[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Simsbury 5-6-1968. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to Section 11-20 of the 1958 Revision of the Connecticut General Statutes, there is hereby established a public library in the Town of Simsbury, the use of which shall be free to its inhabitants under such regulations as its Directors may prescribe.
The management of said public library shall be vested in a Board of Directors consisting of six members who shall be electors of the town and shall serve without compensation. The Board of Directors shall be elected at the first biennial election of the town after the establishment of the library; 1/3 of said Directors shall be elected to hold office until the next biennial election, 1/3 until the second biennial election and 1/3 until the third biennial election, and at all biennial elections of such town thereafter, 1/3 of the Directors shall be elected to hold office for six years.
The Board of Directors shall make bylaws for its government, prescribe and enforce regulations for the use of said library, hire such regular employees as may from time to time be reasonably required for the proper conduct and operation of said library and determine the duties and compensation of library employees. Said employees shall have the status and enjoy the benefits of town employees and the town may retire any such employee with a pension or other award. Said Board of Directors shall have the power to accept any bequest, gift or endowment upon the conditions connected with such bequest, gift or endowment, provided that such conditions do not remove any portion of the library from the control of such Board or its successors or in any manner limit the free use of such library or any part thereof by the residents of the town. Said Board of Directors shall also have the power to hold and manage said gifts and bequests and shall have the exclusive right to expend money appropriated by the town for said library and such other funds as said library is or may become entitled to. In addition, the Board of Directors shall have the power to contract with any state agency, municipality, taxing district, private library or other public library to provide or secure library services to the extent and in such manner as may be authorized by law.
The Board of Directors shall designate from among them the officer empowered to draw his order on the Treasurer of the Town of Simsbury for such sums as may be necessary to pay the expenses of said library, said sums, exclusive of endowment funds and moneys received by gift, grant and bequest, not to exceed in the aggregate the amount appropriated by the town for said library.
The Board of Directors shall make such periodic reports to authorized governmental agencies as are required by law or as it may reasonably be requested to furnish. Said Board shall also submit to the Board of Finance, annually, a statement of estimated amount of money needed by it to perform its required or authorized duties, in the manner provided by law, and may make application to the proper governmental agencies for such grants as may be available to promote the objects and purposes of said library.
All funds received by the town as gifts or bequests for the benefit of said library shall be placed in the treasury of the town to the credit of the town's Library Fund. The moneys in such fund shall be kept separate from other moneys and shall be withdrawn only by an authorized officer, upon authenticated vouchers of the Board of Directors.
The Simsbury Free Library shall continue to be designated as the principal library for the Town of Simsbury until such time as the Board of Directors of the public library herewith established are elected and until library facilities, including both real and personal properties, acquired by purchase, lease, contract, gift or appropriation, are considered by said Board of Directors as being more sufficient and adequate for library needs of the town than those of the Simsbury Free Library and the town, in a duly called Town Meeting, shall designate the public library herewith established as the "principal public library" of the Town of Simsbury.