Sec. 22-35. - Established; location.

There is hereby established at 2501 Washington Avenue, in the space provided by the city, a public law library.

(Ord. No. 551, § 1; Ord. No. 635, § 1; Code 1961, § 21B-1; Ord. No. 4049-90; Ord. No. 6636-09)

Sec. 22-36. - Part of city library system; supervision; duties of director of libraries and information services.

The public law library shall be a part of the general library system of the city. The supervision and control of such law library shall be under the director of libraries and information services, who shall be charged with the duty of employing the necessary personnel and operating the law library in the same manner as all other branch libraries are operated by the city.

(Ord. No. 551, § 2; Ord. No. 635, § 2; Code 1961, § 21B-2; Ord. No. 2788-81; Ord. No. 3228-84, § 1)

Sec. 22-37. - Purchases generally; advisory committee for purchases.

Law books, legal reports and other legal material for the law library shall be purchased through regular municipal channels. In view of the technical subjects covered and in order to make the library of maximum value to all concerned, there is hereby created an advisory committee of three (3) members, who shall be attorneys at law, to be appointed by the city council for terms of two (2) years, which committee shall have the duty to select the books and material to be purchased by the library director.

(Ord. No. 551, § 3; Ord. No. 635, § 3; Code 1961, § 21B-3)

Cross reference— Purchases generally, § 2-552 et seq.

Sec. 22-38. - Appropriation prerequisite to purchases.

No purchase or contract to purchase books or other material for the law library shall be made unless funds are appropriated for the same by the city council.

(Ord. No. 551, § 4; Ord. No. 635, § 4; Code 1961, § 21B-4)

Sec. 22-39. - Availability of books, reports and papers to public and removal of same from library.

The books, reports and papers in the law library shall be made available, without cost, for zuse, research and reference by any citizen of the city. Such books, reports and papers shall not be removed from the library, except that books, reports and papers may be removed from the library upon written order of any of the judges of the courts of record or judges of courts not of record for temporary use by any of such judges, or by written request of the city attorney, any assistant city attorney, the commonwealth's attorney, any assistant commonwealth's attorney or the library director, for temporary use. After such authorized temporary use such books, reports, and papers shall be returned to the law library by the judge or other person who ordered or requested them or by any person ordered or directed by such judge.

(Ord. No. 551, § 5; Ord. No. 635, § 5; Ord. No. 875, § 1; Code 1961, § 21B-5)

Sec. 22-40. - Mutilating, defacing, etc., books, documents or papers.

It shall be unlawful for any person to mutilate, deface, destroy or, except as authorized by section 22-39, remove any book, document or paper belonging to the public law library. A violation of this provision shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor and, in addition thereto, the offender shall be required to pay to the city the damage to the books, papers or documents thus mutilated, defaced, destroyed or removed.

(Ord. No. 551, § 6; Ord. No. 635, § 6; Code 1961, § 21B-6)

Sec. 22-41. - Assessment of additional court costs to support library.

(a)

The city does hereby impose and provide an assessment, as part of the costs incident to each civil action filed in the courts located within the boundaries of the city, in the sum of four dollars ($4.00).

(b)

Assessments provided for in this section shall be collected by the clerk of the court in which the action is filed and remitted to the city treasurer and held by the treasurer, subject to disbursements by the city council for the acquisition of law books and law periodicals for the establishment, use and maintenance of a law library, which shall be open for the use of the public. Such disbursements may include compensation to be paid to librarians and other necessary staff for the maintenance of such library and acquisition of suitable quarters for such library.

(c)

The assessments provided for in this section shall be in addition to all other costs prescribed by law but shall not apply to any action in which the state or any political subdivision thereof or the federal government is a party and in which the costs are assessed against the state, political subdivision thereof or federal government.

(Ord. No. 486, §§ 1—3; Code 1961, §§ 12-3.1—12-3.3; Ord. No. 2769-81; Ord. No. 3928-89, § 1; Ord. No. 5388-00; Ord. No. 6041-04)

State law reference— Authority for above section, Code of Virginia, § 42.1-70.