REGIONAL LIBRARIES
Act 250 of 1931
AN ACT to provide for the establishment and maintenance of regional libraries; to provide for boards of trustees to have control of such libraries; to provide for the powers and duties of the state board for libraries in connection with such libraries; and to provide for the support of such libraries by counties.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

397.151 Regional libraries; plan for establishment and location.

Sec. 1.

The state board for libraries shall develop a plan for the establishment and location of regional libraries throughout the state based on a detailed survey of the needs of the various localities of the state. A region shall include 2 or more counties.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 397.151 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.152 Proposal to establish regional libraries; referral to county board of supervisors.

Sec. 2.

On completion of the survey of any proposed region, the proposal to establish a regional library shall be referred to the boards of supervisors of all counties included in such proposed region. The boards of supervisors shall act upon such proposal by resolution, and the votes of a majority of the members-elect of the board of supervisors in each of the counties included in the proposed region shall be necessary for the adoption of such proposal. In case of the rejection of such proposal by the boards of supervisors of any of the counties included in such proposed region, the plan may be altered in accordance with such action in order to provide for a regional library in such section of the state. The vote of a majority of the members-elect of the board of supervisors in each of the counties in such altered region shall be necessary for the adoption of such proposal.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 397.152 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.153 Board of trustees; membership, appointment, term, vacancies, expenses.

Sec. 3.

Upon the adoption of the regional library proposal, each board of supervisors shall name members to a library board, the members to be chosen from the citizens at large of each county with reference to their fitness for office. Not more than 1 member of the board of supervisors of each county shall be at any one time a member of said library board. Each county shall be entitled to 2 members on the regional library board, the members to be appointed for a term of 4 years each, except that the first members shall be appointed, 1 for 2 years and 1 for 4 years, or until their successors have been appointed. In the case of only 2 counties joining in the regional library, the library board shall consist of not more than 4 members from each county, each for a term of 4 years, except that the first members shall be appointed, 2 for 2 years and 2 for 4 years, or until their successors have been appointed. Vacancies in the board of trustees shall be filled in like manner as the original appointments. Members of the board of trustees shall receive no compensation except their actual and necessary expenses.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1947, Act 159, Eff. Oct. 11, 1947 ;-- CL 1948, 397.153 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.154 Repealed. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961.

Compiler's Notes: The repealed section provided for regional librarian and set forth qualifications.

397.155 Board of trustees; powers.

Sec. 5.

The board of trustees of each regional library so established shall have the following powers:

(a) To establish, maintain and operate a public library for the region.

(b) To appoint a professionally qualified librarian, and the necessary assistants, and to fix their compensation. Said board shall also have the power to remove said librarian and other assistants.

(d) To purchase sites and erect buildings, or to lease suitable quarters, and to have supervision and control of such property.

(e) To borrow books from and lend books to other libraries.

(f) To enter into contracts to receive service from or give service to libraries within or without the region and to give service to municipalities without the region which have no libraries.

(g) To have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected to the credit of the library fund.

(h) To make such bylaws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with this act as may be expedient for their own government and that of the library.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 397.155 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.156 Appropriation for regional libraries; budget, disbursement.

Sec. 6.

Sums necessary for the establishment and operation of regional libraries shall be provided by the boards of supervisors of each of the counties included in such region by an appropriation from the general fund of the respective counties, or by a tax levy for this purpose authorized by a vote of the qualified electors in each of the counties. A budget shall be proposed annually by the board of trustees of the regional library to the boards of supervisors of the counties in the region. Upon approval of such budget by a majority of each of said boards of supervisors, the proposed budget shall be effective in all counties in the region. All appropriations shall be paid to the board of trustees and disbursed under its direction by the county treasurer of the county designated by the regional library board as depository for the regional library fund.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1945, Act 20, Eff. Sept. 6, 1945 ;-- Am. 1947, Act 159, Eff. Oct. 11, 1947 ;-- CL 1948, 397.156 ;-- Am. 1956, Act 149, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.157 Cities exempt from act; notification when included in proposal.

Sec. 7.

Cities of a population of 5,000 or more, maintaining a public library, may be exempted from the provisions of this act on the filing with the state board for libraries of a request by the city legislative body based on action taken by them according to law. Where any such city is included in any regional library proposal the state board for libraries shall notify each city so included in writing of the provisions of this section 15 days before the reference of any regional library proposal under the provisions of section 2.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1945, Act 20, Eff. Sept. 6, 1945 ;-- CL 1948, 397.157 ;-- Am. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961

397.158 Municipal libraries; transfer to regional libraries.

Sec. 8.

After the establishment of a regional library as provided for in this act, the township board, the legislative body of any city or village, the board of education of any school district or the board of supervisors of any municipality in the region, already maintaining a public, school or county library, may notify the board of trustees of the regional library that such township, city, village, school district or county library may be transferred to, leased to, or used by said board of trustees of the regional library under such terms as may mutually be agreed upon between the said board of trustees and the respective township boards, city or village legislative bodies, boards of education or boards of supervisors.

History: 1931, Act 250, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 397.158

397.159 Repealed. 1961, Act 116, Eff. Sept. 8, 1961.

Compiler's Notes: The repealed section authorized state librarian to establish rules and regulations he deemed necessary.

Rendered 8/16/2025 6:34 AM
Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 5 of 2025
Courtesy of legislature.mi.gov