§ 815. Supreme court library at Richmond. The law library for the
county officials of the county of Richmond, as now constituted and all
of the books therein, shall be the law library of the supreme court of
the state of New York in the thirteenth judicial district and shall be
in the care and custody and under the control of the justices of the
supreme court of the state of New York in the thirteenth judicial
district or a majority of them, not designated as justices of the
appellate division, who shall be the trustees thereof. The trustees
shall have power to receive by gift, devise or bequest any property
given or conveyed for the purpose of a law library and to hold and
manage and dispose of the same, and may make rules and regulations for
the management and protection of said library and prescribe penalties
for the violation thereof. They may sue for and recover such penalties
and may maintain actions for injury to said library. They may also
designate from among their number a library committee or committees, the
members of which shall have the power to administer the rules and
regulations prescribed by the said trustees. The trustees may employ and
appoint such persons as they may deem necessary for the proper care,
management and maintenance of said library and fix their salaries. The
library and the equipment shall also be available for the use of the
surrogate, family and criminal court judges, district attorney and other
county officials of the county of Richmond and the judges of the civil
court of the city of New York presiding in such county. The librarian
and the assistant librarian, shall, in addition to the duties of
librarian and assistant librarian, perform any and all duties as may be
required of or imposed upon them by said trustees. The trustees may also
procure proper furniture for the said library, purchase books therefor
and defray all the expenses incidental to its care and management. They
shall yearly ascertain the amount necessary for the aforesaid purposes
and certify it to the board of estimate who shall provide for raising
and paying the same.