(a) In order to provide funds for the maintenance of a public law library heretofore established in DeKalb County, a library fee of three dollars fifty cents ($3.50) shall be paid in all causes and cases of whatever nature in the circuit and district courts of the county, to be collected as other court costs are collected and paid at the same time as docket or filing fees are paid. All of the funds collected under this section shall be transmitted to the County Law Library Fund of the county by the tenth of each month following their collection. This fee shall be in lieu of any other court cost collected in the county for public law library purposes.

(b) The management of the law library is vested in the presiding circuit judge for the county, and the presiding judge or his or her designee shall administer the law library. The presiding judge shall draw warrants on the county treasury for expenditures indicating thereon the funds against which the funds are drawn.

(c)(1) Funds available to the law library shall be expended, in the discretion of the presiding circuit judge, to provide furniture, fixtures, supplies, and equipment, for the library and for any area used for the storage of library books or other library property, and to keep the same in a good state of maintenance and repair; to establish, enlarge, expand, and improve the library and its facilities and equipment; to provide books, reports, and periodicals for the library, including computer disks, electronic subscription services, and other technologies available to law libraries: to pay the compensation of a librarian or assistant; and to make such other expenditures as may be appropriate for the operation of the library.

(2) All property purchased with the funds produced by this section shall be the property of DeKalb County, Alabama; provided, however, that the presiding judge may from time to time sell, exchange, or discard such books, reports, and periodicals as may be necessary to keep the library up to date and shall apply the proceeds of any sale for use of the library. The presiding circuit judge may accept on behalf of the law library any gift or loan of any property upon terms and conditions as may be stipulated by the donor or lender thereof and as may be agreeable to the judge.