Three Centuries of a City Library / an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Norwich Public Library Established in 1608 and the present Public Library opened in 1857

by Geo. A. Stephen

The condition of the Lending Library was especially serious. The Library had been in existence for over half a century, and the stock of books had never been subjected to a thorough overhauling, so that there were accumulations of old, useless and worn-out books, while numerous standard works on various branches of knowledge were not in the Library. The work of re-organisation was done systematically, class by class. First the useless books were discarded, and new standard and popular books were added. The class was then closely classified according to the Dewey System of Classification, and catalogued. As complaints regarding the lack of a printed catalogue had been made continuously for several years, it was decided, as an immediate advantage to the public, to publish at the price of

one penny, a bi-monthly magazine entitled “The Readers’ Guide,” which would contain the whole or a portion of an annotated and classified catalogue of the books in one of the sections immediately after its revision, and also an annotated list of new books added to the Library. The Fiction Catalogue was published in the first number, which was issued on 1st November, 1911, and the series of classified catalogues containing altogether the titles of over 17,000 volumes was completed in the issue for May, 1915, since which date the “Readers’ Guide” has contained special bibliographies of local subjects and topics of current interest, in addition to the usual list of recent books. The special bibliographies have included the subjects of the University Extension lectures each year, George Borrow, Lord Nelson, Agincourt and Erpingham, Norfolk Artists, the European War, Shakespeare, Child Welfare, and Thomas Gray. For the use of borrowers two card catalogues have been installed in the Lending Library, the one being a complete author catalogue, and the other a complete classified catalogue, with numerous subject guide cards to facilitate reference.

A stock of books specially suitable for juvenile readers was obtained in 1911 to form a Juvenile Department of the Lending Library, in order that the young people should acquire a facility in the use of a large library which would be of value to them after leaving school. A classified catalogue of the books in this Department was prepared by the Sub-Librarian under the supervision of the City Librarian, and was published in September, 1914, and an enlarged edition was published in September, 1916.

During the period 1911-1916 there were several changes in the personnel of the staff. The great pressure of the re-organising work and the need for a trained assistant on the staff led the Committee to advertise for a Sub-Librarian in 1913, and in November Mr. Charles Nowell, Chief Assistant of the Coventry Public Libraries, and the holder of four certificates of the Library Association, was appointed to the position. With the view of increasing the efficiency of the staff the Committee, in common with many other Public Library Committees, has made the appointments of junior assistants conditional on

their obtaining the professional certificates of the Library Association.

The title of the Library was altered in July, 1911, by the Council from “Free Library” to its statutory title “Public Library.”

The large oval room on the second floor, which in the early days of the Library had been used as an art room, was converted into an exhibition and lecture room in 1912.

The Norfolk and Norwich Photographic Survey Record was inaugurated in 1913, particulars of which are given on pp. 81-82.

The Library has fulfilled special national functions during the present European War. Several thousand leaflets issued by the Central Committee for National Patriotic Organisations were distributed at the Library. The Committee realising the importance to the public of studying the deeper causes of the war, and other important matters involved, appointed a Sub-Committee to deal with the problem of war literature. A large and representative selection, dealing with the subject from every point of view, was made from the several thousand books published. The books thus purchased made the collection of war books a thoroughly representative one, and an annotated and classified catalogue of the books was printed in the “Readers’ Guide.” The Library has also been at the service of soldiers billeted in Norwich both for borrowing and for reference, and a large number of soldiers have availed themselves of its facilities for recreative reading and study. To assist the Camps Library, which provides libraries for all the camps of the British armies at home and abroad, the Committee sent many of its worn-out books, collected for it hundreds of books and magazines from readers frequenting the Library, and sent a donation of £12 : 15 : 0, referred to on page 85.

Three members of the staff enlisted in H.M. Forces in 1915, with the promise of their positions being retained. The Sub-Librarian, 2nd Lieut. Chas. Nowell (22nd London Regiment) was wounded in France in September, 1916, but he was able to return to his military duties in December; Mr. F. T. Bussey, the Senior Assistant in the Lending Department is serving in France with the Norfolk Division of the Royal Engineers; and Mr. A. R. Nobbs, a Junior Assistant, is a Sick Berth Attendant in the Royal Navy.