Three Centuries of a City Library | Page 5

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