The Sierra Leone Library Board Ordinance

6 of 1959. CHAPTER 293. SIERRA LEONE LIBRARY BOARD. ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS. SECTION.

CHAPTER 293. SIERRA LEONE LIBRARY BOARD. An Ordinance to Establish the Sierra Leone Library Board and for purposes connected therewith. [11TH JUNE, 1959.] 1. Short title. This Ordinance may be cited as the Sierra Leone Library Board Ordinance. Sierra Leone Library Board [Cap. 293 2. In this Ordinance- " the Board " means the Sierra Leone Library Board established under the provisions of this Ordinance; " the Minister " means the member of Executive Council for the time being charged with the responsibility for education; " the Chairman " means the Chairman of the Board duly appointed as such under the provisions of section 4. 3. So soon as may be after the commencement of this Ordinance there shall be established a Board to be known as the Sierra Leone Library Board which shall consist of a Chairman and fourteen other members. 4. The Chairman shall be appointed by the Minister and shall, subject to the pleasure of the Minister, hold office for such period as shall be stated in the Instrument by which he is appointed. 5. The other members of the Board shall be appointed by the Minister and shall, subject to the pleasure of the Minister, hold office for three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment. 6. When the Chairman is temporarily absent or incapacitated from performing the functions of his office a temporary Chairman shall be elected by the Board from among the members of the Board. Such temporary Chairman, upon election, shall have all the powers of and perform the duties of the Chairman of the Board. 7. Whenever any member of the Board appointed under the provisions of section 5 of this Ordinance is temporarily absent from Sierra Leone or temporarily incapacitated from performing his duties as a member by reason of ill-health or other cause, a temporary member may be appointed by the Minister to replace the absent member during his absence or incapacity as the case may be. Interpreta. tion. Establishment of the Sierra Leone Library Chairman. Members of the Board other than the Chairman and tenure of office. Temporary absence of Chairman. Temporary members. 8. (1) Whenever a vacancy occurs on the Board by reason Vacancies. of the death or resignation of a member appointed under the provisions of section 5 of this Ordinance such vacancy rnay be filled by the appointment by the Minister of a member who shall hold office, subject to the pleasure of the Minister, for the S.L.-VoL. V-47* Voting. Quorum. Meetings. Special meetings. remainder of the term of office of the member who has died or resigned. (2) The validity of any act of the Board shall not be affected by reason of the existence of any vacancy among its members or of any defect in the appointment of a member thereof. 9. (1) Every question coming before the Board at a meeting, except as provided in section 30 below, shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting. (2) The Chairman shall have an original vote and, where the votes are equally divided, a casting vote in addition to his original vote. 10. At a meeting of the Board the Chairman and five other members shall be a quorum. 11. The Board shall meet at least three times in each year and at such other times as may be required by Standing Orders made under the provisions of this Ordinance. 12. (1} The Chairman may by written notice at any time, and shall at the request in writing of any three members of the Board, call a special meeting of the Board for the purposes set out in such notice. (2) The Chairman shall, upon receipt of any such notice, summon a special meeting of the Board for such purposes at the earliest convenient date. 13. Committees. (1) The Board shall at its first meeting after its constitution, or re-constitution, elect an executive committee of five members for the expeditious despatch of such business as does not necessitate a meeting of the full Board. The Committee's actions shall, so far as is practicable, be subject to review by the Board and its minutes shall be sent to all members of the Board and, when duly approved, confirmed at the next full meeting of the Board. (2) The Chairman and the Secretary to the Board shall be ex officio members of the executive committee. (3) Notwithstanding the appointment of such a committee the Board may, by resolution passed at a meeting and recorded in the minutes thereof, delegate to the Chairman the routine administration of the affairs of the Board. Sierra Leone Library Board [Cap. 293 (4) The Board may in its discretion appoint such other committees or sub-committees as may be necessary to conduct any particular aspects of its business or to make recommendations thereon. 14. ( l) The Chief Librarian shall be Secretary to the Board s:cr~tar~ to and shall attend all meetings of the Board unless excused for t e oar · good cause by the Chairman. (2) The Secretary to the Board shall conduct the correspondence of the Board and keep the records thereof. (3) In the absence of the Secretary, the Chairman may appoint a suitable person to act as Secretary for a particular meeting or meetings. 15. Minutes of the proceedings of the Board shall be regularly :_m;tes ~f entered in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall upon e oar · approval be signed at the next ensuing meeting by the Chairman. 16. (1) The Board shall be a body corporate with perpetual I~ct~?~ati~ succession and a common seal and with power to sue and be 0 e oar · sued in its corporate name. (2) The Board shall have the power to acquire and to hold, manage and dispose of property whether real or personal, whether by investment or otherwise, and may enter into any contract necessary for the discharge of any of its functions under this or any other Ordinance: Provided that the Board shall not alienate, mortgage, charge or demise any of its immovable property without the prior consent of the Minister. 17. The common seal of the Board shall not be used or affixed to any document except in pursuance of a resolution passed at a duly constituted meeting of the Board, which shall be recorded in the minutes of such meeting. Seal of the 18. It shall be the duty of the Board to take all such steps Functions of the Board. as may be necessary to establish, equip, manage and maintain libraries in Sierra Leone. 19. The Minister may, after consultation with the Board, Directions hy the Minister. give to the Board directions of a general or specific character as to the exercise and performance by the Board of any of its Power to engage staff. Appointment of Government Officers to an office under the Funds. functions under the provisions of this Ordinance and the Board shall give effect to such directions. 20. Subject to the provisions of section 19 the Board may- (a) from time to time appoint upon such salaries, terms and conditions as it may think fit, such officers and employees (including a Chief Librarian) as may be necessary for the proper and efficient conduct of the operations of the Board; (b) grant pensions, gratuities or retiring allowances to any officer and employee, and may require officers and employees to contribute to any pension or contributory scheme. 21. The Governor may, subject to such conditions as he may impose, approve of the appointment of any officer in the Service of the Government of Sierra Leone to any office under the Board: Provided that, as respects pension and other rights as an officer of the Government, such officer shall be deemed to be in the Service of the Government while so employed. 22. (1) The funds of the Board shall include- (a) all moneys raised for the general purposes of the Board; (b) all moneys accruing to the Board from the Government or from any statutory corporation either by way of grant-inaid, endowment or otherwise ; (c) all charges due to or amounts received by the Board; (d) all interest or moneys invested by the Board; (e) all donations accruing to the Board for the general purposes of the Board: Provided that the Board shall not be obliged to accept a donation for a particular purpose unless it approves of the terms and conditions attaching to such donation: Provided further that if acceptance of a gift or grant would entail the expenditure of public funds the Board shall first obtain the approval of the Minister; (f) all other moneys lawfully derived by the Board from any other source whatsoever. (2) The funds of the Board shall be applied by the Board to- (a) the carrying out of all or any of its duties, functions and operations authorised under section 18 of this Ordinance; Sierra Leone Library Board (b) the remuneration of its auditors; (c) the payment of- [Cap. 293 (i) the salaries, allowances and expenses of its officers and employees; (ii) such allowances, including out of pocket expenses, as may be prescribed by the Minister for the Chairman and other members of the Board; (iii) such gratuities as may be awarded by the Board other than those prescribed in section 20 (b) of this Ordinance; (iv) such loans to officers or employees as the Board may from time to time approve in accordance with the purposes prescribed by the Minister for which loans may be made. 23. The Board shall keep accounts of its transactions to the Accounts. satisfaction of the Minister. 24. The Board may, with the approval of the Minister, write Bad debts. off as a bad debt any debt due to the Board which the Board considers is irrecoverable. 25. The accounts of the Board shall be audited by auditors Audit. appointed by the Board with the approval of the Minister. 26. (1} As soon as may be after the end of each year the R~p.orts to Board shall forward to the Minister a full report on the exercise ~~~~oand and performance by them of their functions during that year Aocom;ts together with a certified copy of the audited accounts of the Com=ttee. (2} The Minister shall lay such report together with the certified copy of the audited accounts of the Board on the Table of the House of Representatives. (3} The accounts of the Board together with the Auditor's report shall be examined by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives. (4} The Board shall furnish such 'returns, statistics, accounts and other information with respect to its property and activities as the Minister may from time to time require. Annual budget. Standing Orders. Regulations. Amendment of the constitution of the Board. 27. The Board shall in accordance with the notice given and in the approved form cause a budget for the ensuing year to be prepared and submitted to 'the Minister. The budget shall be subject to the approval of the House of Representatives and no expenditure shall be incurred in advance of such approval. 28. The Board, with the approval of the Minister, may from time to time make Standing Orders providing for the proper conduct of its business and for meetings of the Board. 29. The Minister, after consultation with the Board, may make regulations- (a) for regulating the use of any library under the management of the Board; (b) for protecting any such library and the books, fittings, furniture and contents thereof; (c) for the giving of a guarantee or security by any person using such library; (d) for the imposition of a fine or penalty upon any person who refuses or neglects to return or who loses or damages any book borrowed from a library under the management of the Board; and (e) generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Ordinance. 30. The Board may by vote of not less than three-fourths of the members present and voting recommend to the Minister that he approves an amendment of the constitution of the Board and the Minister may in his discretion approve or refuse to approve of any such amendment which is within the provisions of this Ordinance: Provided always that at least three months' clear notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given in writing to aU members of the Board.