Marvin Mandel, Governor                       1443

(7) All final actions of boards [if] of library trustees shall be
taken at public meetings. The minutes of board meetings shall be
made available for the public.

173.

(a) General powers and duties.—Except as otherwise provided in
Section 171, the board of library trustees in any county or desig-
nated local governmental unit as provided in [Section 171B] Sec-
tion 171 (b) of this subtitle shall have the following general powers
and duties:

(1)    To determine the policy of the library;

(2)    To adopt bylaws for the conduct of its business, and to choose
its own officers ;

(3)    To make reasonable rules and regulations for the use of the
library;

(4)    To select and appoint a professional librarian as director
and establish personnel policies for the library subject to the pro-
viso that no qualified applicant be discriminated against on the basis
of race, color, sex, creed or political affiliation, (i) To adopt policies
regarding staff classification, salaries, and benefits including vaca-
tion, sick leave and hours of work. In those counties where there
is a local personnel or civil service agency having responsibility for
personnel policies and practices for county government employees,
the county board of library trustees shall utilize the services of the
agency and request its advice in setting up personnel policies and
procedures, (ii) To suspend or dismiss without appeal any profes-
sional or clerical employee of any library established or operating
under the provisions of this subtitle, on the written recommenda-
tion of the library director, for immorality, misconduct in office,
insubordination, incompetency, or wilful neglect of duty, provided
that the charges be stated in writing, and that the employee be
given an opportunity to be heard by the board upon not less than
ten days' notice; provided further that in all cases when the board
is not unanimous in its decision to suspend or dismiss, the right
of appeal shall lie to the State Superintendent of Schools.

(5)    To advise in the preparation of the budget and approve it;

(6)    To establish libraries, and to develop library service where-
ever needed;

(7)    To receive, account for, control and supervise, in accordance
with its duly adopted budget and the regulations of the local govern-
ing body, the expenditure of all public funds received by the library;

(8)    To cooperate with and utilize the services of the fiscal agen-
cies of the local governing body and seek the advice of those agencies
in establishing sound fiscal policies and practices;

(9)    To receive, hold and possess, or sell and dispose of, all such
gifts, donations, devises, bequests, and legacies as may be made to
the county commissioners, or the trustees, for the purpose of estab-
lishing, constructing, increasing, or improving such public library.
In all such cases, the board of library trustees shall act as trustees
and shall have control of such gifts, devises, bequests, and legacies,
and may apply the proceeds, interests, rents, and profits accruing