§ 65-4-105. System board of trustees - Powers and duties.

(a)  Every system board created by this Code shall have all powers necessary or convenient for the accomplishment of the purpose and provisions hereof, including, in addition to others granted in this article, the following powers:

(1)  To operate and maintain a library system and to adopt such rules and regulations for the operation thereof as may be deemed necessary or expedient.

(2)  To purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire land or buildings or portions of buildings for library purposes.

(3)  To erect, maintain, and operate public library buildings at one or more places.

(4)  To accept transfer of any existing public library or libraries by lease or other conveyance.

(5)  To acquire, by purchase or otherwise, books and other personal property customarily used in the operation of public libraries including necessary motor vehicles.

(6)  To sell and dispose of personal property acquired by purchase or any other means when by proper resolution the board finds that said property is not needed for library purposes.

(7)  To acquire, accept, hold, and convey legal title to interest in real property in the name of the system board.  Deeds or other conveyances of said interests in real property shall be executed for and on behalf of the system board by the chairman and shall be attested by the secretary upon proper resolution of the Board.

(8)  To accept or decline donations tendered to the library system.

(9)  To administer the expenditure of any funds which may become available for library purposes.

(10)  To establish a schedule of fees to cover various services rendered and also to contract with other persons, including legal counsel and independent certified public or certified municipal accounting service, within the limits of its appropriations, and to incur necessary expenses.  This subsection shall not be construed to preclude the use of the appropriate district attorney or assistant district attorney for legal counsel and the State Auditor and Inspector for auditing services.

(11)  To apply, contract for, receive and take advantage of any or all allocations of funds which may be available to the system board for library or library related purposes and services under the laws and regulations of the United States, the State of Oklahoma, or any other state, or any organization, agency, instrumentality or subdivision of these entities or undertake or contract for joint activities or programs with the United States, the State of Oklahoma or any other state, and any organization, agency, instrumentality, or subdivision of these entities pertaining to library or library related purposes or services; and to prepare and submit plans, specifications, reports or applications, to execute any agreements, to employ, fix duties and compensation of personnel, and to administer and direct any programs, plans or projects in connection with any of the foregoing.

(12)  To enter into agreements with school districts in any area served by the library upon such terms as may be mutually agreed.  The agreement shall prescribe equitable charges for the cost to serve schools which include on-site costs of library collection and library automation and the cost of providing assigned staffing which meets the certification requirements for school library media programs.

(13)  To borrow monies on the credit of the Board of Trustees for a term not to exceed one (1) year.

(14)  To do all other things necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Code.

(b)  It shall be the duty of the system board to prepare an annual budget which shall be filed on or before June 1 with the boards of county commissioners and the county excise boards, the State Auditor and Inspector, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, State Board of Equalization, and with cities and towns which participate in financial support of the system.  The system board shall also submit an annual audit of its income and expenditures within ninety (90) days following the close of the fiscal year to the boards of county commissioners, the State Auditor and Inspector, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries and with cities and towns which participate in financial support of the system.

(c)  In the case of withdrawal of a county or abolishing of a library system, disposal of the assets, including capital equipment and other property of the library district, shall be made in the most equitable manner possible as determined by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board, who shall give consideration to such items as the original source of the property, the amount of funds raised from each county of the system, and the ability of the counties to make further use of such property or equipment for library purposes.

(d)  Funds levied and collected pursuant to Article 10, Section 10-A of the Oklahoma Constitution shall be controlled and administered under the direction of the system board.

(e)  Other funds contributed from federal, state, county and city governments, and from any other source shall be deposited in the independent library account following such procedures as may be agreed upon by the contributing agency, the system board, and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board.

(f)  Vouchers shall be drawn by such officers or employees as prescribed by the system board.  Each designated officer or employee shall give a faithful performance bond approved by the system board in a sum determined by the board and sufficient in amount to equal the estimated largest sum of money which will be disbursed at any one time.  Premiums for such bond may be paid from funds of the library system.

Added by Laws 1967, c. 45, § 4-105, emerg. eff. April 6, 1967.  Amended by Laws 1979, c. 30, § 113, emerg. eff. April 6, 1979; Laws 1992, c. 322, § 11, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1994, c. 362, § 1, eff. July 1, 1994.