Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964

4 Library authorities and areas

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, .each of the following local authorities shall be a library authority, that is to say—

(a) the council of a county or county borough;

(b) the council of a London borough, and the Common Council of the City of London;

(c) the council of a non-county borough or urban district where either—

(i) the council was a library authority immediately before the commencement of this Act, or

(ii) the council has been approved by the Secretary of State under section 6(3) below,

and any other local authority being a library authority immediately before the commencement of this Act shall at that commencement cease to be a library authority.

(2) The functions of a library authority as such shall be exercisable within an area (in this Act referred to as a " library area ") consisting of the administrative area of the authority, or—

(a) in the case of a county council, consisting of so much of its administrative area as excludes the library area of any other library authority, or

(b) in the case of a joint board established under section 5 below, consisting of the areas which, if the authorities constituting the board were library authorities, would form their library areas,

and may also be exercised elsewhere than within its library area if the authority thinks fit.