Chapter 19. Library

There is hereby established in the city a public library which shall hereafter be known as the "Bellaire City Library."

The city hereby accepts all gifts and donations of books and equipment heretofore made for the Bellaire City Library, with grateful thanks to the donors both of books and time, and it is ordained that such books and equipment, together with such additions as may be made from time to time, shall constitute and form the books and equipment of the Bellaire City Library.

(Ord. No. 389, § 2, 6-13-1951)

The Bellaire City Library Department is hereby established. The employees of the library shall be employed by the city manager, and in this connection he shall consider the recommendations of the library board. The city manager may discharge any employee of the Bellaire City Library.

(a) The city manager of the City of Bellaire, Texas is hereby authorized to establish, and from time to time may amend, reasonable rules and regulations for the use of the Bellaire City Library, including the regulations for issuance of a library borrower's card.

(b) No fee shall be imposed for the issuance of a library borrower's card to any person residing in the city and the rules and regulations for the use of the Bellaire City Library shall apply uniformly to all residents.

(c) It shall be the duty of each person who holds a library borrower's card issued by the Bellaire Library Department to notify the department of any change of residence address within five days after the change.

(Ord. No. 01-089, § 2(19-4), 11-19-2001; Ord. No. 24-072, § 1(App. A), 9-16-2024)

(a) The city manager of the City of Bellaire is hereby delegated and authorized to establish a fee schedule for the collection of fees for late, lost, and damaged library material and equipment loaned by the library; as well as any fees associated with the collection of funds for late, lost, and damaged library material and equipment; issuance of non-resident borrowers' cards, replacement of lost borrower cards; postage; in-depth reference services on a contractual basis; photocopying; telefacsimile services; sale of publications; rental and deposits on equipment; and charges for the use of materials and machine-readable data bases not owned by the library, major resource center, or regional library system for which the vendor or supplier has charged a borrowing fee. The city manager of the City of Bellaire shall be further authorized at any time to change or amend any fees, fee schedules, or other charges that may be required herein and/or to establish fees or fee schedules for other and differing services as contemplated or provided for in chapter 19 of the Bellaire City Code of Ordinances without further authorization or direction by the city council of the City of Bellaire.

(b) The city manager, in establishing a fee schedule, shall cause the same to be promulgated by filing a copy with the city clerk of the City of Bellaire and a copy of the fee schedule shall further be available to all library users at the Bellaire City Library.

(c) No person who is indebted to the City of Bellaire for any fine or fee imposed pursuant to this section shall be permitted to borrow any item circulated by the Bellaire City Library or be issued any renewal or replacement library card until such fine or fee has been fully paid.

(d) In the event of any conflict between any fee as provided for in any schedule promulgated by the city manager with any specified provision of chapter 19 of this Code, the schedule promulgated by the city manager in accordance with this section shall at all times be deemed controlling.

(Ord. No. 00-071, § 2, 8-21-2000; Ord. No. 24-072, § 1(App. A), 9-16-2024)