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Board Description
Said board of trustees shall have the sole care, superintendence, and management of the property, expenditures, business and prudential affairs of said public library department and of all property of the city relating thereto; and may employ librarians and such assistants as they shall deem necessary and establish their compensation. Said board shall also have the same power and authority as cities and towns now or hereafter may have, to acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise, for and in the name of the city, land and buildings or rooms, to be used in connection with and for the purpose of the public library department, whenever the funds at their disposal will so allow. Said board may also sell and dispose of for the benefit of said public library department, all grants, gifts, devises and bequests, as may be made to it or to the city for the purpose of increasing or improving the public library department. [A-833] Said board of trustees are authorized to take and hold any grant, gift, bequest or devise, of property upon trust, to apply the principal or the income thereof for the establishment or improvement of the public library department, or for the erection of buildings or repair of the same, or for the embellishment or improvement of the premises in connection therewith. The application or expenditure of said moneys and grants, and the establishment, improvement, erection, repair and embellishment, of said buildings and premises shall be made under the sole supervision, direction and control of said board, who shall make all necessary contracts in connection with the same, for and in the name of the city, in accordance with their best judgment and in any manner or form that will promote the purposes for which the public library department is established: all, however, in any event, to be in accordance with the terms of such grant, gift, bequest or devise. Also all moneys or property that the said city may receive by gift from any source or by grant, bequest or devise, in behalf of said public library department, and any gift, grant, bequest or devise, heretofore made to said city for the benefit of the library or library department and now in force, shall be placed in the care and control of said board of trustees, to be expended or retained by them for and in behalf of the city for the support and maintenance of said public library and the public library department in accordance with the conditions of each or any gift, grant, bequest or devise, accepted by the city; and if there are no conditions attaching to such gift, grant, bequest or devise, then the same is to be retained or expended as in the judgment of the trustees will most effectively promote the purposes of the public library department. Said board of trustees shall hold all of said property and estate for the same uses and purposes and charged with the same duties and liabilities for and subject to which the same may now be held by the board of aldermen of said city of Nashua. [A-834] Except in those cities where other provision has been made by general or special act of the legislature, the library trustees of every public library in the state shall: I. Adopt bylaws, rules and regulations for its own transaction of business and for the government of the library; II. Prepare an annual budget indicating what support and maintenance of the free public library will be required out of public funds for submission to the appropriate agency of the municipality. A separate budget request shall be submitted for new construction, capital improvements of existing library property; III. Expend all moneys raised and appropriated by the town or city for library purposes and shall direct that such moneys be paid over by the town or city treasurer pursuant to a payment schedule as agreed to by the library trustees and the selectmen or city council. All money received from fines and payments for lost or damaged books or for the support of a library in another city or town under contract to furnish library service to such town or city, shall be used for general repairs and upgrading, and for the purchase of books, supplies and income-generating equipment, shall be held in a nonlapsing separate fund and shall be in addition to the appropriation; IV. Expend income from all trust funds for library purposes for the support and maintenance of the public library in said town or city in accordance with the conditions of each donation or bequest accepted by the town or city; V. Appoint a librarian who shall not be a trustee and, in consultation with the librarian, all other employees of the library and determine their compensation and other terms of employment unless, in the cities, other provision is made in the city charter or ordinances. [NH RSA 202-A:11]
About the Board
The Public Library Board of Trustees shall have the sole care, superintendence, and management of the property, expenditures, business and prudential affairs of said public library department and of all property of the city relating thereto.
