Section 16A in The West Bengal Public Libraries Act, 1979
16A. [ Sponsored public library. [Section 16A inserted by W.B. Act 24 of 1985.]
(1)Any library (other than [a Government public library]) functioning as a district library or sub-divisional library or town library or area library or rural library or primary unit library and receiving aid from the District Magistrate or the [District Mass Education Extension Officer] [Words substituted for the words 'District Social Education Officer' by W.B. Act 7 of 2003.] or the District Library Officer or any other officer of the Government towards the payment of salaries of its employees or for any other purpose, may be declared by the Government as a sponsored public library and thereupon the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder shall apply to such library.Explanation. - For the purposes of this sub-section, a "district library", "sub-divisional library", "town library", "area library", "rural library" or "primary unit library" shall respectively mean a library functioning as a district library, sub-divisional library, town library, area library, rural library or primary unit library in a district, by whatever name called, and recognised by the Government as such.(2)Any library which is not [a Government public library] [Words substituted for the words 'a public library or the State Central Library' by W.B. Act 41 of 1994.] may, on application in the prescribed manner, be declared by the Government as a sponsored public library and thereupon the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder shall apply to such library.(3)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), the Government may, if it considers necessary so to do, sponsor any library and declare it to be a sponsored public library and thereupon the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder shall apply to such library.Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-section, a library established under a scheme referred to in section 15 shall be deemed to be a sponsored public library.(4)Any library, not being a public library, registered or deemed to have been registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, or any library, not being a public library, established or managed by any society or association of individuals, registered or deemed to have been registered under that Act shall, on being declared to be a sponsored public library, cease to be a library registered or deemed to have been registered under that Act or a library established or managed by such society or association of individuals and thereupon the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder shall apply to such library.(5)The sponsored public libraries shall be managed m the manner prescribed.(6)The employees of the sponsored public libraries, as approved by the District Magistrate or the [District Mass Education Extension Officer] [Words substituted for the words 'District Social Education Officer' by W.B. Act 7 of 2003.] or the District Library Officer or the District Advisory Council for Social Education or the Director of Public Instruction or the Local Library Authority or the Director of Library Services, shall be deemed to be the employees of the Local Library Authority and the terms and conditions of service of such employees shall be such as may be prescribed.]
