Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act, 1948

No: 24 Dated: Feb, 06 1949

THE TAMIL NADU PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACT, 1948

(Tamil Nadu Act XXIV of 1948)

An Act to provide for the establishment of public libraries in the State of Tamil Nadu and the organization of a comprehensive rural and urban library service therein.

Whereas it is expedient to provide for the establishment of public libraries and the organization of a comprehensive rural and urban library service, in the State of Tamil Nadu, it is hereby enacted as follows: -

Preliminary

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act, 1948.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Tamil Nadu.

(3) This section shall come into force at once; and the rest of this Act shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification, appoint.

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context -

(1) 'aided library' means a library declared by the Director to be eligible for aid from the Government;

(2) 'Director' means the Director of public Libraries appointed under section 4;

(3) 'district' means a revenue district;

(4) 'Government' means the State Government;

(5) 'notification' means a notification published in the Fort St. George Gazette;

(6) 'Prescribed' means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(7) 'State' means the State of Tamil Nadu;

(8) 'public library' means a library established or maintained by a Local Library Authority, and includes the branches and delivery stations of such a library; and

(9) 'year' means the financial year.

The State Library Committee.

3. State Library committee and its functions. - (1) A State Library Committee shall be constituted by the Government for the purpose of advising them on such matters relating to libraries as they may refer to it.

(2) The committee shall be constituted in such manner, and shall exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be prescribed.

The Director and His Duties

4. Appointment and duties of Director. - The Government shall appoint a Director of Public Libraries for the 2 State, and he shall, subject to their control -

(a) manage the central library, being a library constituted by the Government as the central library or an existing Government library recognized by them as the central library, together with the branches of such library;

(b) superintend and direct all matters relating to public libraries;

(c) declare, in accordance with the rules made under this Act, what libraries are eligible for aid from the Government and superintend and direct all matters relating to such libraries;

(d) superintend and control the work of all Local Library Authorities under this Act;

(e) submit to the Government every year a report on the working of libraries under this Act in the previous year; and

(f) Perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are imposed or conferred by this Act or the rules made thereunder.