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December 21, 2024 Clear | 18°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF THE MEEKINS LIBRARY TO THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSBURG.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:


SECTION 1. The trustees of the Meekins Library Corporation, incorporated by chapter 317 of the acts of 1907, are hereby authorized to grant by quitclaim deed to the inhabitants of the town of Williamsburg, a municipal corporation duly established by law and located in Hampshire county, the land and buildings of the Meekins Library and to delegate and transfer to the board of library trustees of the said town, upon establishment of said board, title, custody and possession of the contents thereof, and sole authority for operation as free public library for the inhabitants of said town of Williamsburg, of the library known as the Meekins Library, including without limitation custody, management and control of the library premises, books and other tangible personal property of said Meekins Library. Said board of library trustees is authorized to receive from any source, property, real or personal, or funds, by gift, bequest, devise or otherwise, in trust or otherwise, after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 2. Chapter 317 of the acts of 1907 is hereby amended by striking out section 2 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 2. The trustees of the Meekins Library Corporation shall consist of the trust and cemetery commission of the town of Williamsburg, as established by chapter 62 of the acts of 1991.

SECTION 3. Section 3 of said chapter 317 is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 5 to 8, inclusive, the words ", to an amount not exceeding in the whole one hundred thousand dollars, and to hold, use and expend the same under the trusts and for the objects set forth in said will" and inserting in place thereof the words:- and to hold, use and expend the same for the benefit of public libraries in the town of Williamsburg.

SECTION 4. Section 2 shall take effect as of the transfer of the land and buildings in accordance with section 1.

SECTION 5. The power granted by this act shall be exercised only in conformity with such decree, if any, of the probate court for Hampshire county, sitting in equity, or any other court of competent jurisdiction, as may be entered within nine months of the effective date of this act; provided that all the authority conferred by this act is hereby declared to be limited to such authority as the general court may constitutionally grant.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved September 12, 1997.