GIFT OF 
 
fc^LIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY 
 
 I. L. GILLIS, Ubraran 
 
 CALIFORNIA 
 
 inty Free Library Law 
 
 SACRAMENTO: 
 
\ 
 
 
 ^r5. 
 
County Free Library Law. 
 
 ClIAPTEK 68. 
 
 .1 ;; act to provide for the estahlishment 
 and maintenance of county free liira- 
 rifs in the State of California, and 
 11 iiialbig "An act entitled 'An act to 
 lirovide county library systems.' ap- 
 proved April IS, 1909, and all acts and 
 parts of acts in conflict with this act." 
 [Approved February 25, 1911.] 
 The people of the State of California, rep- 
 resented in senate and assembly, do 
 enact as follows: 
 
 Section 1. The boards of supervisors EMamish- 
 of the several counties shall have power tamu 'iit 
 to establish and maintain, within their JXh. 
 respective counties, county free libraries 
 in the manner and with the functions 
 proscribed in this act. 
 
 Sec. 2. The board of supervisors of 
 any county may establish at the county 
 seat a county free library for that part 
 of such county lying outside of incorpo- 
 rated cities and towns maintaining free 
 public libraries, and outside of library dis- 
 tricts maintaining district libraries, and 
 for all such additional portions of such 
 county a.'; may elect to become a part of. 
 
or to participate in, such county free 
 library system, as hereafter provided in 
 this act. At least once a week for two 
 successive weeks prior to taking such 
 action, the board of supervisors shall pub- 
 lish, in a newspaper designated by them 
 and published in such county, notice of 
 such contemplated action, giving therein 
 the date of the meeting at which such 
 action is proposed to be taken. 
 
 Sec. 3. After the establishment of a 
 , county free library as provided in this 
 act, the board of trustees, common coun- 
 cil or other legislative body of any incor- 
 porated city or town in the county main- 
 taining a free public library, or the board 
 of trustees of any library district main- 
 taining a district library, may notify the 
 board of supervisors that such city, town 
 or library district desires to become a 
 part of the county free library system, 
 and thereafter such city, town or library 
 district shall be a part thereof and its in- 
 habitants shall be entitled to the benefits 
 of such county free library, and the prop- 
 erty within such city, town or library dis- 
 trict shall be liable to taxes levied for 
 county free library purposes. But the 
 board of trustees, common council or 
 other legislative body of any incorporated 
 city or town in the county, or the bc?-rd 
 of trustees of any library district may 
 
at any time notify the board of super- 
 visors that such city, town or library dis- 
 trict no longer desires to be a part of 
 the county free library system, and there- 
 after such city, town or library district 
 shall cease to participate in the benefits 
 of such county free library, and the prop- 
 erty situated in such city, town or library 
 district shall not be liable to taxes for 
 county free library purposes ; provided, 
 however, that the board of trustees, com- 
 mon council or other legislative body of 
 any incorporated city or town, or the 
 board of trustees of any library district, 
 shall publish, at least once a week for 
 two successive weeks prior either to giving 
 or to withdrawing such notice, in a news- 
 paper designated by said board of trustees, 
 city council or board of library trustees, 
 and circulating throughout such city, 
 town or library district, notice of such 
 contemplated action, giving therein the 
 date and the place of the meeting at 
 which such contemplated action is pro- 
 posed to be taken. 
 
 Sec. 4. The board of supervisors of ii.coi- 
 any county wherein a county free library cTtira'am 
 has been established under the provisions I°"j"co„ 
 of this act, shall have full power and'™'"."'"' 
 authority to enter into contracts with any 
 incorporated city or town maintaining a 
 free public library, and any such incor- 
 
— c — 
 
 porated city or town shall, through its 
 board of trustees or other legislative bodj', 
 have power to enter into contracts with 
 such county to secure to the residents of 
 such incorporated city or town the same 
 privileges of the county free library as 
 are granted to, or enjoyed by, the resi- 
 dents of the county outside of such incor- 
 porated city or town, or such privileges as 
 may be agreed upon in such contract, upon 
 such consideration to be named in said 
 contract as may be agreed upon, the same 
 to be paid into the county free library 
 fund, and thereupon the residents of such 
 incorporated city or town shall have the 
 same privileges with regard to said county 
 free library as are had by the residents of 
 such county outside of such incorporated 
 city or town, or such privileges as may be 
 agreed upon by said contract, 
 countijs Sec. 5. The board of supervisors of 
 contract any county wherein a county free library 
 rther'fOT has been established under the provisions 
 joint of (jjig a(.|.^ shall have full power and 
 authority to enter into contracts or agree- 
 ments with the board of supervisors of any 
 other county to secure to the residents of 
 such other county such privileges of such 
 county free library as may, by such con- 
 tract, be agreed upon and upon such 
 consideration as may in said contract be 
 agreed upon, the same to be paid into the 
 
coimty free library fund, aud thereupon 
 the inhabitants of such other county shall 
 have such privileges of such county free 
 library as may by such contract be agreed 
 upon ; and the board of supervisors of 
 such county shall have full power and 
 authority to enter into a contract with 
 the board of supervisors of another county 
 wherein a county free library has been 
 established under the provisions of this 
 act. as in this section provided, and shall 
 have power to levy a library tax as in 
 this act provided, for the purpose of 
 carrying out such contract, but the mak- 
 ing of such contract shall not bar the 
 board of supervisors of such county dur- 
 ing the continuance of such contract, from 
 establishing a county free library therein 
 under the provisions of this act, if none 
 be already established therein, and upon 
 the establishment of such county free 
 library, such contract may be terminated 
 upon such terms as may be agreed upon 
 by the parties thereto, or may continue 
 for the term thereof. 
 
 Sec. 6. A commission is hereby created Board of 
 to be known as the board of library exam- oiwrl? 
 iners, consisting of the state librarian. '""'• 
 who shall be ex officio chairman of said 
 board, the librarian of the public library 
 of the city and county of San Francisco, 
 and the librarian of the Los Angeles pub- 
 
— s — 
 
 lie library. The members of said boanl 
 shall receive no compensation for their 
 services, except their actual and necessary 
 traveling expenses, to be paid out of the 
 state library fund. Said board shall pass 
 upon the qualifications of all persons de- 
 siring to become county librarians, and 
 may, in writing, adopt rules and regula- 
 tions not inconsistent with law for its own 
 government, and for carrying out the pur- 
 poses of this act. Persons of either sex 
 .shall be eligible to certification for the 
 office of county librarian. 
 
 Sec. 7. Upon the establishment of a 
 county free library, the board of super- 
 ■ visors shall appoint a county librarian, 
 who shall hold office for the term of four 
 years, subject to prior removal for cause, 
 after a hearing, by said board. No per- 
 son shall be eligible to the office of county 
 librarian unless prior to his appointment, 
 he has received from the board of library 
 examiner.s a certificate of qualification for 
 the office. At the time of his appointment, 
 the county librarian need not be a resi- 
 dent of the county nor a citizen of the 
 State of California. 
 
 Sec. 8. The county free library shall 
 be under the general supervision of the 
 board of supervisors, which shall have 
 power to make general rules and regula- 
 tions regarding the policy of the county 
 
— 9 — 
 
 free library, to establish, upon the rec- Powen 
 ommendation of the county librarian, duties of 
 branches and stations throughout the f™"!^ 
 county and may locate said branches and """■ 
 stations in incorporated cities and towns 
 wherever deemed advisable, to determine 
 the number and kind of employees of 
 such library, and to appoint and dismiss 
 such employees upon the recommendation 
 of the county librarian. Such employee 
 shall not be removed except for cause, and 
 in case any such removal be made upon 
 the ground that the services of such em- 
 ployee are no longer required, such re- 
 moved employee shall have the first right 
 to be restored to such employment when 
 such services are again required, but the 
 board of supervisors may, at the time of 
 appointing any employee, and upon the 
 recommendation of the county librarian, 
 enter into an agreement that such em- 
 ployee be employed for a definite time 
 only. All employees of the county free 
 library whose duties require special train- 
 ing in library work shall be graded in 
 grades to be established by the county 
 librarian, with the advice and approval of 
 the state librarian, according to the duties 
 required of them, experience in library 
 work and other qualifications for the serv- 
 ice required ; and before appointment to a 
 position in the graded service, the can- 
 
— 10 — 
 
 didate must pass au examiuation appro- 
 priate to the position souglit, satisfactory 
 to the county librarian, and show a sat- 
 isfactory experience in library work. 
 \york in approved library schools or libra- 
 ries, or certificates issued by the board of 
 library examiners, may be accepted by 
 the county librarian in lieu of such exam- 
 ination. The county librarian may also 
 accept as apprentices, without compensa- 
 tion, candidates possessing personal qual- 
 ifications satisfactory to him and may 
 dismiss the same at any time if in his 
 judgment their work is not satisfactory to 
 him. 
 
 Sec. 9. The county librarian shall, 
 prior to entering upon the duties of his 
 office, file with the county clerk the usual 
 oath of oiBce and a bond, conditioned upon 
 tlie faithful performance of his duties, 
 with sufiicient sureties approved by a 
 judge of the superior court in the county 
 of which the librarian is to be the county 
 librarian, in such sum as may be deter- 
 mined by the board of supervisors. The 
 county librarian shall, subject to the gen- 
 eral rules adopted by the board of super- 
 visors, build up and manage, according to 
 accepted principles of library manage- 
 ment, a library for the use of the people 
 of the county, and shall determine what 
 books and other library equipment shall 
 
— 11 — 
 
 be purchased. The salary per annum of s.i 
 the county librarian shall be as follows : In ii° 
 counties of the first to the third classes in- 
 clusive, two thousand four hundred dollars ; 
 of the fourth to the tenth classes inclu- 
 sive, two thousand dollars; of the eleventh 
 to the twentieth classes inclusive, eigh- 
 teen hundri'd dnllnrs; of the twruly-lirst 
 to the thirtieth classes inclusive, fifteen 
 hundred dollars ; of the thirty-first to the 
 forty-eighth classes inclusive, twelve hun- 
 dred dollars ; and of the forty-ninth to the 
 fifty-seventh classes inclusive, five hun- 
 dred dollars. The salary of each of the 
 county librarians here provided shall be 
 paid by each of such counties in equal 
 monthly installments, at the same time 
 and in the .same manner and out of the 
 same fund as the salaries of other county 
 officers are paid. The county librarian 
 ;iud his assistant shall be allowed actual 
 and necessary traveling expenses incurred 
 on the business of the office. 
 
 Sec. 10. The county free libraries of <'> 
 the state shall be under the general super- vh 
 visions of the state librarian, who shall ill 
 from time to time, either personally or 
 by one of his assistants, visit the county 
 free libraries and inquire into their con- 
 dition. The actual and necessary ex- 
 penses of such visits shall be paid out of 
 the state library fund. The state libra- 
 
rj 
 
 rian shall annually call a convention of 
 county librarians, to assemble at such 
 time and place as he shall deem most con- 
 venient, for the discussion of questions 
 pertaining to the supervision and adminis- 
 tration of the county free libraries, the 
 laws relating thereto, and such other sub- 
 jects affecting the welfare and interest of 
 the county free libraries as shall properly 
 be brought before it. It is hereby made 
 the duty of all the county librarians to 
 attend and take part in the proceedings 
 of such convention. The actual and nec- 
 essary expenses of the county librarians 
 attending the convention shall be paid out 
 of the county free library fund. 
 
 Sec. 11. The county librarian shall, 
 on or before the thirty-first day of July 
 in each year, report to the board of super- 
 visors and to the state librarian on the 
 condition of the county free library, for 
 the year ending June thirtieth preceding. 
 Such reports shall, in addition to other 
 matters deemed expedient by the county 
 librarian, contain such statistical and 
 other information as may be deemed desir- 
 able by the state librarian. For this 
 purpose the state librarian may send to 
 the several county librarians instructions 
 or question blanks so as to obtain the ma- 
 terial for a comparative study of library 
 conditions in the state. 
 
13 
 
 Sec. 12. The board of supervisors, fax le 
 after a county free library has been estab- 
 lished, shall annually levy, in the same 
 manner and at the same time as other 
 county taxes are levied, and in addition 
 to all other taxes, a tax not to exceed one 
 mill on the dollar of assessed valuation 
 upon all property in such county outside 
 of incorporated cities and towns main- 
 taining free public libraries, and library 
 districts maintaining district libraries, 
 and upon all property within incorporated 
 cities, towns and library districts, which 
 have elected to become a part of such 
 county free library system as provided in 
 this act, for the purpose of purchasing 
 property for. establishing and maintaining 
 the county free library. County bonds r„„.i. 
 may be issued, in the manuer prescribed 
 in section 40SS of the Political Code, for 
 the erection and equipment of county free 
 library buildings and the purchase of land 
 therefor. The board of supervisors is 
 authorized to receive, on behalf of the 
 county, any gift, bequest or devise for '''"^' 
 the county free library, or for any branch 
 or subdivision thereof. The title to all 
 property belonging to the county free 
 library shall be vested in the county. All 
 laws applicable to the collection of county 
 taxes shall apply to the collection of the 
 tax herein provided. All funds of the 
 
14 
 
 county free library, whether derived from 
 taxation or otherwise, shall be in the cus- 
 tody of the county treasurer. They shall 
 constitute a separate fund, called the 
 county free library fund, and shall not be 
 used for any purposes except those of the 
 county free library. Each claim against 
 the county free library fund shall be au- 
 thorized and approved by the county 
 librarian, or in his absence from the 
 county by his assistant. It shall then be 
 acted upon in the same manner as are all 
 other claims against the county. 
 
 Sec. 1.3. In any county of this state 
 where a law library may now or hereafter 
 exist under the provi.sions of section 4190 
 to 4204, inclusive, of the Political Code 
 of the state, the board of supervisors of 
 such county shall have power to enter 
 into contracts, or agreements with the 
 board of law library trustees of such law 
 library for the cooperation of said law 
 library and the county free library, and. 
 in that connection, to contract or agree 
 with the board of law library trustees of 
 such law library that the county librarian 
 and other emplo.vees of the county free 
 library perform the duties required to be 
 done or performed by the officers and em- 
 ployees of such law library as contem- 
 plated by section 4190 to 4204, inclusive, 
 of the Political Code of this state for a 
 
— 15 — 
 
 ooiupeusation to be named iu such con- 
 tract Of agreement, the same to be paid 
 into the countj- free library fund. 
 
 Sec. 14. The board of supervisors shall ^,.|,^^, 
 have power to accept on behalf of the iii>niiiM 
 county free library, all books and other i'mmty 
 property of school libraries and of the I'teMT" 
 teachers' library as provided by sections ,'.',',,,^5'"" 
 1565, 1715 and 1716 of the Political "■'"• 
 Code, and to manage and maintain the 
 same as a part of the county free library. 
 
 Sec. 15. After a county free library nise.iaii 
 has been established, it may be disestab- '"'""'^''' 
 lished in the same manner as it was estab- 
 lished. At least once a week for two 
 successive weeks prior to taking such ac- 
 tion, the board of supervisors shall pub- 
 lish, in a newspaper designated by them, 
 and published in the county, notice of 
 such contemplated action, giving therein 
 the date of the meeting at which such 
 contemplated action is proposed to be 
 taken. 
 
 Sec. 16. Instead of establishing a sep- cutiaci 
 arate county free library, the board of JliJljio 
 supervisors may enter into a contract ae- J.'l'™^,^ 
 cording to the provisions of this section ^■^■^"'^■ 
 with the board of library trustees or other 
 authority in charge of the free public 
 library of any incorporated city or town, 
 and the board of library trustees, or other 
 authority in charge of such free public 
 
library, is hereby authorized to make 
 snch a contract. Such contract may pro- 
 vide that the free public library of such 
 incorporated city or town shall assume 
 the functions of a county free library 
 within the county with which such con- 
 tract is made, including incorporated cities 
 and towns therein. The board of super- 
 visors may agree to pay annually into the 
 library fund of such incorporated city or 
 town such sum as may be agreed upon. 
 Either party to such contract may termi- 
 nate the same by giving six months' notice 
 of intention to do so. 
 icai of <^£c_ i7_ An act entitled "An act to 
 s"! provide county library systems," approved 
 April 12. 1909, and all acts and parts of 
 acts in conflict herewith, are hereby re- 
 pealed : provided, however, that any 
 county library which may have been estab- 
 lished and i.s now in existence under the 
 provisions of the act approved April 12, 
 1909, shall be continued under the pro- 
 visions of this act, and be considered the 
 same as if established under the provi- 
 sions of this act : and provided further, 
 that in any case where a contract has been 
 entered into between any county board of 
 supervisors and any city or incorporated 
 town under the provisions of section 
 twelve of said act, the same shall con- 
 tinue in force, and the provisions of sec- 
 
17 
 
 tion sixteen of this act shall be applicable 
 thereto, until the establishment and equip- 
 ment of a county free library under the 
 provisions of sections one to fifteen inclu- 
 sive of this act, unless sooner terminated 
 under the provisions thereof. 
 
39; 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CA