Chap. 431.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 254 of the Code of
Virginia, as amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 8,
1904, entitled an act to amend and re-enact sections 249, 253, 254,
255, "258, 259 and 260 of the Code of Virginia, and an act amenda-
tory thereof, approved January 2, 1904, in relation to the duties of
the secretary of the Commonwealth and board of directors of the
State library, and concerning the State and certain other Hbraries.

(

202.)
Approved March 21, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section two hundred and fifty-four of the Code of Virginia, as
amended by an act approved March eighth, nineteen hundred and
four, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 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 ap-
pointed by the State board of education, which shall be and re-
main 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 employees 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 number chairman. It shall appoint a librarian and door-
keeper, 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 prop-
erly classify and catalogue the contents of the library. The
terms of office of the librarian and doorkeeper and other em-
ployees 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 chair-
man 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
history of the State and her citizens, to science and literature
and law; and shall edit, or cause to be edited, arranged and pub-
lished, as the funds at its disposal may admit, the State records
now or hereatter 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 therefrom; shall see that the library is prop-
erly and neatly kept for the reception and use of the public, and
that its contents are properly preserved and cared for.

The library board shall superintend and direct all expendi-
tures of the library funds.

The members of the library board shall receive no compen-
sation 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 gov-
ernor 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 information of the general assembly ; and
such reports shall be transmitted by the governor to the gen-
eral assembly; and it may have published annually as a part of
its report such special matter as it may deem of sufficient value
from an historical standpoint, provided the number of printed
pages of the report of the library board shall not in any year
exceed six hundred.

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 com-
munity in any county thereof upon request in writing by five
taxpayers of such community guaranteeing the proper care and
safe return to the State library of any books so loaned as a trav-
eling library.