Three Centuries of a City Library | Page 7

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