N.Y.
Education Law Section 260
Trustees
1.
Public libraries authorized to be established by action of the voters or their representatives shall be managed by trustees who shall have all the powers of trustees of other educational institutions of the university as defined in this chapter; provided that the number of trustees of county public libraries and Indian libraries shall not be less than five nor more than fifteen and that the number of trustees of other public libraries shall not be less than five nor more than fifteen. The number of trustees of joint public libraries authorized to be established by two or more municipalities or districts or any combination thereof shall be not less than five nor more than twenty-five, as determined by agreement of the voting bodies empowered to authorize the establishment of such libraries pursuant to subdivision one of § 255 (Establishment of a public library)section two hundred fifty-five of this chapter and shall be set forth in the resolution authorizing the establishment of such joint public library. Such resolution shall also set forth the number of such trustees which each of the participating municipalities or districts shall be entitled to elect or appoint, and the terms of office of the trustees as determined in accordance with subdivision three of this section.2.
The trustees of public libraries authorized to be established by cities shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the common council, in counties they shall be appointed by the county board of supervisors or other governing elective body, in villages they shall be appointed by the village board of trustees, in towns they shall be appointed by the town board, in school districts they shall be elected by the legal voters in the same manner as trustees are elected in the school district which established said library, and on Indian reservations they shall be elected at a general tribal election or otherwise designated by the chiefs or head men of an Indian tribe; that notwithstanding the fact that county, town or local school district lines do not penetrate the reservation boundary, Indians residing on reservations shall be eligible to serve as trustees of public libraries established in school districts to the same extent as they are qualified voters pursuant to subdivision three of § 2012 (Qualifications of voters at district meetings)section twenty hundred twelve of this chapter; that the first trustees shall determine by lot the year in which the term of office of each trustee shall expire and that a new trustee shall be elected or appointed annually to serve for three or five years to be determined by the entity establishing the public library. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subdivision, in any case where a town is a contributor to the support of any such public library in a village located within the town the appointment of trustees of such library who reside outside the village but within such town shall be subject to the approval of the town board of such town. The charter of any public library granted prior to April thirtieth, nineteen hundred twenty-one, which provides for trustees, their terms of office and method of election or appointment in a manner differing from that hereinbefore provided, shall remain in full force and effect until the regents, upon application of the library trustees, shall amend the charter to conform to the provisions of law in effect when such amendment is made.3.
The trustees of a joint public library authorized to be established by two or more municipalities or districts or any combination thereof shall be appointed or elected by the body authorized by subdivision two of this section to elect or appoint trustees of public libraries authorized to be established by such municipality or district. The number of such trustees to be elected or appointed by each of the participating municipalities or districts shall be determined as provided in subdivision one of this section. The term of office of such trustees shall be three or five years except that the terms of the first trustees shall be so arranged that the terms of as nearly as possible to one-third or one-fifth of the members shall expire annually.4.
No person who is a member of any municipal council or board authorized by this section to appoint public library trustees in any municipality shall be eligible for the office of such public library trustee in such municipality.5.
The boards of trustees of public, free association and Indian libraries shall hold regular meetings at least quarterly, and such boards shall fix the day and hour for holding such meetings.6.
The board of trustees of a library system or a public or free association library chartered by the regents of the state of New York may determine to contribute annually a sum of money to assist the New York State Association of Library Boards in fostering, encouraging and promoting the further development of library activities throughout the state and financing programs in this state which will assist in the dissemination of information leading to the improvement and extension of library services.7.
The board of trustees of a public library established and supported by a school district shall, in addition to powers conferred by this or any other chapter, be authorized in its discretion to call, give notice of and conduct a special district meeting for the purpose of electing library trustees and of submitting initially a resolution in accordance with the provisions of subdivision one of § 259 (Library taxes)section two hundred fifty-nine of this chapter. Such meeting shall be held prior to the first day of July but subsequent to the first day of April. Should the board of trustees of the library determine, in its discretion, not to notice and conduct such a meeting, then the election and budget vote will be noticed and conducted by the board of education of the school district as part of its annual meeting.8.
Candidates for the office of trustee of a public library established and supported by a school district shall be nominated by petition which shall meet the requirements of subdivision a of § 2018 (Nomination of candidates for the office of member of the board of education in all union free school districts or for the office of membe...)section two thousand eighteen of this chapter, except that such candidates shall be elected in the manner specified in subdivision b of such section except that the nominating petition filed pursuant to subdivision a or b of such section shall be signed by a least twenty-five qualified voters of the library district, or two percent of the voters who voted in the last previous annual election of members of the library board of trustees, whichever is greater. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to a charter granted prior to April thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-one that provides for a different procedure.9.
The board of trustees of a public library established and supported by a school district, in addition to any other powers conferred by this chapter, may, in its discretion, call, give notice of and conduct a special district meeting of the qualified voters of the school district for any proper library purpose, including the re-submission of a defeated library appropriation, at a time and place designated by said board of trustees, except as to those purposes set forth in subdivision seven of this section.10.
The board of trustees of a public library established and supported by a school district, in addition to any other powers conferred in this chapter, shall have the power to determine the necessity for construction of library facilities, to select a library site or sites, to select the architect, and to require that the board of education call, give notice of and conduct a special district meeting in accordance with the provisions of subdivision nine of this section for the purpose of designating and acquiring a site or sites and authorizing the issuance of obligations of the school district for acquisition and construction of library facilities, or either.11.
Whenever the board of trustees of a public library shall call, give notice of and conduct a special district meeting under subdivision seven or nine of this section, such meeting shall be established, noticed and conducted in the same manner and to the same extent as such meetings were theretofore established, noticed and conducted by the board of education of the school district, the board of trustees of the libraries making all the determinations and taking all action in respect thereto otherwise required of the board of education of the school district, except that the meeting need not, in the discretion of the board of trustees of the library, be held in separate election districts in those school districts where election districts have been established by the board of education. The board of registration shall meet as provided in § 2014 (Registration of voters)section two thousand fourteen of this chapter and notice of the meeting shall be given in accordance with the provisions of sections two thousand four and two thousand seven of this chapter. The cost of all such meetings and registrations shall be a charge to the library.12.
The board of trustees of a public, free association or Indian library which provides public access to the internet shall establish a policy governing patron use of computer terminals which access the internet. Verification of such policy shall be included in the annual report submitted to the department. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, prior to the discarding of used or surplus books or other such reading materials by trustees of a chartered public, cooperative or free association library which receives over ten thousand dollars in state aid, such trustees shall offer to donate such books or materials to a not-for-profit corporation or political subdivision located within the area of the library system or offer to sell such books or materials to the general public. The trustees shall retain any proceeds received from the sale of such books and materials for the purpose of maintaining and improving library service within the system.
Source:
Section 260 — Trustees, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/260 (updated Aug. 5, 2022; accessed Apr. 27, 2024).
