Chap. 53.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 249, 253, 254, 255, 258, 259,
and 260 of the Code of Virginia, and an act amendatory thereof, approved
January 2, 1904, in relation to the duties of the secretary of the Common-
wealth and board of directors of the State library, and concerning the State
and certain other libraries.

Approved March 8, 1904.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
two hundred and forty-nine, two hundred and fifty-three, two hundred
and fifty-four, two hundred and fifty-five, two hundred and fifty-eight,
two hundred and fifty-nine, and two hundred and sixty of the Code of
Virginia, and an act approved January second, nineteen hundred and
four, amendatory thereof, in relation to the duties of the secretary of the
Commonwealth and board of directors of the State library, and concern-
ing the State and certain other ibseethes, be amended and re-enacted so
as to read as follows:

§ 249. Donations and exchange of State publications.—The hbrary
board shall arrange for the exchange of the Virginia publications with
as many of the States and institutions as possible, with the general gov-
ernment, and with other governments, with societies and others, as it
sees fit, placing all exchanges received in the State library, except that
all statutes and law books received shall be transferred to the law library.

It may also arrange for exchange of any or all duplicate material now
or hereafter the property of the Virginia State library: provided, such
exchanges result in the acquirement of publications or manuscript mate-
rial necessary to the improvement of the institution.

It may send to any university, college, public library, or societies copies
of State publications. It may likewise arrange for loans with the library
of congress and other libraries which grant a like privilege to the Vir-
ginia State library.
§ 253. How library fund paid out.—The library fund shall be paid
out by the treasurer of the State on warrants drawn by the auditor of
public accounts, such warrants to be drawn by the auditor on the order
of the library board, evidenced by the board’s warrants signed by the
chairman of the board and attested by the secretary; and whenever said
chairman may be incapacitated by sickness or other cause from signing
said warrants of the board, some member of the board selected by the
board for that purpose shall sign such warrants.

§ 254. Library board, how appointed; term of office; certain powers
and duties.—The State library shall be managed by a board of directors,
consisting of five members, to be appointed by the State board of educa-
tion, which shall be and remain a corporation under the style of “The
Library Board,” and shall be under such rules and regulations as shall be
prescribed by law; but the supreme court of appeals shall have the man-
agement of the law library, which shall be. kept separate from the State
library, and shall have the appointment of the librarian and other em-
ployees of said law library.

The terms of the directors first appointed shall be one, two, three,
four, and five years, respectively, from July first, nineteen hundred and
three ; and thereafter, upon the expiration of the term of a member, his
successor shall be appointed for a term of five years. Appointments, to
fill other vacancies shall be for the unexpired term.

The library board shall meet and organize by electing one of its num-
ber chairman. It shall appoint a librarian and a doorkeeper, and may
appoint an assistant librarian, a stenographer, and such other employees
as shall be authorized by law; and it may employ such expert cataloguers
as may be necessary to properly classify and catalogue the contents of the
library. The terms of office of the librarian and doorkeeper and other
employees shall be at the pleasure of the library board. The library
board shall keep complete minutes of all its proceedings, neatly recorded
in a substantial book, which shall be signed by the chairman and attested
by the secretary, and a record of all receipts and disbursements, all which
shall be preserved as public records.

It may from time to time acquire by gift, purchase, exchange, or loan
books, maps, portraits, relics, and records pertaining to the history of
the State and her citizens, to science and literature and law; and shall
edit, or cause to be edited, arranged and published, as the funds at its
disposal may admit, the State records now or hereafter to be deposited in
the library.

It shall make rules and regulations, not inconsistent with law, for the
use of the library by the people, and specifying the character of the
books and other contents of the library which may not be removed there-
from ; shall see that the library is properly and neatly kept for the re-
ception and use of the public, and that its contents are properly pre-
served and cared for.

The lhbrary board shall superintend and direct all expenditures of the
library funds.

The members of the library board shall receive no compensation for
their services as such; but such reasonable expenses as members of the
board may incur in the discharge of their duties shall be paid out of the
library fund.

The library board shall annually -make a report to the governor of all

receipts and expenditures, and of the condition of the library, and all
other matters in relation thereto that it may deem expedient for the in-
formation of the general assembly ; and such reports shall be transmitted
by the governor to the general assembly.
. It may purchase and procure books and other necessary equipment for
the establishment of libraries known as “traveling libraries.” The said
libraries shall be supplied with books bought for the purpose, or donated
to the board, and may be loaned for a limited time to any free library in
this State, or to any community in any county thereof upon request in
writing by ten taxpayers of such community guaranteeing the proper
care and safe return to the State library of any books so loaned as a
traveling library.

§ 255. Additions to State library.—The library board shall annually
procure such books in literature, science and the arts, and such maps
and charts as may seem to the board desirable.

The records of the several departments of the State government, which
may be considered of historical value, shall, with the consent of the head
of such department, be deposited and preserved in the State library, and
all such records now or hereafter so deposited shall be deemed to be in
the custody of the officers from whose possession they were transferred,
who shall have free access thereto. None of said records so deposited
shall be removed from the library except by the officer entitled to the
custody thereof under this section.

§ 258. State library, when to be opened.—The library shall be kept
open every day in the year (except Sundays) from nine o'clock ante-
meridian until five ‘o’clock post-meridian, and such other hours as the
library board may direct. But the board may, in its discretion, name
certain days on which the library may be closed.

§ 259. Doorkeeper of library; his duties—The doorkeeper of the
library shall assist the librarian in the discharge of his duties, and shall
discharge such other duties as may be required of him by the board.

§ 260. Who may use State library.—The judges of the supreme court
of appeals, the governor, lieutenant-governor, reporter of court of ap-
peals, members of the general assembly during the sessions thereof, and
other State officers at the capitol, and such other persons as the library
board may deem fit, shall be allowed to use the State library under such
rules and regulations as the board shall adopt: provided, that no manu-
script or record of any kind, and no book, portrait, or relic of rare or
historic value shall be taken from the library room by any one, and no
book shall be kept out of the library for more than two weeks.

2. The advancement of public education requiring the immediate
operation of this act, this act shall be in force from its passage.