Three Centuries of a City Library | Page 5

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: