The state law librarian shall have charge of and make distribution of the reports of the cases decided by the supreme court of appeals, after the same are printed and bound, and are approved by the reporter and the court. After any new volumes of such reports have been delivered to the librarian, not including reprints of former volumes, he shall distribute the volumes as follows: Five volumes to the governor; one volume to the president of the Senate; one volume to the speaker of the House of Delegates; twenty-five volumes to the attorney general; two volumes to each judge of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to each clerk to the judges of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to the clerk of the supreme court of appeals; one volume to the judge of each judicial circuit for each county in such judicial circuit; one volume to each of the judges of courts of limited jurisdiction; one volume to each judge of the United States district courts in West Virginia; one volume to each prosecuting attorney in this state; three volumes to the public service commission; five volumes to the state road commissioner; three volumes to the state tax commissioner; five volumes to the library of Congress, Washington, District of Columbia; one volume to the director of legislative services; twenty volumes to the college of law of West Virginia University; one volume to the law library at Charles Town; one volume to the Ohio county law library at Wheeling; two volumes to the department of archives and history; one volume each to the auditor, commissioner of agriculture, state treasurer, secretary of state and state superintendent of free schools; and one volume to the head of subordinate executive departments, boards, commissions and agencies at the state capitol.
The state law librarian shall arrange, as far as possible, to exchange one volume of the West Virginia reports for a volume of the current reports of the court of last resort of each state, the District of Columbia and the territorial possessions of the United States. He may further arrange for the exchange of such volumes with law schools for law reviews, law bulletins, reports and other legal publications. All such law reviews, law bulletins, reports and other legal publications so received shall become the property of the state of West Virginia unless otherwise so designated, and shall be placed by the librarian and safely kept in the law library at the state capitol.
The supreme court of appeals, or a judge thereof in vacation of the court, may order the librarian to distribute volumes of the West Virginia reports to any university or college on written request therefor; and may order him to distribute additional volumes to any officer, judge, court, tribunal, prosecuting attorney, institution, library, board, commission or agency now entitled to one volume of such report, or any such agency hereafter created, upon written request therefor made to the court. Such volumes shall remain the property of the state of West Virginia and volumes so received by them shall be turned over to their successors in office.
The supreme court of appeals, or a judge thereof in vacation of the court, on written request therefor and as such court or judge deems best, may order the librarian to distribute reprints of old volumes of the reports as replacements when requested.
The librarian is charged with and it shall be his duty to retain and keep safely five volumes of the reports in the state law library, at Charleston.
All volumes of the reports distributed as herein provided shall be sent by the librarian by mail, express, freight or otherwise as he may deem best: Provided, That such reports so distributed shall contain a receipt which, on return to the librarian, shall be kept on file.
W. Va. Code § 51-8-5