DONATION BOOK AND CATALOGUES.

The first reference in the Minute Book to a catalogue is under date 8th June, 1657: “The library keeper this day brought in catalogues of the books w^ch were affixed. Sixpence was ordered to bee given to a boy for pasting up the Catalogues.” It may perhaps be assumed that these catalogues were written lists which were displayed in the Library.

At the meeting on Jan. 11th, 1657, an order was given for “a book consisting of 3 q^rs of thick venice paper, to be bound up to make a book to contain Catalogues of the bookes in the library,” and “Mr. Collinges was desired to keep the office of library keeper untill the aforesaid book be bought and the Catalogues made.”

On Dec. 13th, 1658 “The library keeper brought in a paper book ruled containing a Classicall and an alphabetical catalogue of all y^e bookes in the library” . . . “He further informed them that hee had laid out 3^s for paper and 4^s. for y^e ruling & binding y^e said book, in all 7^s w^ch is more then he received 2^s 10^d. That he had procured 2 catalogues to be wrote in it fairly, that for y^e catalogue of Comentators it was begun & should before y^e next meeting be pfected by his own hand.” This book has fortunately been preserved, and is in good state. It is a folio volume, measuring 13½ by 9½ inches, and is in three sections. The first section is a classified catalogue of the books on the east side of the Library, which were arranged in two groups of sizes, (1) Folio, divided into ten classes, and (2) Quarto and Octavo, divided into four classes. At first an attempt was made to classify the books according to subjects, the classification of the folios being I Bibles; II and III Old Commentaries, etc.; IVa Theology, IVb History; V Canon Law; VI The Fathers; VII Lexicons, Dictionaries, etc.; VIII Reformation Commentaries; IX Ecclesiastical History; X Miscellaneous. The four classes in the quarto and octavo section were not grouped according to subjects. A heading was started in

the catalogue for a classification of the books on the west side, but that part of the work was not done. The second section is an author catalogue of the books with two columns, the numbers in the first column denoting the class and those in the second the book. The third section of the catalogue, ruled in double columns, has a heading in Latin, to this effect: “Catalogue of the authors whose books are to be found in the Library of Norwich, who either illustrated the whole book of Sacred Scripture or any part of it with their most illuminating annotations or commentaries. The column towards the left indicates the authors who have written on the whole Book, the other indicates those who have written on any part of it.” Following the names of the authors are the class and book numbers.

At the meeting on July 11th, 1659, “The library keep brought in a Catalogue of the bookes & Benefactors names fairly written in a parchment booke; For the wrighting wherof hee pd to the cleark 7^s; For the repaymt of w^ch monye it was aggreed every minister should pay viijd: w^ch monye was paid by as many as were then present.” This catalogue or “Donation Book” is a folio volume measuring 14 3/4 by 9½ inches, and is bound in rough calf, with three small brass clasps. Later, in the Minute Book it is generally referred to as the Vellum Book. In it are entered in chronological order the names of the donors, the date of each gift, brief author and title entries of the books, and frequently their date and place of publication. The entries are all very clearly written, from the date of the first donation in 1608, the year of inauguration, to 1737. Facsimiles of the title-page, with the initials “J.S.” in the lower corners, and two typical pages face this page. The lettering of these pages is characteristic of the period, and shows the decadence of the art of manuscript writing.

In the “Extracts from the Court Books of the City of Norwich, 1666-1688,” edited by Mr. Walter Rye, there is one on Jan. 15, 1669, stating that “Mr. Thos. Morly, clerk, keeper of the Library of the City, brought in a catalogue of all the books there,” but there is no reference to this in the Library Minute Book. On January 12th, 1673, however, the ministers “did appoynt y^t M^r Norgate should ag^t their next meeting bring in a Catalogue of the Bookes to be dd to the Court and y^t he

shall see y^t the Bookes given to the Library in his time be fayrely written in the Vellam-booke appoynted to y^t purpose.” It is evident, therefore, that reports regarding the stock of books had to be made to the Court.

The first printed catalogue was an author catalogue, with brief particulars of about 923 volumes, and was printed in 1706/7. On December 3rd, 1706, it was “Ordered then that y^e Alphabeticall Catalogue of y^e City Library be printed by the Widow Burges,” and on February 4th, 1706/7, when Joseph Brett was Library Keeper he “brought in the Catalogue of Books, printed, w^ch cost two p^ds sixteen shillings & three pence & he was allow’d also a shilling for printing an advertisement.” This catalogue, which is exceedingly scarce, [47] is entitled “A Catalogue of the Books in the Library of the City of Norwich in the year 1706.” It is a crown 8vo volume, consisting of 38 pages. The catalogue proper is preceded by an alphabetical list of the benefactors to the Library, giving the dates of their donations, and abbreviations of their surnames, (e.g., Ad. for Adamson, All. for Allen). The entries in the catalogue are extremely brief, and frequently occupy only one line. Each entry is preceded by an abbreviation for the author’s name, and is followed by the class and book numbers.

In the preface it was confessed that while the catalogue would be useful to the members of the Library, the “great motive, and main end of Publishing this Catalogue was to encourage donations to the Library.” Possessors of the catalogue were recommended to interleave it with “spare paper, on which may be added such books as shall be given, it may serve for many Years, even till the number of Books here be doubled, which when, (as is greatly to be wished for) it shall be, a new Edition of the Catalogue may be expected.”

The cost of the catalogue involved the members in debt. Under the date May 2nd, 1709, in the Minute Book is the following memorandum: “It is this day Agreed by us whose Names are underwritten y^t y^e fourteen shillings & three pence now paid by M^r Herne the

present library keeper to M^r Joseph Brett to clear his disbursem^ts for catalogus &c for y^e service of y^e Library shal be repaid y^e said M^r Herne by the succeeding Library keeper upon his Election unles paid before.” A further memorandum dated May 6th, 1709, shows that a book was sold to raise the money: “Rec^d of the Under-library keeper Fourteen Shillings for S^r Walt^r Raileigh: A super-numerary book sold to M^r. Lillington by order of the Society which is tow^ds ye discharge of the above sd 14s 3d paid to Mr. Brett by me. W. Herne.”

The second edition of the author catalogue was compiled by Benjamin Mackerell, the late Library Keeper, and published in 1732, the preface being dated April 15th, 1732. Mackerell closely followed the plan of the previous catalogue, using part of the preface for his “Dedication” “To the Right Worshipful Robert Marsh, Esqr; Mayor, The Worshipful The Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of Norwich.” The entries are limited to one line each, and there is a column showing the sizes. The catalogue consisting of 54 printed pages, and measuring 8½ by 6½ inches, is entitled “A New Catalogue of the Books in the Publick Library of the City of Norwich, in the year 1732, to which is added, An Account of the Orders prescribed by the Court and Common Council for the regulation of the same, together with an account of Mr. John Kirkpatrick’s Roman and Other Coins,” printed by William Chase, in the Cockey Lane. Neither of the two copies of this catalogue in the Library contains the account of Kirkpatrick’s coins, and Mr. F. Kitton, the compiler of the 1883 catalogue, had not seen a copy containing it. As all the pages of the catalogue except the last one have a catchword it is reasonable to assume that the account of the coins was not included.

The next catalogue was published in 1817 as a supplement to that of the “Public Library” where the City Library was housed. Unfortunately the present writer has been unable to trace a copy of this catalogue, which, however, is recorded in Samuel Woodward’s “Norfolk Topographer’s Manual,” 1842: “A Catalogue of Books belonging to the Norwich City Library, which, by permission of the Corporation, are now deposited in the Norwich Public-Library Room; 35 pp., 8 vo. Norwich (1817).” This catalogue, according to a paragraph in the Catalogue of

the Public Library, 1825, had an “alphabetical arrangement, in divisions of languages and sizes.” Perhaps this catalogue served as the “copy” for the catalogue of the City Library which is printed at the end of the “Second Catalogue of the Library of the Norfolk and Norwich Literary Institution,” 1825, pp. 105-137, as its arrangement is by languages and sizes. This arrangement not being “calculated to be conveniently accessible” it was deemed advisable by the Committee of the Public Library that “it should be subjected to the same scientific arrangement as the books which are the property of the Public Library; and in order to prevent the obvious inconvenience of two references, the Committee have included both sets of works under the same arrangement, distinguishing those which are the property of the Corporation . . . by a prominent and appropriate designation,” i.e., the letters C. L. in black letter. This catalogue is a classified catalogue with the following nine classes, seven of which are subdivided, and the arrangement in each class is alphabetical by authors’ names: I. Theology; II. Ethics, Metaphysics, and Logic; III. Sciences and the Arts; IV. Jurisprudence, Government, and Politics; V. History and Biography; VI. Geography, Topography, Voyages and Travels; VII. Polite Literature and Philology; VIII. Poetry and Dramatic Works, Novels and Romances; IX. Transactions of Literary and Scientific Societies, Reviews, Magazines and Reports.

A new edition of the Public Library Catalogue was published in 1847, the arrangement being the same as in the preceding one.

The Library books having been repaired in 1879 and 1880, the City Committee decided in 1882 to issue a new catalogue, with the view of making the books accessible to the citizens. The work of compiling the catalogue was entrusted to Mr. Frederic Kitton, Hon. F.R.M.S., an eminent microscopist of his day, who resided in Norwich for many years, but who apparently had no bibliographical knowledge or library experience. This appointment was made in the days when it was the common fashion to regard the work of compiling a library catalogue as within the capacity of any intelligent person; whereas there are, in fact, many rules to be observed, and much practical experience is necessary if the

thousand and one pitfalls which beset the path of the cataloguer are to be avoided. The catalogue [50a] was on much more ambitious lines than its predecessors, and the compiler claimed to “have carefully copied the title pages, retaining their abbreviations, antique spelling, inaccuracies, or other peculiarities.” An examination of it, however, shows that it abounds in inaccuracies, and exhibits most of the errors that can be made in an author catalogue. A catalogue of the City Library compiled in accordance with modern bibliographical practice is still a desideratum.