CHAIRMEN AND VICE-CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEE.
During the earliest years of the Library Committee, the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen were not regularly appointed annually. The following is a list of the definite appointments:—
| Date. | Chairman. | Vice-Chairman. |
| 1850-1856 | Various. | |
| 1857 | J. Godwin Johnson. | J. H. Tillett. |
| 1858-1860 | Various. | |
| 1861 | George Middleton (who was generally in the Chair during 1860). | |
| 1862 | Various. | |
| 1863-1868 | Councillor J. W. Dowson. | |
| 1869-1870 | Councillor Carlos Cooper. | |
| 1871-1877 | Councillor Thomas Jarrold. | |
| 1878-1885 | Councillor James Freeman. | |
| 1886-1887 | The Mayor, John Gurney, Esq., of Sprowston. | Alderman James Freeman. |
| 1887-1890 | Councillor (afterwards Alderman) James Freeman. | |
| 1891-1892 | Alderman Samuel Newman. | Alderman George White. |
| 1893-1907 | Councillor T. Breese. | 1893-1902 Alderman George White. |
| 1903-1907 Councillor H. J. Copeman. | ||
| 1908-1917 | Councillor (afterwards Alderman) H. J. Copeman. | Alderman R. G. Bagshaw. |
DONATIONS.
Although the Public Library Act of 1855 amended the first act, and made provision for the purchase of books, a power denied under the first act, the Library was so deeply involved in debt at its commencement that appeals had to be made for donations of books and money for the purchase of books, newspapers, and periodicals. As previously stated,
the Committee’s first annual report presented to the Council on 31st August, 1858, showed that donations in cash, with interest, had amounted to £357 : 7 : 1. The same report gave a list of the donors of 2,468 volumes—about two-thirds of the entire stock—of which 833 were from the People’s College, and 1,000 were transferred from the Penny Library.
The donations to the Library during its history have been many and varied—good, bad, and indifferent—such as are usually offered to public libraries. Notice may be made of some of the outstanding gifts. The British Association in 1868, the year of its visit to Norwich, made a grant of £50 to the Library for the purchase of books, perhaps at the suggestion of the Rev. (afterwards Canon) Hinds Howell, who was the Organising Secretary for the visit. At any rate, at the meeting of the Library Committee on 4th November, 1868, he attended to explain “that the grant would be expended in the purchase of books, which embraced thirty-five different scientific subjects, or such of them as the Committee might think best adapted to the wants of, and most beneficial to, the classes using the Library,” and he received the thanks of the Committee for representing the wants of the Library to the Association. The Committee complied with the request that a bookcase should be provided for the books, bearing a suitable inscription.
A large number of patent specifications were presented by H.M. Patent Office about the year 1865, and in 1889 the Office acceded to the Committee’s request for Abridgments of Specifications, since which time they have been presented as issued.
Having regard to the slender financial resources of the Library the Mayor (Mr. H. Bullard) in 1879 suggested a public subscription, and headed the list with £10. This was followed by donations of £10 from Mr. J. J. Colman, (who also gave £25 in 1887), and Mr. Henry Birkbeck, and by smaller sums from other people, amounting altogether to £91 : 2 : 0.
A successful application was made to H.M. Treasury in 1886, for a donation of official publications, and some 260 volumes of Calendars of State Papers, Chronicles, Records, etc. were received, followed in 1901 by a further donation of 193 volumes. In 1900 the Library received from the same source