Oil City, PA Chapter 49 Library

[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Oil City as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Establishment; Library Commission

[Adopted 7-17-1901 by part of Ord. No. 503[1] (Ch. 29, Art. I, of the 1986 Code)]

[1] Editor's Note: Some sections of this ordinance have been excluded as having served their purpose or having been superseded. The excluded sections are Sections 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

§ 49-1 Acceptance of site.

A. The generous offer of Mr. Andrew Carnegie is hereby accepted, and the following described lot of land is hereby accepted as a site for the free library building to be erected thereon by money donated by Mr. Andrew Carnegie: All that certain piece or parcel of land situate in the Fourth Ward of the City of Oil City, in the County of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, being Lot Nos. 2 and 3 in the plan of lots of the Latonia Town and Oil Company, and bounded and described as follows: beginning at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Front Street; thence along the south line of Front Street westward 75 feet to the northwest corner of Lot No. 4; then south along the east line of said Lot No. 4 132 feet to the north line of an alley; thence east along the north line of said alley 75 feet to the west side of Central Avenue; thence north along the west line of Central Avenue 132 feet to the place of beginning.

B. Said lot of land is to be conveyed to the City of Oil City, free of encumbrance by the trustees who now hold the title for that purpose, by deed of even date with the approval of this article, to be used as the site for said free library building.

§ 49-2 Library Commission membership and organization.

[Amended 12-23-1927 by Ord. No. 1164; 5-28-1928 by Ord. No. 1184; 12-12-1955 by Ord. No. 1935; 8-8-1960 by Ord. No. 2048; 5-27-1963 by Ord. No. 2098; 12-6-2010 by Ord. No. 2792]

A. A commission to be known as the "Oil City Library Commission" is hereby created, which shall hereafter consist of no less than seven and no more than 15 voting members, comprised as follows:

(1) One or two members of the Council of the City of Oil City, as determined by the City Council, shall be elected annually by the membership of the Council, to serve for a term of two years.

(2) Two members of the Belles Lettres Club in accordance with the bylaws of said club. One member shall be appointed biannually, and each member shall serve for a term of four years.

(3) Three members to be appointed by the City Manager of the City of Oil City from the citizens at large of the City of Oil City, with City Council approval. One member per year shall be appointed to serve a three-year term. Upon the resignation of any member appointed from the citizens at large of the City of Oil City, the City Manager shall appoint their successors for the duration of the remaining term.

(4) One member to be appointed by each municipality paying an annual residential fee based on the census and determined by the Library Commission on a yearly basis, if one is desired by the governmental entity. The appointed member must be from the citizens at large within the municipality's taxing area and will serve for a term of two years or until no longer a resident of that governmental taxing area.

(5) In the event that the County of Venango or the Oil City Area School District participates in funding of library services in an amount at least equal to the total of participating municipalities other than the City of Oil City, it shall be entitled to appoint a member to the Commission to a two-year term.

(6) One at-large Library Commissioner may be appointed from any of the contributing municipalities to a two-year term on the Library Commission upon a 2/3 vote of the Library Commissioners and the approval of the City Manager.

(7) Up to two nonvoting members to serve in an advisory, fully participatory and supporting role may be appointed to represent library supporters in adjoining nonparticipating municipalities for a two-year term upon a 2/3 vote of the Library Commission and the approval of the City Manager. Such nonvoting members must be an Oil City Library circulation card holder (member).

B. In order to effect the reorganization of the Commission in accordance with the provisions of this section, the appointments of the present acting members (two from City Council, two from the Belles Lettres Club and three Oil City residents) shall continue to serve as members of the Library Commission until such time as their current terms expire.

C. Forthwith, upon enactment of this section, any new members to the Library Commission, as hereinabove provided, appointed from a governmental entity paying an annual residential fee and any special project library commission shall be accepted and voted on at the first quarterly meeting of each year.

D. The Library Commission shall keep a full and complete record of all of its proceedings and expenditures and make an annual report, in written form, to the governmental entities represented on the Commission by the first meeting of April of each year. It shall also make such reports to the Council of the City of Oil City as may be required by the City Manager or by resolution of the Council of the City of Oil City.

Article II Administration

[Adopted 3-17-1986 by Ord. No. 2444 (Ch. 29, Art. II, of the 1986 Code)]

§ 49-3 Personnel.

A. All employees engaged in the operation of the Oil City Library, both in the library science and in the building and facilities maintenance areas of said operation, shall be employees of the City of Oil City and shall be subject to all administrative rules, regulations and practices of the City.

B. In accordance with the Administrative Code of the City of Oil City,[1] the City Manager, after consultation with the Library Commission, shall appoint, supervise and have the authority to remove the Library Director.

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 4, Administration of Government, § 4-6.

C. The Library Director shall have the authority to appoint, supervise and remove all employees engaged either in the library science and building and facilities maintenance areas of the Library operation, subject to the authority of the City Manager and the personnel and civil service regulations of the City.

§ 49-4 Appropriation and disbursement of funds.

A. The City shall appropriate annually from its general revenues such sums as it deems appropriate for the necessary operation of the Library. The Library Commission shall submit its budget proposal to the City Manager on or before October 1 of each year.

B. Disbursements from the Library operation budget shall be made by the City to cover expenses incurred and purchases made in the operation of the Library, as follows:

(1) Wages and salaries of employees.

(2) Materials and supplies necessary for the business operation of the Library.

(3) Materials, supplies and utilities necessary for the maintenance of the building.

C. The Library Commission shall establish a library books, materials and maintenance fund and deposit therein all funds, donations and revenues derived from the operation of the Library. Disbursements from the fund shall be made in such manner as the Library Commission may determine in accordance with its bylaws, and the Library Director shall furnish the City Manager a monthly report of the fund's receipts and expenditures.

D. All expenditures of $4,000 or more shall be made only in accordance with the purchasing provisions of the Administrative Code.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See Ch. 4, Administration of Government, § 4-36.

§ 49-5 Use of library facilities.

The Library Commission shall determine the use to be made of the Library building and shall establish rules and regulations for the use of the facilities.