Three Centuries of a City Library | Page 7

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 of the Corporation. "The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Norwich, for the time being, is an Honorary Member of the Public Library; and the Members of the Library Committee of the Corporation, together with the Speaker of the Commons, the Town Clerk, and the Chamberlain, if not already Members of the Society, have the privilege of constant access to the Library Rooms during their continuance of office." {14} These rules were in force in 1847, and were reprinted in