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Washington Statutes, Title 27

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Title 27, LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS, AND HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES

12 chapters · 153 sections in this title.

All chapters in Title 27153 Ch 27.12, Public libraries.55 Ch 27.34, State historical societies—Historic …30 Ch 27.53, Archaeological sites and resources.16 Ch 27.24, County law libraries.11 Ch 27.04, State library.7 Ch 27.15, Library capital facility areas.7 Ch 27.44, Indian graves and records.6 Ch 27.18, Interstate library compact.5 Ch 27.40, Thomas Burke Memorial Washington Sta…5 Ch 27.54, Semiquincentennial committee.5 Ch 27.20, State law library.3 Ch 27.48, Preservation of historical materials.3

55 sections·Filtered byTitle 27✕Ch 27.12✕

RCW 27.12.010 Definitions.
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As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: (1) "Governmental unit" means any county, city, town, rural county library district, intercounty rural library district, rural partial-county library district, or island library district; (2) "Intercounty r…
RCW 27.12.020 Policy of state.
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It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state, as a part of its provision for public education, to promote the establishment and development of public library service throughout its various subdivisions. [ 1935 c 119 s 1; RRS s 8226-1. FORMER PART OF SECTION: 1941 c 65 s 2;…
RCW 27.12.025 Authorization.
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Any governmental unit has power to establish and maintain a library, either by itself or in cooperation with one or more other governmental units. [ 1941 c 65 s 2; 1935 c 119 s 3; Rem. Supp. 1941 s 8226-3. Formerly RCW 27.12.020, part.]
RCW 27.12.030 Libraries, how established.
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A library may be established in any county, city, or town either (1) by its legislative body of its own initiative; or (2) upon the petition of one hundred taxpayers of such a governmental unit, the legislative body shall submit to a vote of the qualified electors thereof, at the…

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RCW 27.12.040 Rural library districts—Establishment—Proposed maximum levy rate.

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The procedure for the establishment of a rural county library district shall be as follows: (1) Petitions signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters of the county who voted in the last general election, outside of the area of incorporated cities and towns, asking tha…

RCW 27.12.050 Rural library districts—Board of library trustees—Tax levies.

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(1) After the board of county commissioners has declared a rural county library district established, it shall appoint a board of library trustees and provide funds for the establishment and maintenance of library service for the district by making a tax levy on the property in t…

RCW 27.12.060 Rural library districts—General powers.

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A rural county library district shall be a public corporation with such powers as are necessary to carry out its functions and for taxation purposes shall have the power vested in municipal corporations for such purposes. [ 1984 c 186 s 6; 1983 c 167 s 19; 1980 c 100 s 1; 1955 c …

RCW 27.12.070 Rural county library districts or rural partial-county library districts—Disbursement of revenues and collection of taxes.

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The county treasurer of the county in which any rural county library district or rural partial-county library district is created shall receive and disburse all district revenues and collect all taxes levied under this chapter. [ 1993 c 284 s 3; 1984 c 186 s 7; 1973 1st ex.s. c 1…

RCW 27.12.079 Disincorporation of district located in county with a population of two hundred ten thousand or more and inactive for five years.

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See chapter 57.90 RCW.

RCW 27.12.080 Regional libraries.

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Two or more counties, or other governmental units, by action of their legislative bodies, may join in establishing and maintaining a regional library under the terms of a contract to which all will agree. The expenses of the regional library shall be apportioned between or among …

RCW 27.12.090 Intercounty rural library districts—Establishment.

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Intercounty rural library districts may be established to provide throughout several counties free public library service similar to that provided within a single county by a rural county library district. [ 1947 c 75 s 1; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 8246-1.] Notes: Dissolution—Disposition…

RCW 27.12.100 Intercounty rural library districts—Establishment—Procedure.

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An intercounty rural library district shall be established by joint action of two or more counties proceeding by either of the following alternative methods: (1) The boards of county commissioners of any two or more counties shall adopt identical resolutions proposing the formati…

RCW 27.12.110 Intercounty rural library districts—Expansion of existing districts.

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An existing rural county library district may be expanded into an intercounty rural library district or an established intercounty rural library district may be expanded to include additional counties by joint action of all counties included in the proposed expanded district take…

RCW 27.12.120 Intercounty rural library districts—Assumption of property, assets, liabilities.

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All property, assets and liabilities of preexisting library districts within the area included in an intercounty rural library district shall pass to and be assumed by an intercounty rural library district: PROVIDED, That where within any intercounty rural library district hereto…

RCW 27.12.130 Intercounty rural library districts—Board of trustees.

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Immediately following the establishment of an intercounty rural library district the boards of county commissioners of the counties affected shall jointly appoint a board of five or seven trustees for the district in accordance with RCW 27.12.190. The board of trustees shall appo…

RCW 27.12.140 Intercounty rural library districts—Name may be adopted.

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The board of trustees of an intercounty rural library district may adopt a name by which the district shall be known and under which it shall transact all of its business. [ 1947 c 75 s 6; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 8246-6.]

RCW 27.12.150 Intercounty rural library districts—Tax levies.

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Funds for the establishment and maintenance of the library service of the district shall be provided by the boards of county commissioners of the respective counties by means of an annual tax levy on the property in the district of not more than fifty cents per thousand dollars o…

RCW 27.12.160 Intercounty rural library districts—District treasurer.

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The board of trustees of an intercounty rural library district shall designate the county treasurer of one of the counties included in the district to act as treasurer for the district. All moneys raised for the district by taxation within the participating counties or received b…

RCW 27.12.170 Intercounty rural library districts—Powers of board—Procedures.

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Except as otherwise specifically provided intercounty rural library districts and the trustees thereof shall have the same powers as are prescribed by RCW 27.12.040 through 27.12.070, for rural county library districts and shall follow the same procedures and be subject to the sa…

RCW 27.12.180 Contracts for library service.

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Instead of establishing or maintaining an independent library, the legislative body of any governmental unit authorized to maintain a library shall have power to contract to receive library service from an existing library, the board of trustees of which shall have reciprocal pow…

RCW 27.12.190 Library trustees—Appointment, election, removal, compensation.

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The management and control of a library shall be vested in a board of either five or seven trustees as hereinafter in this section provided. In cities and towns five trustees shall be appointed by the mayor with the consent of the legislative body. In counties, rural county libra…

RCW 27.12.192 Library trustees—Seven member rural county library district boards.

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In any county with an adopted home rule charter and one million or more residents, the board of trustees of a rural county library district will be made up of seven members who are appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the county legislative authority. Members shall …

RCW 27.12.210 Library trustees—Organization—Bylaws—Powers and duties.

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The trustees, immediately after their appointment or election, shall meet and organize by the election of such officers as they deem necessary. They shall: (1) Adopt such bylaws, rules, and regulations for their own guidance and for the government of the library as they deem expe…

RCW 27.12.212 Community revitalization financing—Public improvements.

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In addition to other authority that a rural county library district or intercounty rural library district possesses, a rural county library district or an intercounty rural library district may provide any public improvement as defined under RCW 39.89.020, but this additional aut…

RCW 27.12.215 Job recruitment expenditures authorized.

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The trustees of a library or a library district have the authority to spend funds to recruit job candidates. The trustees have the authority to reimburse job candidates for reasonable and necessary travel expenses including transportation, subsistence, and lodging. [ 1979 ex.s. c…

RCW 27.12.220 Rural, island, and intercounty rural districts—Budget for capital outlays—Accumulation of funds.

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The trustees of any rural county library district, any island library district, or any intercounty rural library district may include in the annual budget of such district an item for the accumulation during such year of a specified sum of money to be expended in a future year fo…

RCW 27.12.222 Rural, island, and intercounty rural districts—General obligation bonds—Excess levies.

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A rural county library district, intercounty rural library district, or island library district may contract indebtedness and issue general obligation bonds not to exceed an amount, together with any outstanding nonvoter approved general obligation indebtedness, equal to one-tent…

RCW 27.12.223 Bonds—Sale—Security for deposit.

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Bonds authorized by RCW 27.12.222 shall be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW. All such bonds shall be legal securities for any bank or trust company for deposit with the state treasurer or any county or city treasurer as security for deposits in lieu of a suret…

RCW 27.12.240 Annual appropriations—Control of expenditures.

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After a library shall have been established or library service contracted for, the legislative body of the governmental unit for which the library was established or the service engaged, shall appropriate money annually for the support of the library. All funds for the library, w…

RCW 27.12.260 Annual report of trustees.

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At the close of each year the board of trustees of every library shall make a report to the legislative body of the governmental unit wherein the board serves, showing the condition of their trust during the year, the sums of money received for the library fund from taxes and oth…

RCW 27.12.270 Rules and regulations—Free use of libraries.

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Every library established or maintained under *this act shall be free for the use of the inhabitants of the governmental unit in which it is located, subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the trustees find necessary to assure the greatest benefit to the greatest num…

RCW 27.12.280 Use by nonresidents—Exchange of books.

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The board of trustees of a library, under such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary and upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, may allow nonresidents of the governmental unit in which the library is situated to use the books thereof, and may make exchange…

RCW 27.12.285 Library services for Indian tribes.

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The legislature finds that it is necessary to give the several boards of library trustees in this state additional powers in order to effectuate the state's policy with regard to libraries as set forth in RCW 27.12.020. On and after March 27, 1975 the board of library trustees in…

RCW 27.12.290 Violators may be excluded.

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A board of library trustees may exclude from the use of the library under its charge any person who wilfully and persistently violates any rule or regulation prescribed for the use of the library or its facilities or any person whose physical condition is deemed dangerous or offe…

RCW 27.12.300 Gifts—Title to property.

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The title to money or property given to or for the use or benefit of a library shall vest in the board of trustees, to be held and used according to the terms of the gift. [ 1935 c 119 s 18; RRS s 8226-18. Prior: 1909 c 116 s 20; 1901 c 166 s 20.]

RCW 27.12.305 Sale of library materials authorized—Disposition of proceeds.

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Any public library, including the state library created pursuant to chapter 27.04 RCW, shall have the authority to provide for the sale of library materials developed by the library staff for its use but which are of value to others such as book catalogs, books published by the l…

RCW 27.12.310 Charter provisions superseded.

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Every existing free public library shall be considered as if established under *this act, and the board of trustees and the legislative body of the governmental unit in which the library is located shall proceed forthwith to make such changes as may be necessary to effect complia…

RCW 27.12.320 Dissolution—Disposition of property.

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(1) A library established or maintained under this chapter may be abolished upon the petition process found in subsection (3) of this section. (2) If a library of a city or town is abolished, the books and other printed or written matter belonging to it shall go to the library of…

RCW 27.12.321 School district public libraries abolished—Disposition of assets.

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School district public libraries organized under chapter 119, Laws of 1935, as amended prior to *this 1965 amendatory act, are hereby abolished as of January 1, 1966. All assets belonging to any school district public library abolished by this section shall go to the rural county…

RCW 27.12.330 Penalty for injury to property.

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Whoever intentionally injures, defaces, or destroys any property belonging to or deposited in any public library, reading room, or other educational institution, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. [ 1935 c 119 s 16; RRS s 8226-16. Prior: 1909 c 116 s 11; 1901 c 166 s 11.]

RCW 27.12.340 Wilfully retaining books—Infraction.

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It is a class 4 civil infraction for any person to wilfully retain any book, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, manuscript, or other property belonging in or to any public library, reading room, or other educational institution, for thirty days after notice in writing to return the s…

RCW 27.12.350 Executory conditional sales contracts for purchase of property—Limit on indebtedness—Election, when.

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See RCW 39.30.010.

RCW 27.12.355 Rural county library district, island library district, or intercounty rural library district—Withdrawal or reannexation of areas.

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(1) As provided in this section, a rural county library district, island library district, or intercounty rural library district may withdraw areas from its boundaries, or reannex areas into the library district that previously had been withdrawn from the library district under t…

RCW 27.12.360 Annexation of city or town into rural county library district, island library district, or intercounty rural library district—Initiation procedure.

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Any city or town with a population of three hundred thousand or less at the time of annexation may become a part of any rural county library district, island library district, or intercounty rural library district lying contiguous thereto by annexation in the following manner: Th…

RCW 27.12.370 Annexation of city or town into library district—Special election procedure.

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The county legislative authority or authorities shall by resolution call a special election to be held in such city or town at the next special election date according to RCW 29A.04.321, and shall cause notice of such election to be given as provided for in RCW 29A.52.355. The el…

RCW 27.12.380 Annexation of city or town into library district—Withdrawal of annexed city or town.

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The legislative body of such a city or town which has annexed to such a library district, may, by resolution, present to the voters of such city or town a proposition to withdraw from said library district at any general election held at least three years following the annexation…

RCW 27.12.390 Annexation of city or town into library district—Tax levies.

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The annual tax levy authorized by RCW 27.12.050, 27.12.150, and 27.12.420 shall be imposed throughout the library district, including any city or town annexed thereto. Any city or town annexed to a rural library district, island library district, or intercounty rural library dist…

RCW 27.12.395 Annexation of city or town into library district—Assumption of liabilities.

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(1) All liabilities of a city or town that is annexed to a rural county library district or intercounty rural library district, which liabilities were incurred for the purpose of or in the course of acquiring, operating, or maintaining a library or libraries, may, if provided for…

RCW 27.12.400 Island library districts—Establishment—Procedure.

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The procedure for the establishment of an island library district shall be as follows: (1) Petitions signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters of the island, outside of the area of incorporated cities and towns, asking that the question, "Shall an island library dis…

RCW 27.12.410 Island library districts—Restrictions on establishment.

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An island library district may not be established if there is in existence a library district serving all of the area of the county not included within the area of incorporated cities and towns. [ 1982 c 123 s 3.]