Chapter II Chapter II

The Kerala State Library Council

Constitution and composition of the Kerala State Library Council.—

1. (1) As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the Government may, by notification, constitute a Library Council for the State to be called the Kerala State Library Council which shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to enter into contracts, and shall by the said name sue and be sued.
2. (2) The State Library council shall consist of one member each from a taluk, elected by the general body of the District Library Council, of the members nominated by the Government, of whom one shall be a librarian, one shall be a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes and one shall be a woman and five officials who shall be, the Principal Secretaries or Secretaries to Government, as the case may be, of the Higher Education Department, the General Education Department, the Finance Department, the Cultural Affairs Department and the Local Administration Department or officers not below the rank of Deputy Secretaries of the respective Departments, nominated, as the case may be, by the concerned Principal Secretaries or Secretaries.
3. (3) There shall be an Executive Committee for the State Library Council consisting of twenty-five members of whom, fifteen shall be elected by the elected members of State Library Council, form among themselves, and the remaining ten members shall be the non-officials and officials referred to in sub-section (2).”]
4. (4) The Executive Committee shall meet at such times and at such places as the President of the State Library Council may decide and exercise such powers and functions as may be prescribed.
5. (5) The elected members of the Executive Committee shall elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint Secretary from among themselves to be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively of the State Library Council and of the Executive Committee.

Term of Office.—

1. (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the term of office of the members of the State Library Council, other than the ex-officio members, shall be [five years] from the date on which the Government notifies the constitution of the State Library Council in the Gazette: Provided that every member, other than an ex-officio member, shall continue to hold office until his successor assumes office.
2. (2) A member of the State Library Council shall not be eligible for re-election or re-nomination, as the case may be, for more than two terms consecutively.

Vacancies.—

1. (1) A casual vacancy caused by death, resignation or disability of a member or otherwise, in the State Library Council shall be filled as early as possible by election or nomination, as the case may be.
2. (2) Any person so elected or nominated to fill a casual vacancy shall hold office only so long as the member in whose place he is elected or nominated would have held office if the vacancy had not occurred.

Meeting of the State Library Council.—

1. (1) The State Library Council shall meet at least thrice a year on dates to be fixed by the President and one of such meetings shall be the annual meeting.
2. (2) The President may, whenever be thinks fit, convene a special meeting of the State Library Council for the transaction of urgent business.
3. (3) Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, a special meeting shall be convened by the President to discuss matters of urgent importance upon a written requisition by not less than one-third of the total number of members of the State Library Council.
4. (4) One-third of the total number of the members of the State Library Council shall be the quorum for a meeting of the Council.
5. (5) The President or, in his absence, the Vice-President or, in the absence of both, any member chosen by the members present from among themselves, shall preside over a meeting of the State Library Council.
6. (6) The President and the Vice-President shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed.

Procedure of State library Council.—

1. (1) The State Library Council shall transact business by resolutions passed in such manner and in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed.
2. (2) Copy of every resolution shall be forwarded to the Government within fifteen days of the passing of that resolution.
3. (3) The Government may call for any record or information regarding any resolution from the State Library Council and the Council shall be bound to furnish such record or information.
4. (4) The Government may, after giving reasonable notice to the State Library Council and after hearing its objections if any, suspend or cancel or modify any resolution passed by the Council.

Powers and functions of the State Library Council.—

1. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, the State Library Council may,—
   • (a) advise the Government on all matters connected with the administration of this Act;
   • (c) co-ordinate the working of the District Library Councils and the [Taluk Library Councils;]
   • (d) supervise and direct all matters relating to library service in the State;
   • (e) re-organize in a phased manner the library service in the State into an integrated library system with close linkages between the several limits as also to comprise book-banks and mutual loaning;
   • (f) with the prior concurrence of the Government establish one or more State Libraries or Children’s Libraries at such place or places in the State as may be considered necessary: Provided that the Trivandrum Public Library shall be deemed to be a State Library established by the State Library Council under this clause: Provided further that the Trivandrum Public Library shall continue to be a Department of the Government;
   • (g) organize children’

Secretary of the State Library Council.—

1. (1) The Secretary of the State Library Council shall be the chief executive authority of the State Library Council.
2. (2) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the State Library Council to give effect to the resolutions of the said Council unless they are suspended or cancelled or modified by the Government under sub-section
3. (4) section 7.
4. (3) Where a resolution passed by the State Library Council is modified by the Government under sub-section
5. (4) of section 7, the Secretary of the State Library Council shall give effect to the resolution as so modified by the Government.
6. (4) The Secretary of the State Library Council shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as are, or may be, conferred or imposed on him by the President of the State Library Council.
7. (5) Suits by or against the State Library Council shall be instituted by or against the Secretary of the State Library Council.
8. (6) The Joint Secretary shall assist the Secretary and shall perform such other functions as may be entrusted to him by the executive Committee.