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§51-8-1. West Virginia law library; control and management.
The state law library now in the city of Charleston shall be known as the "West Virginia law library," and shall be wholly under the control and management and in the custody of the supreme court of appeals.

§51-8-2. Librarian; bond; assistants; compensation.
The supreme court of appeals, or the judges thereof in vacation, shall appoint a competent librarian to have immediate custody of the West Virginia law library under the direction of the court. Such librarian shall give bond in a penalty fixed by the court of not less than two nor more than five thousand dollars, with surety thereon, to be approved by the court, and conditioned as provided for official bonds. Such bond shall be deposited for safekeeping with the clerk of the court. The librarian shall be an officer of the court and shall hold his office and be removable at its pleasure. Vacancies in the office of librarian occurring during vacation of the court may be filled by appointment in writing made by the judges of the court, or any three of them. When, in the opinion of the court, other employees are needed for the proper protection and use of the library, it may employ such assistants as may be necessary for that purpose. The salary of the librarian and assistants shall be fixed by the court and shall be payable in monthly installments.

§51-8-3. Rules and regulations governing use of library.
The library shall be open under such rules and regulations as the court may prescribe from time to time, and it shall be the duty of the court to adopt such rules and regulations and to cause them to be published, as other rules of the court are published.

§51-8-4. Control of library by court; expenses.
The supreme court of appeals shall have the power and it shall be its duty, to purchase such new and additional books for the library as in its opinion shall be right and proper, and shall cause such exchanges or sales of books to be made as may be for the benefit of the library, and, in general, the court shall cause to be done and performed all things necessary and proper to keep the books of such library in good condition, and for that purpose may cause such catalogs to be made as may be necessary. All expenses necessarily incurred under the order of the court for the purposes of this article, including postage, freight and express charges, shall be paid out of appropriations for that purpose, under the order of the court.

§51-8-5. Distribution of West Virginia reports.
The state law librarian shall have charge of and make distribution of the reports of the cases decided by the supreme court of appeals, after the same are printed and bound, and are approved by the reporter and the court. After any new volumes of such reports have been delivered to the librarian, not including reprints of former volumes, he shall distribute the volumes as follows: Five volumes to the governor; one volume to the president of the Senate; one volume to the speaker of the House of Delegates; twenty-five volumes to the attorney general; two volumes to each judge of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to each clerk to the judges of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to the clerk of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to the judge of each judicial circuit for each county in such judicial circuit; one volume to each of the judges of courts of limited jurisdiction; one volume to each judge of the United States district courts in West Virginia; one volume to each prosecuting attorney in this state; three volumes to the public service commission; five volumes to the state road commissioner; three volumes to the state tax commissioner; five volumes to the library of Congress, Washington, District of Columbia; one volume to the director of legislative services; twenty volumes to the college of law of West Virginia University; one volume to the law library at Charles Town; one volume to the Ohio county law library at Wheeling; two volumes to the department of archives and history; one volume each to the auditor, commissioner of agriculture, state treasurer, secretary of state and state superintendent of free schools; and one volume to the head of subordinate executive departments, boards, commissions and agencies at the state capitol.

The state law librarian shall arrange, as far as possible, to exchange one volume of the West Virginia reports for a volume of the current reports of the court of last resort of each state, the District of Columbia and the territorial possessions of the United States. He may further arrange for the exchange of such volumes with law schools for law reviews, law bulletins, reports and other legal publications. All such law reviews, law bulletins, reports and other legal publications so received shall become the property of the state of West Virginia unless otherwise so designated, and shall be placed by the librarian and safely kept in the law library at the state capitol.

The supreme court of appeals, or a judge thereof in vacation of the court, may order the librarian to distribute volumes of the West Virginia reports to any university or college on written request therefor; and may order him to distribute additional volumes to any officer, judge, court, tribunal, prosecuting attorney, institution, library, board, commission or agency now entitled to one volume of such report, or any such agency hereafter created, upon written request therefor made to the court. Such volumes shall remain the property of the state of West Virginia and volumes so received by them shall be turned over to their successors in office.

The supreme court of appeals, or a judge thereof in vacation of the court, on written request therefor and as such court or judge deems best, may order the librarian to distribute reprints of old volumes of the reports as replacements when requested.

The librarian is charged with and it shall be his duty to retain and keep safely five volumes of the reports in the state law library, at Charleston.

All volumes of the reports distributed as herein provided shall be sent by the librarian by mail, express, freight or otherwise as he may deem best: Provided, That such reports so distributed shall contain a receipt which, on return to the librarian, shall be kept on file.

§51-8-6. Exchange of acts of the Legislature for acts of the legislatures of other states; distribution.
The librarian shall arrange as far as possible with each of the other states for the exchange of two copies of the acts of the West Virginia Legislature for acts of the legislature of each state, one of which copies received from each state shall be deposited in the state law library at Charleston, one copy in the library of the college of law of West Virginia University, and the other copies if any, so received from any other state, to be disposed of as the supreme court of appeals shall direct.

The division of purchases, department of finance and administration, upon requisition of the librarian, shall, without cost, furnish such librarian with sufficient copies of the acts to make the exchanges provided for by this section.

§51-8-7. Accounts and reports of librarian.
The librarian shall keep full and complete account of all money transactions in connection with such library and of the receipt of all books therein, and shall perform such other duties in connection therewith as may be ordered by the court. The librarian shall make an annual report to the court within thirty days after the close of each fiscal year, in which he shall state the number of copies of reports and session acts received by him, and what disposition he made thereof, and also what money came into his hands, and from what sources, during the preceding fiscal year.

§51-8-8. Authority to establish county law libraries; under control of circuit judge; rules.

     The Supreme Court of Appeals may establish county law libraries which once established, are wholly under the management of the circuit judge, with the assistance of the circuit clerk. The Supreme Court of Appeals may determine the appropriate number of law libraries that will be in operation as well as the location of the libraries and may expend funds for the purchase of books or other expenses necessary for the operation of the county law libraries.

     All county law libraries in operation shall be kept current and the cost of the libraries, other than for provision of adequate space, shall be borne by the state and paid from the judicial branch appropriation. The county libraries shall be available for use by the public subject to reasonable rules as may be adopted by the circuit judge. County commissions shall provide adequate space for the county libraries. §51-8-9. Accounts and reports relating to county law libraries.
The administrative director of the supreme court of appeals, with the cooperation and assistance of each circuit clerk, shall keep full and complete account of all money transactions in connection with the various county law libraries and of the receipt of all books and other documents lodged in such libraries and shall perform such other duties in connection therewith as may be ordered by the supreme court of appeals. Such administrative director shall make an annual report to the supreme court of appeals within sixty days after the close of each fiscal year, in which he shall state the number of copies of reports, acts of the Legislature and all other books and documents received by each county law library and the disposition made thereof. Such report shall also set forth what money came into his hands during the preceding fiscal year.

§51-8-10. Law clerks.
Any circuit court heretofore authorized by special act of the Legislature to appoint a law clerk or law assistant shall continue to have such authority, and all of the provisions of any such special act or any other special acts amendatory thereof shall continue to apply, and any such law clerk or law assistant shall receive the salary most recently authorized in any such special act, until changed by such circuit court, with the approval of the supreme court of appeals, by order entered of record, but such salary shall be paid out of the state treasury.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session