There is hereby created a Free Public Library,
to be known as the "South Plainfield Free Public Library."
[Amended 12-26-1984; 12-18-2023 by Ord. No. 2288]
A Board of Trustees consisting of seven to nine members shall
hold in trust and manage all property of the library. Said Board shall
be composed of the Mayor of the Borough of South Plainfield, the Superintendent
of Schools of the South Plainfield School District, and from five
to seven citizens to be appointed by the Mayor, at least four of whom
shall be residents of the municipality. The appointments shall be
for terms of five years and they may be selected by the Mayor with
the advice and consent of the Borough Council. The Mayor and Superintendent
of Schools may respectively appoint an alternate to act in their place
and stead with the authority to attend all meetings of the Board and,
in their absence, to vote on all questions before the Board. Vacancies
occurring in the Board of Trustees shall be filled for the unexpired
term only, in the same manner as the original appointments are made.
The Trustees shall receive no compensation for
their services and shall not incur any expense or enter into any obligation
to an amount in excess of the annual appropriation for library purposes
and of the funds on hand.
The Board of Trustees shall annually make a
report of its transactions, accounts and the state and condition of
the library to the governing body of the Borough.
The Board of Trustees shall have all the powers
conferred by statute.
The governing body of the Borough of South Plainfield
shall annually appropriate and raise by taxation the money needed
for support and maintenance of the library, as provided for by law.
[Added 4-9-1992 by Ord. No. 1274]
No person shall detain or fail to return any
book, periodical, pamphlet, artistic reproduction, phonograph recording,
audiovisual material, VCR or any other article borrowed from the South
Plainfield Free Public Library, hereinafter referred to as the "library,"
after 30 days have elapsed from the date of posting by certified mail,
return receipt requested, of a notice demanding return thereof and
informing the person in such notice that the book or material is overdue
and that such person is subject to prosecution pursuant to this chapter.
Such notice shall be mailed to the person at the last known address
said person furnished to the library.
[Added 4-9-1992 by Ord. No. 1274]
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced
by the Director of the library or such person as may from time to
time be designated by the Board of Trustees of the library. The enforcement
shall be carried out with the advice of the Board of Trustees of the
library.
[Added 4-9-1992 by Ord. No. 1274]
Any person violating any provision of this chapter
shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not to exceed
$100 for each offense. Continued failure to return any book or library
article for a period of 30 days after conviction of a violation of
this chapter shall constitute a separate offense under this chapter.