[Act Approved February 15, 1859.]

Sec. 1. At the annual town meetings to be held in District April next, the legal voters voting in the respective town-established. ships of the State, shall determine by ballot for the continuance of the Township Library, or for the establishment of District Libraries in the place thereof. A separate box shall be kept for their votes, and the ballots shall have written or printed thereon, "Township Library," or "District Libraries." If a majority of the ballots so cast in any Township shall have "Township Library" thereon, the Library shall remain as before; but if the majority of the ballots shall have "District Libraries" thereon, then the Township Inspectors at their next meeting thereafter shall Daty of proceed to divide the Township Library equitably among inspectors. the Districts and parts of Districts in such township, in

Section 1. 1. The books apportioned to a fractional District are to be kept as a District Library for that District. They can not be put into the Township Library of any other township in which such fractional District may be partly situated, but must be retained as a District Library for the use of the District.

2. The fractional District having a District Library, still retains its right to draw quarterly its proportion of books from the Township Library of any township to which such District may in part belong, and which may still possess a Township Library. The portion of the District lying in any township having a Township Library, is still liable to be taxed for the support of such Library, and of course, has a claim to use the books. The law (section 82,) which provides that fractional Districts shall have access to but one township Library at the same time, cannot be construed to prohibit the fractional District possessed of a

township

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board to

library.

proportion to the number of children of legal School ages therein; and shall deliver the same to the District Boards of the Districts to whch they may be apportioned. Said books shall thereafter belong to the respective Districts, and shall constitute District Libraries for the use of the residents of such Districts.

Sec. 2. The District Board shall be held accountable for

have man- the proper care and preservation of the District Library, agement of and shall have power to provide for the safe keeping of the same, to prescribe the time for taking and returning books, and to assess and collect all fines and penalties for the loss or injury of said books. The District Board shall appoint a Librarian, and determine the place where the Library shall be kept; but in all cases in which the Library may be properly secured at the District School-house, it shall be kept at such School house.

District Library from drawing its proportion of books from any Township Library it would otherwise be entitled to draw from. The Township Clerk should require of the Director a receipt, naming and describing all the volumes drawn from the Township Library, to prevent their being retained by mistake as a part of the Library of the District. Sec. 2. 1. The District Board may appoint a Librarian annually.

2. The Board are authorized by the law to provide a suitable case, without waiting for a vote of the District. The case should be commodious in size, and strong. It should be also provided with a good lock and key.

3. Whenever the District Board may deem it safe to keep the Library at the School-house, it must be deposited there. Perhaps in most instances, if a suitably strong case is provided, it will be found safe to keep the Library at the School-house during the School-terms. It will frequently be found desirable to appoint the Teacher Librarian, and especially if the Library is kept at the Schoolhouse.

4. Before delivering the books to the Librarian, two lists of such books should be made, one to be kept by the District Board, and the other to be furnished to the Librarian;

Library mo.

Sec. 3. The Library moneys belonging to any township Where kept. so determining in favor of District Libraries, or which may ney, how hereafter belong to such township, shall be apportioned disposed of. among the several Districts thereof, in the same manner as the Primary School Moneys are apportioned, and shall be expended by the District Boards in purchasing books for the District Libraries.

board of ed.

Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of the State Board of Educa- Duty of St. tion to make a list of books, unsectarian in character, suit- ucation. able for District or Township Libraries, and contract with the lowest responsible bidder to furnish the same in such number as may be wanted, at stipulated prices. Previous to the first day of January in each year, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall furnish to the Director of each School District, and each Township Clerk, a list of Selection of the books contracted for, with the prices of the same, from which list the District Board or the Township Board of In spectors may select books to the amount desired by the District or township.

books.

forwarded..

Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of contractors to furnish, at Books furthe prices contracted for, the books so selected for the Li-nished and braries, and cause them to be forwarded to such points on any main thoroughfare as the District or Township Board may direct.

Sec. 6. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

and notes should be made of the condition of each book. The Librarian's receipt should be attached to the list retained by the Board.

5. The District Board should also make some written rules for the drawing and returning of the books, with penalties for their injury or loss, and should appoint the time (say Friday afternoon of each week,) when the Library shall be opened.

Sec. 3. The Library moneys are to be annually distributed to the Districts and parts of Districts, in proportion to the number of children of School ages in each District or fractional District in the township, and paid over to the several Directors. Should the School-house of a fractional District stand in another township, said district must still be entitled to its fractional share of the Library money in each township in which any of its territory may lie.

RULE 1. The Library shall be open for drawing and returning books every Friday P. M., from three o'clock till five o'clock.

RULE 2. Every person residing in the District shall be entitled to draw books from the Library; but no one under fourteen years of age shall be permitted to get books without a written request from his parents or guardian.

RULE 3. No person shall be entitled to two books from the Library at the same time, unless they be different volumes of the same work; and no family shall draw more than one book while other families wishing books, shall remain unsupplied.

RULE 4. No person shall loan a Library book to any one out of his own family, under a penalty of

each offense.

cents for

RULE 5. No person shall retain a book from the Library more than two weeks, under a penalty of cents for each day he shall so retain it; and no one may draw the same book a second time while any other person wishes to draw it,

RULE 6. Any person losing or destroying a Library book, shall pay the cost of such book, and a fine of twenty-five cents; and any person injuring a book by marking, tearing, or unnecessarily soiling it, shall be liable to a fine of not less than cents nor more than one and a half times the cost of the book, to be determined by the Librarian and Director.

RULE 7. No person shall be entitled to draw books while

unlawfully detaining a book from the Library, or while any fine against him remains unpaid.

RULE 8. The Librarian shall report to the District Board quarterly, the amount of fines assessed and collected, and all moneys accruing from this source shall be expended for the purchase or repair of books.

RULE 9. The Librarian shall report annually, before the last Monday in September to the District Board, who shall report the same to the annual meeting, the number, titles, and condition of the books in the Library, and the number drawn during the year.