Retiring Guy's Digest: Getting to Know Chapter 43 of the Wisconsin State Statutes: Part 21, Consolidated County Libraries and County Library Services

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey Fiscal Year 2009

43.57 Consolidated county libraries and county library services.

(1) Consolidated county libraries.

(a) Establishment. 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.

(b) Gifts, bequests, endowments. 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 [note the use of the 'permissive' verb, i.e., not shall] 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.

(c) Public library system membership. A consolidated county library may become part of a federated multicounty system organized under s. 43.19.

(d) Contracting for services. A consolidated county library may contract with library organizations within this state or in adjacent states to provide or receive library services.

LINK

Green highlights denote library locations.

OK, not quite consolidated county library. Town of McMillan, the purple square in the southwestern corner of the map, became part of the South Central Library System in 2004 due to its proximity to Marshfield..

From the Town of McMillan website.

(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.

(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.

LINK

The Pierce County Library Service Brings Its Operations to a Close.

(4) Board appointment.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(d) Boards appointed under pars. (a) and (b) have the powers and duties of a library board under s. 43.58.

(5) Terms of office, compensation, officers, duties.

(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.

(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)

1. Members may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing their duties if so authorized by the board.
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.

(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.

(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.

(e) Section 43.52 (2) applies to consolidated county libraries and county library services.

(f) A library organized under this section may participate in a public library system subject to s. 43.15.

(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. 43.57

History
1985 Wisconsin Act 177