43.54(2)
(2) As soon as practicable after the first appointments, at a date and place fixed by the appointing officer, and annually thereafter within 60 days after the beginning of terms, the members of the library board shall organize by the election, from among their number, of a president and such other officers as they deem necessary.
43.54(3)
(3) In any city of the 2nd or 3rd class, the common council may, by a two-thirds vote, provide for the reduction of the number of appointive members of the library board to 7. Thereupon, whenever a term expires or a vacancy occurs, no appointment shall be made until the number of such members has been so reduced, whereupon the remaining members shall be by lot divided by the common council into 3 classes, 3 to serve for 3 years, 2 to serve for 2 years and 2 to serve for one year, respectively, from the date of such completed reduction, and thereafter each regular appointment shall be for a term of 3 years.
43.57
43.57
Consolidated county libraries and county library services. 43.57(1)(1)
Consolidated county libraries. 43.57(1)(a)(a) A county board may establish and maintain a consolidated public library for the county, and may for such purpose adopt, take over and acquire any libraries already established, by consent of the authorities controlling those libraries.
43.57(1)(b)
(b) If it is consistent with the terms thereof, a gift, bequest or endowment to a public library becoming a part of a consolidated county library may be taken over by the county library board. The county library board shall maintain the gift, bequest or endowment for the benefit of the library to which it was given.
43.57(1)(c)
(c) A consolidated county library may become part of a federated multicounty system organized under
s. 43.19.
43.57(1)(d)
(d) A consolidated county library may contract with library organizations within this state or in adjacent states to provide or receive library services.
43.57(2)
(2) Joint libraries. A county board may authorize the formation of a joint library under
s. 43.53 and may participate in a joint library board under
s. 43.54.
43.57(3)
(3) County library services. A county board may establish and maintain a county library service to serve the residents of the county who do not live in municipalities that have established libraries under
s. 43.52 or
43.53 or to improve the library services of municipal libraries established under
s. 43.52 or
43.53. The county library service may operate a library or library service program or may contract with library organizations within this state or in adjacent states for services.
43.57(4)(a)(a) In a county with a consolidated county library under
sub. (1), the county board chairperson shall, with the approval of the county board, appoint a 7-member or 9-member county library board.
43.57(4)(b)
(b) In a county operating a county library service under
sub. (3), the county board chairperson shall, with the approval of the county board, appoint a 7-member library board.
43.57(4)(c)
(c) Boards appointed under
pars. (a) and
(b) shall include at least one school district administrator of a school district located in whole or in part in the county, or that school district administrator's designee, and one or 2 county board supervisors. Boards appointed under
par. (b) shall include, in addition, representatives of existing library boards under
s. 43.54 and persons residing in municipalities not served by libraries.
43.57(4)(d)
(d) Boards appointed under
pars. (a) and
(b) have the powers and duties of a library board under
s. 43.58.
43.57(5)
(5) Terms of office, compensation, officers, duties. 43.57(5)(a)(a) Upon the initial establishment of a board under
sub. (4) (a) or
(b), the members shall be divided as nearly as practicable in 3 equal groups to serve for 2-, 3- and 4-year terms, respectively, following their appointment. Thereafter, terms shall be for 3 years. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the same manner as regular appointments are made.
43.57(5)(b)
(b) No compensation shall be paid to the members of a board under
sub. (4) (a) or
(b) for their services, except as follows:
43.57(5)(b)1.
1. Members may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties if so authorized by the board.
43.57(5)(b)2.
2. Members may receive per diem, mileage and other necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties if so authorized by the board and the county board.
43.57(5)(c)
(c) A majority of the membership of a board under
sub. (4) (a) or
(b) constitutes a quorum, but any such board may, by resolution, provide that 3 or more members constitute a quorum.
43.57(5)(d)
(d) As soon as practicable after the first appointments, at a date and place fixed by the appointing officer, and annually thereafter within 30 days after the beginning of terms, the members of the board shall organize by the election, from among their number, of a president and such other officers as they deem necessary.
43.57(5)(e)
(e) Section 43.52 (2) applies to consolidated county libraries and county library services.
43.57(5)(f)
(f) A library organized under this section may participate in a public library system subject to
s. 43.15.
43.57(6)
(6) Gifts and grants. Any county may receive, by bequest or gift, property for the purpose of establishing a public library for the county and may enter into an agreement to maintain a public library in consideration thereof, and shall be bound to faithfully perform such agreement. In such case the library board appointed under
s. 43.57 (4) or, in the absence of a library board, the county board may properly administer the same.
43.58
43.58
Powers and duties. 43.58(1)(1) The library board shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected, donated or appropriated for the library fund, and of the purchase of a site and the erection of the library building whenever authorized. The library board also shall have exclusive charge, control and custody of all lands, buildings, money or other property devised, bequeathed, given or granted to, or otherwise acquired or leased by, the municipality for library purposes.
43.58(2)(a)(a) The library board shall audit and approve all expenditures of the public library and forward the bills or vouchers covering the expenditures, setting forth the name of each claimant or payee, the amount of each expenditure. and the purpose for which it was expended, to the appropriate municipal or county financial officer or, in the case of a school district, the school district clerk. The library board shall include a statement, signed by the library board secretary or other designee of the library board, that the expenditure has been incurred and that the library board has audited and approved the expenditure. The appropriate municipal, county, or school district official shall then pay the bill as others are paid.
43.58(2)(b)
(b) Notwithstanding
par. (a), regular wages or salary or other recurring payments, authorized by the library board and verified by the appropriate library official, may be paid by the appropriate municipal, county, or school district official by the date due or, in the case of salaries, by the regular pay day. The library board shall audit and approve any such payment at its next regular meeting.
43.58(3)
(3) Any person having a claim or demand against the municipality or county growing out of any act or omission of the library board shall file with the library board a written statement thereof. If the claim or demand or any part thereof is disallowed, the claimant may bring an action against the municipality or county.
43.58(4)
(4) Notwithstanding
ss. 59.17 (2) (br) and
59.18 (2) (b), the library board shall supervise the administration of the public library and shall appoint a librarian, who shall appoint such other assistants and employees as the library board deems necessary, and prescribe their duties and compensation.
43.58(5)
(5) The library board may employ competent persons to deliver lectures upon scientific, literary, historical or educational subjects; and may cooperate with the University of Wisconsin System, technical college district boards, the historical society, the department, cooperative educational service agencies, school boards and other educational institutions to secure such lectures or to foster and encourage by other means the wider use of books and other resource, reference and educational materials upon scientific, historical, economic, literary, educational and other useful subjects.
43.58(6)(a)(a) Within 60 days after the conclusion of the fiscal year of the municipality or county in which the public library is located, the library board shall make a report to the division and to its governing body. The report shall state the condition of the library board's trust and the various sums of money received for the use of the public library during the year, specifying separately the amounts received from appropriations, from the income of trust funds, from rentals and other revenues of the public library and from other sources. The report shall state the condition of all funds in the library board's control and shall state in detail the disbursements on account of the public library during that fiscal year.
43.58(6)(b)
(b) The report to the division shall include data concerning library materials, facilities, personnel, operations and such other information as the division requests.
43.58(6)(c)
(c) The report to the division shall contain a statement by the library board indicating whether the public library system in which the library participated during the year of the report did or did not provide effective leadership and adequately meet the needs of the library and an explanation of why the library board believes so. The division shall design the form of the statement so that it may be removed from the report and forwarded to the division before it is sent to the public library system.
43.58(7)
(7) The library board may receive, manage and dispose of gifts and donations as follows:
43.58(7)(a)
(a) All persons wishing to make donations of property for the benefit of a public library may vest the title thereto in the library board, to be held and controlled by the board, when accepted, according to the terms of the deed of gift, devise or bequest. As to such property the board shall be deemed special trustees.
43.58(7)(b)
(b) If a gift, bequest, devise, or endowment is made to any public library, the library board may pay or transfer the gift, bequest, devise, or endowment, or its proceeds, to the treasurer of the municipality or county in which the public library is situated; may entrust any such funds to a public depository under
ch. 34; or may pay or transfer the gift, bequest, devise, or endowment to the library board's financial secretary. If the library board pays or transfers the gift, bequest, devise, or endowment to the financial secretary, the financial secretary may invest the gift, bequest, devise, or endowment as permitted under
s. 66.0603 (1m) or
112.10 (4); or may delegate investment authority for the gift, bequest, devise, or endowment as permitted under
s. 66.0603 (2) or
112.10 (5). The financial secretary shall hold office only during membership on the library board and shall be elected annually at the same time and in the same manner as the other officers of the library board.
43.58(7)(c)
(c) If any such treasurer or financial secretary holds any property belonging to the public library, the library board shall require a bond from the treasurer or financial secretary to the library board in such sum, not less than the amount of such property so held by him or her, and with such sureties as the library board requires. The bond shall be conditioned in substantially the same form as the ordinary bond required from the treasurer of the municipality or county, with the necessary changes.
43.58(7)(d)
(d) The treasurer or financial secretary shall make an annual report to the library board showing in detail the amount, investment, income and disbursements from the trust funds in his or her charge. Such report shall also be appended to the annual report of the library board under
s. 43.58 (6).
43.58(7)(e)
(e) In the case of a gift for a library building, the library board of the municipality shall have the exclusive right to select and contract for the purchase of a site.
43.58 Annotation
Municipal libraries are a matter of statewide concern. Accordingly, home rule provisions will not justify local departures from the provisions of ch. 43.
76 Atty. Gen. 203.
43.60
43.60
County appointments to municipal and joint public library boards. 43.60(3)(a)(a) A county chairperson, with the approval of the county board, may appoint from among the residents of the county additional members to the library board of a public library of a municipality located in whole or in part in the county, for a term of 3 years from the May 1 following the appointment, and thereafter for a term of 3 years, as follows:
43.60(3)(a)1.
1. If the annual sum appropriated by the county to the public library is equal to at least one-sixth, but less than one-third, of the annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located during the preceding fiscal year, one additional member.
43.60(3)(a)2.
2. If the annual sum appropriated by the county to the public library is equal to at least one-third, but less than one-half, of the annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located, 2 additional members.
43.60(3)(a)3.
3. If the annual sum appropriated by the county to the public library is equal to at least one-half, but less than two-thirds, of the annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located, 3 additional members.
43.60(3)(a)4.
4. If the annual sum appropriated by the county to the public library is equal to at least two-thirds, but less than the annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located, 4 additional members.
43.60(3)(a)5.
5. If the annual sum appropriated by the county to the public library is equal to at least the annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located, 5 additional members.
43.60(3)(b)
(b) For a joint public library of 2 or more municipalities, the "annual sum appropriated to the public library by any municipality in which the public library is located" under
par. (a) is the total sum appropriated by all of the municipalities participating in the joint library.
43.60(3)(c)
(c) A county chairperson may appoint a county supervisor to serve as a member of a library board of a public library of a municipality under
par. (a), but no more than one county supervisor so appointed may serve on the library board at the same time.
43.60(4)
(4) If an additional member appointed to a library board under
sub. (3) (a) loses the status upon which the appointment was based, he or she ceases to be a member of the library board effective on the following May 1.
43.64(1)(1) The county board of a county expending money for public library service to its inhabitants may levy a tax to provide funds for such service and shall include any amount of tax under this subsection in the amount of taxes determined to be levied under
s. 70.62 (1).
43.64(2)(a)(a) In this subsection, "library fund" means the funds raised by the city, village, town or school district by tax levy or appropriation under
s. 43.52 (1).
43.64(2)(b)
(b) Except as provided in
sub. (2m), any city, town, village or school district in a county levying a tax for public library service under
sub. (1) shall, upon written application to the county board of the county, be exempted from the tax levy, if the city, town, village or school district making the application levies a tax for public library service and appropriates and expends for a library fund during the year for which the county tax levy is made a sum at least equal to an amount calculated as follows:
43.64(2)(b)1.
1. Divide the amount of tax levied by the county for public library service under
sub. (1) in the prior year, less the amount levied for public library capital expenditures, by the equalized valuation of property in that area of the county that was subject to the county property tax levy for public library services in the prior year.
43.64(2)(b)2.
2. Multiply the amount determined under
subd. 1. by the equalized valuation of property in the city, village, town or school district for the current year.
43.64(2m)
(2m) No city, village, town or school district is exempt from the tax levy under
sub. (2) for any year if, by September 1 of the year preceding the year for which the tax is levied, the county board determines that the public library of the city, village, town or school district that is a member of the public library system has not complied with standards approved under
s. 43.11 (3) (d) and
(e).
43.64(3)
(3) Each city, town, village or school district participating in a joint library under
s. 43.53 shall be treated individually in determining its eligibility for tax exemption under
sub. (2).
43.64 Annotation
Facilities necessary to exempt a municipality from the county tax are discussed. 60 Atty. Gen. 389.
43.64 Annotation
A town, city, or village that does not maintain a public library, but makes contributions to a nearby public library, cannot be exempted from the county library tax levy under sub. (2). 65 Atty. Gen. 182.
43.64 Annotation
To qualify for exemption under sub. (2), a municipality or school district must have expended for its own "library fund" during the year in which the county tax levy is made a sum at least equal to the sum it would have to pay for the county tax levy made during that year to fund the county budget for the ensuing year.
72 Atty. Gen. 49.
43.64 Annotation
The scope of the exemption under sub. (2) is discussed.
72 Atty. Gen. 190.
43.70
43.70
Common school fund. 43.70(1)(1) No later than October 15 of each year, each school district administrator shall certify to the state superintendent, on forms provided by the state superintendent, a report of the number of persons residing in the school district on the preceding June 30, as reported under
s. 120.18 (1) (a).
43.70(2)
(2) Annually by January 10, the state superintendent shall apportion the amount that is estimated to be appropriated under
s. 20.255 (2) (s) in the current school year to the school districts in proportion to the number of persons resident therein, as shown by the report certified under
sub. (1).
43.70(3)
(3) Immediately upon making such apportionment, the state superintendent shall certify to the department of administration the estimated amount that each school district is entitled to receive under this section and shall notify each school district administrator of the estimated amount so certified for his or her school district. The department of administration shall distribute each school district's aid entitlement in one payment on or before May 1. The amount paid to each school district shall be based upon the amount in the appropriation account under
s. 20.255 (2) (s) on April 15. All moneys distributed under this section shall be expended for the purchase of instructional materials from the state historical society for use in teaching Wisconsin history and for the purchase of library books and other instructional materials for school libraries, but not for public library facilities operated by school districts under
s. 43.52, in accordance with rules promulgated by the state superintendent. Appropriate records of such purchases shall be kept and necessary reports thereon shall be made to the state superintendent.
43.72
43.72
Library exchanges. 43.72(1)(1) School library books and other instructional material belonging to one school district may be loaned to another school district for use in any school library of that school district.
43.72(2)
(2) Any public library board and school board may make such exchanges and loans of books and other instructional material as are agreed upon for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of both libraries and ensuring the best service to the schools and all citizens.
43.72(3)
(3) Any school district that borrows materials through a public library system shall reciprocate by sharing with other participating libraries materials that are not in immediate or constant demand by the school library's primary clientele, as determined by the school district.
43.72 History
History: 1971 c. 152 s.
14; Stats. 1971 s. 43.72;
1985 a. 177.
