§ 65-4-205. System board of trustees - Powers and duties.

A.  Every rural single county library system board shall have all powers necessary or convenient to accomplish its purpose including the following:

1.  To operate and maintain a library system and to adopt rules and regulations;

2.  To purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire land or buildings for library services;

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 chair 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 expenditures of any funds which may become available for library purposes;

10.  To establish a schedule of fees to cover various services rendered;

11.  To contract for professional services, including legal counsel and independent certified public or certified municipal accounting services, within the limits of the board's appropriations; provided this paragraph shall not be construed to preclude the use of the appropriate district attorney for legal counsel and the State Auditor and Inspector for auditing services;

12.  To apply, contract for, and receive any allocations of funds which may be available to the system board for library and library- related purposes and services under the laws and regulations of the United States, the State of Oklahoma, or any other state, organization, agency, instrumentality or subdivision of these entities, and to undertake or contract for joint activities or programs with the United States, the State of Oklahoma or any other state, 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 activities described in this paragraph;

13.  To enter into agreements with school districts in any area served by the library system 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;

14.  To borrow money on the credit of the system board of trustees for a term not to exceed one (1) year;

15.  To do all other things necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes and provisions of this act; and

16.  When available, have access to a statewide library telecommunications network.

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

C.  If a rural single county library system is abolished, the assets shall be disposed of by the board of county commissioners with the approval of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board.

D.  Funds levied and collected pursuant to Section 10A of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution for the purpose of creating and maintaining a rural single county library system shall be controlled and administered by the system board.

E.  Funds from federal, state, county and city governments and from other sources shall be deposited in a separate library account following procedures as may be agreed upon by the contributing agency, the system board, and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Board.

F.  Vouchers may be drawn by officers or employees as prescribed by the system board.  Each officer or employee allowed to draw vouchers shall give a faithful performance bond approved by the system board in an amount determined by the board equal to the estimated largest single disbursement to be made by the officer or employee.  Premiums for such bond may be paid from funds of the library system.

Added by Laws 1995, c. 165, § 8, emerg. eff. May 2, 1995.