[HISTORY: Adopted by the County Council of Sussex County 5-20-1975
as Ord. No. 17. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: For state statutory provisions regarding county
libraries, see 9 Del. C. § 801 et seq.
There is hereby created a Library Agency to administer a county public
library service throughout Sussex County for the residents of Sussex County,
which shall be a department of the Executive Branch of the county government.
A.
The Library Agency shall have the following powers:
(1)
To administer a county-wide library system which offers
every resident of the county free and equal access to service and resources
and guidance in their use.
(2)
To receive, by taxation or otherwise, accept, administer
and expend any moneys, materials or other aid granted, appropriated or otherwise
provided by local, state or federal governments or by any source, public or
private, in accordance with the terms thereof, for the purposes provided in
this chapter.
(3)
To perform all other activities pertinent to the organizational
function of the Library Agency.
B.
Property.
(1)
Title to all property previously acquired by any District
Library Commission which may be conveyed or transferred or delivered pursuant
to 59 Del. Laws, C. 480, Section 6, shall be held in the name of Sussex County
for the use of the Library Agency.
(2)
The transfer of any property by a school district library
which has been acquired to be used for a specific school district library
shall be used only for the particular library designated.
(3)
All future donations of any property by any methods to
be used for a designated library shall be used only for that library.
A.
There is hereby created the position of County Library
Administrator, who shall report to the County Council and/or the County Administrator
and who shall be the administrative head of the county library system.
B.
The President of County Council, upon approval of the
County Library Advisory Board, shall appoint the County Library Administrator,
who shall be referred to as "County Librarian" and who shall serve at the
pleasure of the County Council. He shall be a professionally qualified and
experienced librarian and shall have had administrative experience in libraries
and have such other qualifications as the County Library Advisory Board may
deem advisable in order to provide for the efficient development of a county-wide
library service.
C.
The salary of the County Library Administrator shall
be fixed and paid by the County Council.
D.
The County Library Administrator shall, as a condition
of his appointment, be a resident of Sussex County and shall continue to be
a resident during his term of employment.
A.
There is hereby created a County Library Advisory Board
consisting of 13 members, each of whom shall be a resident of this county.
The County Council shall appoint one from each of the geographical areas where
a public library now exists. One member shall be appointed to represent the
areas served by the bookmobile. Appointments may be made from a list of nominees
provided to the County Council by the membership of the existing Boards of
Library Trustees. The members of the County Library Commission shall be persons
of ability and integrity concerned with public and/or library affairs and
may not be public library employees.
B.
The initial terms of the 13 members shall be three years,
commencing July 1, 1975, to June 30, 1978. At the end of the three-year terms,
the Commission membership will drop to five, one to be appointed from each
Councilmanic District. The members from the First and Second Councilmanic
Districts will be appointed for three-year terms; the member from the Third
Councilmanic District will be appointed for a two-year term; and the members
from the Fourth and Fifth Councilmanic Districts will be appointed for one-year
terms. Not more than three Commissioners shall be from the same political
party. No appointed member of the Library Advisory Board is eligible for more
than two consecutive three-year terms. All appointed members shall hold office
until their successors qualify.
C.
The County Library Advisory Board:
(1)
Shall serve in an advisory capacity to the County Library
Administrator and the County Library Agency.
(2)
Shall bring local library needs to their attention and
shall recommend to them means for implementation of an effective county library
system.
(3)
May, through its members on the Council on Libraries,
bring library matters to the attention of the Administrator of State Library
Services.
(4)
Shall meet annually the first Tuesday of July and elect
a Chairman and shall meet monthly for the transaction of such business as
may come before it and perform its duties and functions.
Any qualified employee of the school district libraries encompassed
by this chapter shall be continued in employment and shall not suffer any
diminution of salary or responsibilities as a result of this chapter and shall
receive full credit for the time he was employed by his respective District
Library Commission in computing the number of years of service required to
receive pension benefits within the meaning of the respective county pension
plan which has been adopted at the time of the passage of this chapter.
The County Administrator shall prepare a budget annually for the operation
and maintenance of the county library system.
Any District Library Commission which elects to be exempt pursuant to
59 Del. Laws, C. 480, Section 6(c), shall submit to the County Administrator
an annual fiscal report prior to March 1 each year showing assets and expenditures
for the preceding fiscal year and such other financial information he deems
necessary to prepare the annual library budget.