GHANA LIBRARY BOARD ACT - 1970 (ACT 327)
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(1) There is hereby established, for the purposes of this Act a Board to be known as the Ghana Library Board.
(2) The Ghana Library Board, hereafter referred to in this Act as the "Board", shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.
(3) The Board shall have the power for the discharge of its functions to acquire and hold any movable or immovable property, to dispose of such property by lease or otherwise and to enter into any contract or other transactions.
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The functions of the Board shall be-
(a) to establish, equip, manage and maintain public libraries in Ghana;
(b) to take all such steps as may be necessary to discharge such functions; and
(c) to give effect to the principles and provisions of this Act.
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(1) At every meeting of the Board, the Chairman shall preside and in his absence the members shall elect a Chairman from among the number of members present at the meeting.
(2) (a) Every question before the Board at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present.
(b) Eight members shall form a quorum.
(c) The Chairman at any such meeting shall have an original as well as a casting vote.
(3) The Board shall meet for the despatch of business at such times and places as the Chairman may from time to time appoint, but shall meet at least once in every three months.
(4) The Chairman may at any time, and shall on the request in writing of three members of the Board, call a special meeting of the Board. If the Chairman is absent from Ghana or ill or otherwise incapacitated, the Director of Library Services shall, on being so requested in writing by three members of the Board, call a special meeting of the Board.
(5) The validity of any act of the Board shall not be affected by reason of the existence of any vacancy among its members, or any defect in the appointment of a member thereof.
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The Board may appoint special committees consisting of such number of persons as it may think fit-
(a) to whom it may delegate any of its administrative functions, and
(b) to discharge any function, subject to the other provisions of this Act, which may be referred to such committees by the Board.
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(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section there shall be a Director of Library Services, who shall be-
(a) appointed by the Minister responsible for Education upon such terms and conditions as he may determine with approval of the Cabinet; and
(b) as hereinbefore provided, a member of the Board and its chief executive.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section the Board may-
(a) from time to time appoint, upon such terms and conditions (including remuneration) as it may think fit such officers (except the Director of Library Services) and employees as it may deem necessary for the proper and efficient conduct of the functions of the Board;
(b) grant pensions, gratuities or retiring allowances to any officers or employees and may require officers and employees to contribute to any pension or superannuation scheme; and
(c) pay travelling and other allowances to its members, members of Regional Advisory Committees and of any other committee appointed under the provisions of this Act in connection with attendance at meetings of the Board or of such committees.
(3) The terms and conditions of appointment of officers, of pensions and superannuation scheme, the termination of appointment of officers (including the said Director) and the rate of travelling and other allowances for members of the Board and of committees appointed under this Act shall in every case be subject to the approval of the Government.
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(1) All rights assets and property vested in, or in any manner held on behalf of or for the purposes of the former Library Board (hereinafter referred to as "the former Library Board") established under the Gold Coast Library Board Ordinance (Cap. 118) as subsequently amended, immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall, after such commencement similarly vest in or be held on behalf of or for the purposes of the Board.
(2) All liabilities and obligations subsisting against the former Library Board immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall thereafter similarly continue to subsist against the Board.
(3) Every contract in respect of any matter, being a contract between the former Board and any other party immediately before the commencement of this Act shall thereafter similarly continue to subsist between the Board and such other party.
(4) Any person in the employment of the former Library Board immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall, thereafter and subject to any direction given by the Government, continue in the employment of the Board in the post and on the terms in and on which he was employed by the former Library Board and shall not be made to suffer arbitrary dismissal.
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Every person who occupies any office or shop to which this Act applies shall, if so requested by an Inspector, within one month serve on the Chief Inspector a notice containing the particulars set out in the Third Schedule.
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(1) The funds of the Board shall include-
(a) all moneys raised by the Board for general purposes;
(b) all moneys accruing to the Board either from the Ghana Government or from any Council, within the meaning of the Local Government Act, 1961 (Act 54), either by way of grant-in-aid or endowment or otherwise;
(c) all charges, dues or amounts received by the Board;
(d) all interest on moneys invested by the Board;
(e) all donations accruing to the Board for the general purposes of the Board from any other sources; and
(f) any other moneys accruing to the Board in the course of the operations of the Board.
(2) The funds of the Board shall be applied by the Board towards the furtherance of its functions provided for in this Act.
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The accounts of the Board up to the 30th day of June in each year shall be audited by the Auditor-General or an auditor to be approved by him and a copy of the accounts so audited shall, not later than the 30th day of September next following, be published in the Gazette and shall thereafter be submitted to the Government.
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So soon as may be after the 30th day of June in every year, the Board shall prepare a report of its activities during the year, and such report shall be published in such manner as the Minister responsible for Education may direct.
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(1) The Board may make rules subject to the approval of the Minister responsible for Education, generally for the better carrying out of the purposes of this Act.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such rules may provide-
(a) for regulating the use of any library under the management of the Board;
(b) for protecting any such library and the fittings, furniture and contents thereof from injury;
(c) for the giving of a guarantee or security by any person using such library; and
(d) for fees and penalties to be paid by any person borrowing books from such library.
(3) Any person who contravenes any rule made under the preceding provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty new cedis.
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The Gold Coast Library Board Ordinance (Cap. 118), subsequently amended is hereby repealed:
Provided that any statutory instrument made thereunder and in force immediately before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed on and after such commencement to be a statutory instrument made under this Act, unless otherwise repealed or amended under this Act.
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