FOUNDATION AND HISTORY.
According to the judicious Norfolk antiquary John Kirkpatrick, who accumulated vast collections of material relating to Norwich, “There was a design of erecting a Public Library in this City, in the reign of Edward the Fourth, as appears by this legacy, in the will of John Leystofte, vicar of St. Stephen’s church, here, A.D. 1461, namely,—“Item. I will that, if a library be begun in Norwich, within two years after my decease, I bequeath to the same, my book called
Repyngton.” [a][4] Kirkpatrick was unable to say whether the legacy was effected, and no record remains.
The first City Library of which there is any record was founded on the 3rd May, 1608, and by the following order of Assembly which was then recorded, it will be observed that it had an ecclesiastical basis, like so many libraries of previous centuries: “Ordered, with the consent of Jerrom Goodwyne, sword-bearer, that iij chambers, parcel of his dwelling-howse, which he hath by lease of the cyttie, shal be converted to a lybrary for the use of the preachers, and for a lodging chamber for such preachers as shall come to this cittie, to preach on the sabboth-dayes, and at other tymes, in the common place, and elsewhere, within this cittie; where the said Jerrom Goodwyn shall fynd beddyng, lynnynge, and other necessaries for lodging, for the preachers that so shall come, during their abode in the cittie for the intent aforesaid: which said romes for the lybrary shal be made fytt at the charge of this cittie; and the said Goodwyn to allowe one of his servants to attende the preachers. In consideration whereof, the said Goodwyne shal be allowed yearly the rent which he now payeth, and his lease, notwithstanding, to stand good for the terme therein expressed.” [a/][a][4]
The Library, however, was not intended solely for ministers. The wording of the title-page of the first donation book, commenced in 1659, states that it was founded for students: “Bibliotheca publica Norvicensis communi studiosorum bono instituta incœpta et inchoata fuit Ano Domini MDCVIII.” (See reproduction, facing page 46). Moreover, the list of the early members of the Library includes the names of people who were not ministers. Facing pages 4 and 6 are facsimiles of the two pages in the Minute Book bearing signatures of early members who subscribed to the rules of the Library. Perhaps the most notable autographs are those of Charles Trimnell, Bishop of Norwich, William Whiston, translator of Josephus, and chaplain to John Moore, Bishop of Norwich, Thomas Tanner, Bishop of St. Asaph, and Benjamin Mackerell, a Norfolk antiquary and Librarian of the Norwich Public Library.
To Judge by the existing records, the City had then received no books for placing in the rooms. Mr. J. C. Tingey, [5a] however, considers it “rather strange that when, in 1608, three rooms were fitted up for the reception of the library at the New Hall there should be no existing books to be placed in the presses, though promises of donations may have been given. As a matter of fact the compilers of the old catalogues mention several works without being able to say by whom they were presented, and as many of these were printed in the 16th century it is not impossible that some of them constituted a primary stock. On the other hand many books whose donors are unknown were issued after the library was inaugurated, so of these it is certain that they were presented later.” The number of works whose donors are not stated in the first printed catalogue of 1706 is 51, but in the second printed catalogue of 1732 the donors of 36 of these are stated, so there remain only 15 works in the first printed catalogue of which the donors are unknown. Of these fifteen one was printed after the establishment of the Library, and so the primary stock suggested by Mr. Tingey could not have consisted of more than 14 works.
There is a hiatus in the records of the Library proceedings from its establishment to 1656. Possibly the books presented to the Library from 1608 to 1656 were simply allowed to accumulate in the Library rooms, without any regulations in regard to their use and safe-keeping. That the books were sadly neglected is very evident from a codicil to the will dated September 18th, 1655, of John Carter, Rector of St. Laurence’s Church, Norwich, giving to the Library “divers books, etc.” He revoked his bequest by the following codicil, and “instead thereof gave £5 to each of the three united parishes of St. Laurence, St. Swithin, and St. Margaret, for a stock of coals for ever”: “nowe seeinge (to my no small grief) that that library is locked up, ministers shut out of it, and that it is never like to be of publique use againe, but that the books are devoted to the wormes, dust, and rotteness, to the dishonour of God, the damage of the ministry, and the wrong of the benefactors, the dead, and the living, &c.” [5b]
By 1656, the year of Carter’s death, the Assembly had evidently realised the necessity for making regulations for the use of the Library, and had drawn them up before the 16th January in that year, when it was “ordered that the Articles moved touching the ordering of the Library be continued.”
On the ninth day of the following month eight ministers met at the Library, when they received the “Orders” of the Council for the regulation of the Library, and having subscribed to them, they were admitted to the use of the Library. At this meeting they ordered two frames for the “Orders”; that Mr. John Collinges should be Library Keeper until January, 1657; that each minister admitted to the use of the Library should pay 12d. quarterly; and that “a book should be bought for registring the acts of the mins at their severall meetings in the Library, and sheets of parchment fit for the engrossing of the orders, and that the library keeper be desired to provide these against the next meeting.” This minute book is still in the City Library, but it has been overlooked by all previous writers of notices of the Library. It commences with the proceedings of the meeting on the 9th February, 1656, and records the meetings until April 3rd, 1733. As the Assembly Minute Books for the years 1632 to 1682 are missing the actual “orders” previously mentioned cannot be quoted, but fortunately the other end of the Minute Book was used to write in the declaration of admission and the rules for the conduct of the Library. They are as follows:—
“We whose names are hereunto annexed upon our admission to ye use of ye Publick Library in ye City of Norwch, in Complyance wth an Act of ye Common Council of ye said City dated ye 16th January 1656, do faithfully engage and promise,
“Imprimis That we will not at any time Carry out of ye said Library any booke belonging to it.
“2 ly That we will not Leave any booke belonging to ye said Library (after our using it) out of its due place, nor write any thing in any of ye bookes, nor Leave them wth any Leaves turned downe.
“3 ly That we will not prejudice any other pson by our use of ye said Library, to which purpose we shall not at any time delay our going to ye Library after ye receipt of ye Keyes from ye Keeper, nor ye restoring them when we Come out of ye said Library.
“4 ly That we shall as to all these Articles be Responsabl for our friends who shall goe wth us to ye said Library, as for our selves.
“5 ly We shall (being duly Chosen thereto) not above once in seaven yeares, discharge ye office of Library-Keeper.
“6 ly We shall faithfully pay our proportions to ye under-Keeper of ye said Library quarterly, and also our equall share wth ye rest of our brethren in all Charges they shall be at for ye better preserving of ye said Library.
“All these things we shall endeavour faithfully to observe & keep, if through our negligence we shall fail in any of them, we Agree to subject our selves to ye Penalties mentioned in ye orders Confirmed by the Court of Common Councill in ye said City.”
The Library at this time was clearly a Reference Library, and its maintenance partly depended on the members who agreed to pay their “proportions” of 12d. quarterly, and also their equal share in any charges made for the “better preserving of the Library.” The earlier entries in the Minute Book give a fair record of the proceedings at the meetings: they record the names of the members present, the names of new members admitted to the use of the Library, the quarterly payments of the members, the donations of books, books purchased with money given to the Library, duplicate books exchanged for other books, the appointments of the Library Keepers and Under Library Keepers, and other matters connected with the administration of the Library; but the fulness of the entries gradually diminishes until the records are little more than lists of members present, and notes of quarterly payments.
The meetings were held monthly, and on February 6th, 1656, it was resolved that the meetings should be held on the second Monday in each month between 2 and 3 o’clock. At that meeting a levy on the members was recorded: “All the mins present at this meeting deposed Sixpence a piece in Mr. Collinges hand towards the providing of frames and parchment for the orders for the regulation of the library, in all 5/-: and
ordered such as were not present if admitted already, or such as hereafter should be admitted, should at their admission or next appearing at meeting lay down so much towards the frames and parchment aforesaid, and the buying of a book to register the Acts of the mins in.”
That the members were permitted to enjoy the fragrant weed on the library premises is evident from an entry under date October 12th, 1657: “Threepence was laid out for tobacco pipes,” and on April 1st, 1690 it was recorded, “That Mr. Pitts is this day discharged from ye office of Library Keeper, and is endebted to ye under=Library=Keeper for his 2 years for fire, candle, pipes, pens, ink and paper, nine shillings.”
From many records it is obvious that the City Authorities closely controlled the administration of the Library. According to the Minute Book on January 12th, 1673, the members “consented yt Mr Riveley and Mr Morley should attend yppon the Court to craue their Order for appoynting the time for ye Ministers Meeting at the Library for future to be uppon the first Tuesday in every moneth.” The request was granted. On 29th March, 1673, the Court ordered “36s. to be paid for six Russia leather chairs for City Library.” [8]
The library receipts from fees and charges are not regularly entered, but throughout the Minute Book there are occasional records of receipts and payments, and under date March 3, 1684, is the following: “This day ye account of ye Last year was stated. The Library keeper had received 4ll 3s & 4d and had expended 4l 11s 10d—due to Him 8s 6d.”
Either as a means of raising additional money for the Library or of securing a better attendance of members at the meetings it was ordered on Jan. 15th, 1677 “that all persons that will continue the use & benefitte of the librarie shall pay for every omission of meeting upon the day appointed the forfeiture of 2 pence, no excuse to be admitted for absence; & the said forfeitures are to be dispos’d of every halfe year according as the major part of psons at yt meeting shall determine.” The Minute Book does not show that the fines for absence were usually disposed of half-yearly, but the following memorandum
was made therein on April 1st, 1690: “That this day we present cast up ye forfeitures of ye two last years, viz. 1688, 1689 And the several persons are indebted in all two pounds, ten shillings & four pence as appears by ye particulars in ye Book of forfeitures.”
For the first 108 years of the Library’s existence it remained a reference library, and books were not lent, but surreptitious borrowing probably took place occasionally. At any rate on December 2nd, 1684, the following memorandum was made: “That Bp J. Ushers treatise de Macedonum et Assyriorum [Asianorum] anno solari was missing this meeting yt was, by ye under-library-keepers attestation here the last meeting and has bin missing this three weeks, ’tis desired that he that has it would be pleased to restore it, and not to do any such thing as is contrary to wt he hath subscribed.” By 1716 the members had considered it desirable to allow the borrowing of books for home reading, and on May 7th, 1716, occurs the following record of the petition of the members to the City Court:
“This Society having requested ye Court to give leave yt an order might be made to render ye Library more usefull it was accordingly ordered by ye Court
“Norwich. At an Assembly held the third day of May Anno Dnj 1716
“The Petition of ye Clergy about ye Books in ye Library is now agreed to, so as such care be taken by ye Library-keeper yt there be no loss of ye Books.
P Cur: Chappell.
“The Articles or Conditions of borrowing any book out of ye Library are order’d to be written in ye first leave of a Register to be provided for ye use of ye Society.”
“These Articles or Conditions are fortunately written at the end of the Minute Book, and are as follows:
“First, That every Person taking out any Book, shall enter ye same into a Book to be provided for yt purpose.
“2dly: That He shall be obliged to return ye same Book or Books wthin one month from ye time of borrowing, & enter ye return of ye sd Book in a Column of ye Register opposite to that wherein ye borrowing of ye sd Book is mention’d.
“3dly: That No Person shall have above ye Number of three Books (from this Library) at one time, unless ye leave of ye Society be first Ask’d & obtain’d.
“4thly: That if any damage be done to any Book, He in whose hands it is shall make it good, & to prevent disputes, if ye Book be damag’d before taken out of ye Library it shall be shown to ye Under=library=Keeper.
“5thly: That there be some Persons appointed to assist ye Upper Library Keeper in calling over ye sd Books ye first Monday of January next, & so yearly & every year, & yt ye Library Keeper shall have power to send for & call in such Books as are ytt abroad, & every person in whose hands any Books have been above ye limited time of one Month at such days of calling over ye sd Books shall forfeit two shillings & six pence to be applied to such use as ye Society shall adjudge proper.
“6thly: That No Person shall be admitted to ye use of this Library, (Those of this Court excepted) Nor have ye liberty of borrowing any Book from ye sd Library who are not already, or shall not hereafter be admitted to ye use of ye sd Library according to ye usages & Customs of the Society Now in great measure entrusted wth ye Care & Charge of ye Books of ye sd Library, except such Person shall first give unto ye sd Library ye sum of fourty shillings or Books to yt value.
“7thly: Tis agreed yt there be two fair Catalouges made, One to be & remain wth ye Court of this City, & ye other to be kept in ye Library, yt ye Library Keeper do get ye sd Catalouges made wth all convenient speed, yt ye Books be rang’d into some method & order, yt ye Library Keeper shall take in such assistance as is wanting, & his charge & trouble be allow’d according to ye discretion of ye Society.”
These rules show that borrowers were permitted to record the books they borrowed, that they were allowed to retain them for a month, that damaged books should be reported to the Under Library Keeper before being taken away, and that a stocktaking fine of 2s. 6d. was provided for in the event of books not being returned in the January of each year.
The Minutes between 1716 and 1731 chiefly record formal matters, and little of note regarding the administration of the Library. On February 7th, 1731, “It was then unanimously agreed that the Members meet for the future on the first Tuesday
in every Month at two o’Clock in ye afternoon.” On the 7th of the following month two delinquent borrowers were dealt with: “Whereas the Revd Mr. Francis Johnson took some time since the Works of Bishop Bull in 4 volumes 8vo out of this Library, & has return’d only ye 1st, 3rd & 4th Vols & instead of ye 2d Sherlock on providence, it Was then Order’d, that that shd be return’d him again, & that he be requir’d either to send back ye sd 2d vol. or take the remaining three, & send an entire Sett. Order’d likewise that Mr Morrant be requir’d to return B-p. Stillingfleets Origines Sacrae, being ye 2d vol. of his works, Long since taken out by Him.”
The regulations for the administration of the Library were again revised in 1732/3 by the City Council: [11]
“At an ASSEMBLY held on Feb. the 24th, 1732/3. the Right Worshipful the MAYOR, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common-Council this Day assembled, for the better Regulation of the Publick Library, have unanimously appointed the following ORDERS to be observed, upon Pain of Exclusion from the said Library.
“ORDERED, That the Catalogues already printed be Six Hundred; and that one Half of them be kept in the Town-Clerk’s Office, to be delivered out to the Members of the Corporation; and the other Half be left in the Library, to be delivered out to the Subscribers.
“ORDERED, That the Books in the said Library be Annually called over, in the first Week of June, in the Presence of the Chamberlain; and that such books as are found to be Duplicates, be sold by the Chamberlain and Library-Keeper; and that the Money arising by Sale thereof, be laid out in the Purchasing of such Books as shall be thought proper by the said Subscribers.
“ORDERED, That after the said Annual Call is finished, the Subscribers to the said Library, upon their next Monthly Meeting, have Liberty to choose a Library-Keeper for the Year ensuing.
“ORDERED, That on the Reception of any Book or Books given to the said Library, the Donor’s Name shall be written on the inside Cover of the Book, and that the Library-Keeper shall Register the same in the Vellum Book.
“ORDERED, That no Person shall have more than Three Books out of the said Library at one Time, nor keep them longer than one Month, without the Consent of the Majority of the Subscribers present at their Monthly Meeting: And that an Account of every Book Lent, and the Return thereof, be duly made and enter’d in a Book for that Purpose.
“ORDERED, That every Person who shall be admitted to the Use of the said Library, shall declare his full and free Consent to comply with the said Orders, as far as to him may appertain, according to the true Intent and Meaning of the same; and particularly with the following Orders or Articles, by subscribing his Name in the said Library-Book upon his Admission: And also that all the said Orders, and the following Articles, shall be entred in the said Library-Book, viz:
“First, That every Subscriber upon Admission shall pay to the Under Library-Keeper one Shilling, and also one Shilling Quarterly, for his Care of, and Attendance at the said Library: And every Subscriber shall also pay his Proportion of all Charges that may be thought necessary by the Subscribers, for the better preserving of the Books in the said Library; or shall be excluded the Use thereof.
“Secondly, That if any Book be lent out, and lost or damaged, the Borrower shall be obliged to make good such Loss or Damage.
“Thirdly, The Subscribers have Leave to meet the first Tuesday in every Month, to inspect the said Library, and take out such Books as they may have Occasion for, then or at any other Time; and see that the said Orders and Articles be duly observed.
“Per Curiam,
“LODGE.” [i.e., Nehemiah Lodge, Town Clerk].
The Minute Book which finishes on April 3rd, 1733, is silent regarding these new regulations, but Benjamin Mackerell (Librarian of the City Library from 1724 to 1731) writing in 1737 shewed that they did not result in improving the management of the Library:
“For some few years it has been a Lending Library and some persons have had books two or three years together contrary to an order to the contrary. Here is no salary given by the city for anyone to take care and the charge of the books upon him only the keys thereof are left at the house of the Clark of St. Andrews Parish, and any man may be admitted that will but give him twelve-pence a quarter, but unless the Corporation would be at the expence of a salary for any sober discreet person to take the charge of the said books upon himself and have the sole custody of them, and pecuniary mulcts inflicted upon such as break the orders already made, there is little hopes of keeping the books there, or in any good order long together, besides this is also made use of upon the account of the trustees for the Charity Schools who frequently meet here, notwithstanding there are so many more convenient rooms in the said hall. Especially that in which the Grand Jury meet in at every Assizes. Persons may borrow two books out of this Library at a time but ought not to keep them above one month without giving notice to the Library keeper.” [13a]
Mackerell’s remarks, and the fact that the Minute Book was not filled, seem to indicate that the Library was neglected for some years. On September 21st, 1801, the Assembly complied with the request of the Committee of a subscription library, with the misnomer “Public Library” (established in 1784 in St. Andrew’s Hall) by granting them leave “to have the use of the books in the City Library, to be kept under the care of their Librarian apart from other books, the President giving a receipt for the safe return of the same on demand.” [13b] The City Committee reported to the Assembly in 1805 “that the books in the City Library have not of late been carefully preserved, that some valuable works have been mutilated and others lost or mislaid.” [13c] The Assembly thereupon rescinded the order of September 21st, 1801, requested the President and Committee of the “Public Library” to “make good all losses and injuries,” and committed the custody of the City Library to
the Steward. In 1815 the City Library was again entrusted to the “Public Library.” Ten years afterwards, the “Public Library,” which still housed the City Library, was removed to a building in St. Andrew’s Street. The admission fee to this Library in 1825, as stated in the Catalogue of the Library of that date, was five guineas, and the annual subscription was one guinea. This Catalogue contains the following rules regarding the City Library:
“LIV. The books belonging to the City Library having been deposited in the Library Room of the Public Library, by permission of the Corporation, are accessible to the subscribers, and may be delivered out under a written order of the president, or vice-president, countersigned by an officer of the Corporation.
“LV. The Librarian shall have charge of the books belonging to the City Library, and shall procure the necessary authority for the delivery of books to subscribers applying for them.
“LVI. The books belonging to the City Library shall be returned to the Librarian every quarter day; and the same fines and penalties shall apply to subscribers not attending to this regulation, or to losing, lending or injuring books belonging to the City Library, which are laid down by the laws for the protection of the books belonging to the Public Library.”
In the same catalogue it was stated that the City Library was under the particular inspection of the Mayor and seven members of the Council who constituted the Library Committee of the Corporation. “The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Norwich, for the time being, is an Honorary Member of the Public Library; and the Members of the Library Committee of the Corporation, together with the Speaker of the Commons, the Town Clerk, and the Chamberlain, if not already Members of the Society, have the privilege of constant access to the Library Rooms during their continuance of office.” [14] These rules were in force in 1847, and were reprinted in a new edition of the Catalogue printed in that year. The members of the rival subscription library, called “The Norfolk and Norwich Literary Institution,” which was established in 1822, were also allowed to borrow
books from the City Library, by an order from the Chamberlain of the City. [15a] In 1835 the “Public Library” with the City Library was removed to a new building opposite the north door of the Guildhall, on the site of the present Norfolk and Norwich Subscription Library.
Ostensibly the City Library was adequately cared for by the “Public Library,” but in reality it was greatly neglected. At a meeting of the Council on July 10th, 1856, the Town Clerk read a report from the City Library Committee, stating that they had inspected the books of the City Library, and “considered them in a very disorderly and dirty condition, that they could not be compared with the catalogue till they were re-arranged. They recommended that a grant of £25 should be made for the rearrangement of the books, and that Mr. Langton [the Librarian] be employed for that purpose.” [15b] In the discussion that ensued Mr. Ling said some of the books “were lying on the floor, damaged by dust and cobwebs, and an extremely valuable manuscript of Wickliffe’s Bible was in a bad state.” [15c] Mr. Brightwell suggested that the City Library would be a capital foundation for the Free Library, and the matter was referred back for the consideration of the City Library Committee. Those interested in the “Public Library” strove hard to retain the City Library, and on November 20th, 1856, the following memorial signed by the President was presented to the Council and discussed:—
To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of Norwich, in Council assembled. [15d] The Memorial of the Committee of the Norwich Public Library
Sheweth,—That at a quarterly assembly of the Corporation, held June 19th, 1815, a certain Report of the Library Committee was agreed to, and consent given for the city books to be taken to the Public Library under the direction of the same Committee.
That your memorialists have learned with deep regret that it is contemplated to apply to the Council for power to remove the city books to the Free Library.
That upon the faith of their tenure of these books, as long as the conditions imposed were satisfactorily complied with, various sums of money, to a considerable amount, have from time to time been expended by your memorialists from the funds of the Public Library in their preservation.
That the books of the City Library have been embodied in the catalogues of 1825 and 1847, under the same scientific arrangement as the books which are the property of the Public Library, distinguishing those which are the property of the Corporation by a prominent and appropriate designation; and that therefore by the removal of the City Library, the catalogue, to which your memorialists have recently published the first appendix, will be rendered quite useless and an expense, otherwise unnecessary, will be incurred.
That although the books of the City Library were recently found in a very dusty condition; yet that during the 40 years they have been in the custody of your memorialists, they have suffered no deterioration from damp, loss, or otherwise.
That the contiguity of the Public Library to the Guildhall affords the greatest convenience of application to the Town Clerk for permission to take out books from the City Library, and of the access of the Library Committee of the Corporation to inspect their property.
That it is in contemplation to place a fire in the room appropriated to the City Library, and further to improve it by the insertion of a large bay-window, which will make it a light and cheerful place for all who need reference to these ancient and valuable books.
That your memorialists venture to point out the entire unsuitableness, in their judgment, of works in learned languages, on abstruse subjects or in black letter, to the objects of the Free Library.
And your memorialists therefore pray that the books of the City Library be allowed to remain, as heretofore, in their keeping.
Signed on behalf of the Public Library Committee.
Norwich, Nov. 10th, 1856.
G. W. W. FIRTH, President.
Edward Edwards, in his monumental “Memoirs of Libraries,” 1859, (vol. 1, p. 739) printed the above memorial which he said carried “its refutation on its face.” “On so puerile a production,” he continued, “it were idle to waste words. One remark, however, may be appropriate in anticipation of the history and objects of the Act of Parliament in pursuance of which the Free City Library of Norwich has been created. No Institution established under that Act can with justice address itself to any “class” of the population in particular. Rate-supported Libraries are ipso facto “Town Libraries.” Their cost is defrayed by ratepayers of all degrees. It is the imperative duty of every Town-Council so to manage them as to make them conduce, in the utmost possible measure, to the researches, the pursuits, and the profit of every class of the townspeople. For some readers it may also be desirable to add that the
so-called “Public” Library by whose managers this Memorial is drawn up, is Public in name only.”
Notwithstanding the persistent attempts of the “Public Library” on futile pretexts to retain the City Library, the Council on February 17th, 1857, decided by a large majority in favour of the removal of the City Library to the new library building under its own control. Even then the Free Library Committee had difficulty in securing the books, and it was only after their repeated applications that the City Library was installed in the Library in 1862. Mr. John Quinton, the Librarian of the Norfolk and Norwich Literary Institution, superintended the removal of the books, and arranged them in their new quarters. The book-plate in the volumes was printed from a wood-block engraved by his daughter, Miss Jane Quinton, a student of the Norwich School of Art, which at that time occupied the top floor of the Library. The books were shelved in cases on the ground floor until 1879 when they were removed to their present glass cases in the News Room.
The Council on the 17th March, 1868, agreed to the recommendation of the City Committee “that the Wyckliffe Bible and other books be committed as a loan into the custody of the trustees of the [Norfolk and Norwich] Museum, proper provision to be made for the exhibition and preservation thereof.” [17] Several manuscripts and printed books were sent to the Museum, and Mr. J. J. Colman, the Mayor in that year, presented to the city a glass case for the exhibition of the books.
In 1872 the Norfolk and Norwich Law Library, which had just been established, applied for the loan of between 30 and 40 legal works in the City Library, and the Council acceded to its request on condition that any person not a member of the Law Library should have access to the books, and that the books should be returned to the City Library on request. A list of the books lent was printed in the Catalogue of the Law Library published in 1874. The books were returned during the year ending March, 1900.
The Catalogue of 1883 stated that the following was the rule for the use of the City books: “A loan of these books may be
obtained at the Free Library, from 11 to 4 on any day of the week excepting Thursday, by application to the Town Clerk, who will supply a Form to be filled up by the applicant and forwarded to the Chairman of the Libraries Committee.” Now the books are issued by and at the discretion of the City Librarian, for use in the Reference Library, in accordance with the rules of the Public Library.
The City Committee, which is responsible for the City Library, provided in 1912 a large exhibition case in the Reading Room for the display of some of the more rare and interesting books.