” " Approved, April 1, 1926.