Warrington and Salford claim to have established the earliest examples of
municipally-controlled and rate-supported free popular libraries in the
United Kingdom, they having added books to the attractions of their
museums which were established in 1848 and 1849 respectively under the
Act of 1845 "for encouraging the establishment of museums in large
towns." Norwich, however, has the distinction of being the first
municipality to adopt the first public library act, which was due to the
labours of Mr. William Ewart. Ewart's act received the royal assent on
the 14th August, 1850, and within seven weeks Norwich had decided to
adopt it!
[Picture: Norwich Public Library. Foundation Stone Laid 13th September,
1854. Library Opened 16th March, 1857]
The initiator of the library movement in Norwich apparently was Mr.
Thomas Brightwell, a man of scientific tastes, who was Mayor of the City
in 1837. At the Council meeting held on September 13th, 1850, he drew
attention to the new act, and, according to the first annual report of
the Library, he "presented a strongly worded memorial signed by 600
persons." He succeeded in carrying his motion that the Mayor be directed
to ascertain the feeling of the citizens as to whether the provisions of
the new act should be adopted, and a poll of the burgesses was taken on
September 27th, when 150 voted in favour of the adoption of the act while
only 7 voted against it. The act provided that a rate of one halfpenny
in the pound might be levied for library purposes, but no provision was
made for buying books. In 1855 this act was repealed by another, which
remained the principal library act for England and Wales until 1892; it
allowed one penny in the pound to be levied, and provided for the
purchase of books.
After the adoption of the act the Council appointed committees for making
all the necessary arrangements for the establishment of a Library, and it
received reports from them in 1851, 1852, and 1853. By September 1854
two levies of the halfpenny rate had been made amounting to 500 pounds,
and with that sum in hand the Corporation ventured to purchase the
library site, and to approve the architectural plans, prepared by the
City Surveyor, Mr. Edward Everett Benest.
The first stone of the building was laid on September 13th, 1854, by the
Mayor, Sir Samuel Bignold, who lent 4,000 pounds for the erection of the
building, and worked assiduously to promote the Library. The ceremony
was reported at length in the _Norfolk Chronicle_ of September 16th,
1854, from which the following extracts are taken:
"The ceremony of laying the first stone took place on Wednesday
afternoon, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. The
ground had been decorated for the occasion with numerous flags,
banners, and devices in flowers and foliage, and amongst the most
conspicuous of the mottoes was one complimentary to the Mayor,
bearing the words 'Bignold for ever!' surmounted by 'The Queen and
Constitution,' with 'Trade and Manufactures' on the right and
'Commerce and Agriculture' on the left. In a convenient position a
platform had been erected for the express accommodation of the fairer
portion of the spectators. As the time for the performance of the
ceremony drew nigh all the neighbouring approaches to the spot were
densely crowded; every window within sight of the ground had its full
share of occupants, and daring spirits had even ventured to take up
their position on the surrounding walls and house-tops.
"A few minutes after four the sounds of distant music intimated the
approach of Sir Samuel Bignold (the Mayor) and his friends, and,
after the lapse of another second or so, his worship appeared in
sight, accompanied by H. Birkbeck, Esq. (the Sheriff of the city),
the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Orford, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M.P.,
Sir J. P. Boileau, Bart., Edmond Wodehouse, Esq., M.P., S. M. Peto,
Esq., M.P., the Rev. E. Sidney, most of the members of the city
magistracy and corporation, several county magistrates, a large
number of influential county gentlemen and citizens, J. R. Staff,
Esq. (the Town Clerk), Mr. E. E. Benest (the City Surveyor), the
Corporation officers bearing the city regalia, &c., &c.--followed by
a large procession of the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows, carrying
flags and banners, the most prominent of which bore the
mottoes--'Success to the Free Library,' 'Peto, the true Friend of
Civil and Religious Liberty,' 'The Durability of the Constitution,'
and 'Education for the People.' The procession was headed by an
excellent brass band, playing, as it approached, the popular air,
'Cheer, boys, cheer!' At this stage of the proceedings the outer
crowd, in their anxiety to get within view of the proceedings, broke
the barriers, overpowered the police, and made a rush to the
palisades which surrounded the ground. These, by the weight of the
many persons who clung upon them, unfortunately gave way, bringing
with them a coping stone to which they were attached, and on which a
young man named Samuel Harper had been sitting. He was thrown to the
ground, and several people falling upon him he sustained a fracture
of one of his ankles. He was immediately conveyed to the hospital,
and we are glad to learn is doing well. Several other persons were
also injured, but not seriously. Beyond this no accident occurred.
"With the assistance of the City Surveyor and Mr. Stanley,
stone-mason, the worthy Mayor then proceeded to discharge his
agreeable duty--the laying of the first stone. He used for the
purpose a very elegant silver trowel {59a} with ivory handle,
furnished by the Messrs. Etheridge (which had been presented to his
worship by Mr. E. E. Benest) bearing the following inscription on the
blade:--
Presented
to
Sir Samuel Bignold, Knight,
Mayor of Norwich,
on the occasion of his laying
the first stone
of
The Free Library,
September 13th,
1854.
"Upon the surface of the stone a brass plate was fixed, on which was
engraved the following inscription:--
This first stone
of the
Norwich Free Library,
was laid
on the 13th September,
A.D. 1854,
by
Sir Samuel Bignold, Knight,
Mayor of this City in the years
1833-4, 1848-9, 1853-4.
Henry Birkbeck, Esq., Sheriff.
John Rising Staff, Esq., Town Clerk.
Architect--Edward Everett Benest, City Surveyor."
The ceremony having been completed and the stone securely fixed in its
place, addresses were delivered on the contemplated advantages of the
library by the Mayor, the Rev. Edwin Sidney, M.A., Rector of Cornard
Parva, Suffolk, and author of various works, Mr. Samuel Morton Peto, M.P.
for Norwich, Sir J. P. Boileau, Bart., an archaeologist of Ketteringham,
who was Sheriff of Norfolk in 1844, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, M.P., who in the
early part of his legal career was on the Norfolk circuit, and two
members of the Council, Mr. W. J. Utten Browne, and Mr. J. H. Tillett.
The Town Clerk presented to the Mayor an address from the Norwich
District of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, begging "most
respectfully to tender the thanks of our numerous association to you and
the Corporation of this city for the manifestation of regard for the
Working Classes in having determined on the erection of a Free Library;
feeling assured that such an institution will be welcomed by a large
number of the industrious inhabitants, and will prove largely beneficial
to all who will avail themselves of the advantages it offers." In the
course of his address the Mayor said: "It has been my lot now, during my
life, which has not been a short one, to aid a great many undertakings in
this city--insurance offices, spinning factories, waterworks, literary
and scientific institutions, and public charities; but I have never lent
my assistance to any undertaking which more entirely commends itself to
my judgment than that in which I am this day engaged in commencing" . . .
"and I must here say that Mr. Tillett has been the main-spring of this
undertaking, for he has never lost sight of it since the act placed it in
the hands of the Corporation."
After the erection of the building had been commenced it was considered
that it would be highly advantageous if the School of Art was connected
with and formed part of the Library, and the Council authorised the
expenditure of a further sum in order to add another story for the
accommodation of the School of Art. This involved some delay in the
progress of the building, and for various reasons the Library was not
ready for opening until March, 1857.
According to the first annual report issued on August 31st, 1858, a
special committee appointed by the Council estimated that the total cost
of the site and building would amount to 7428 pounds : 5 : 0. "In order
to repay Sir Samuel Bignold the amount advanced by him during the
progress of the works, and to complete the same, a loan of 6,000 pounds,
at 5 pounds per cent., was, in 1857, obtained from the Norwich Union
Office, and it is to be repaid by instalments of 200 pounds yearly,
which, with the interest on the loan, will nearly absorb for several
years the rate of one penny in the pound per annum, authorized to be
levied under the act . . ." The report proceeded: "The cost of the
building has, unfortunately been a subject much talked about and
misrepresented, and it should be remembered that the portion of the
building occupied by the Library is less than a third of the whole, the
other parts being occupied by the Museum, the Literary Institution, and
the School of Art. The cost of the building, giving accommodation to all
these institutions, has certainly been small compared with the cost of
buildings for similar purposes in other towns: in Liverpool, for
instance, the building cost 50,000 pounds."
"Under arrangements made with the committee of the Museum, the advantages
of that institution have been secured to the citizens on two days of the
week, and that such advantages have been appreciated, is evinced by the
large number of visitors, chiefly of the working classes, every Monday
and Saturday, to inspect the splendid collection of specimens in Natural
History."
"The School of Art was, early in 1857, removed to the upper story of the
new building, whereby the annual grant of 75 pounds made for the support
of the institution will be in future saved."
As the first public library act made no provision for the purchase of
books, a subscription fund was commenced for that purpose about the time
of the laying of the foundation stone, and the following donations, with
others, were soon made: The Duke of Wellington 50 pounds, Lord Wodehouse
25 pounds, Lord Suffield 25 pounds, Sir Samuel Bignold 21 pounds, Mr. J.
H. Gurney, M.P., 50 pounds, and Mr. S. M. Peto, M.P., 50 pounds. At the
time of the first annual report the total amount of donations received
for the purchase of books, etc., and interest thereon was 357 pounds : 7
: 1, nearly all of which had been expended in the purchase of books,
periodicals and newspapers.
On September 30th, 1854, the Council proceeded to the formation of a body
of management, on lines suggested by a Committee which had been appointed
to arrange preliminary proceedings for establishing a free library, and
the following accepted office: President and Treasurer, Sir Samuel
Bignold, Mayor of Norwich. Vice-Presidents: The Lord Bishop of Norwich,
Lord Wodehouse, Lord Stafford, Lord Suffield, Sir J. P. Boileau, Mr. S.
M. Peto, M.P., Mr. J. H. Gurney, M.P., Mr. H. J. Stracey, and the Rev.
Edwin Sidney. Committee: Aldermen E. Willett and C. Darkins; Councillors
Thomas Brightwell, J. G. Johnson, J. H. Tillett, J. Barwell, W. J. Utten
Browne, O. Springfield, and two co-opted members, Dr. Goodwin and Mr. J.
W. Dowson. Hon. Secretary, Mr. A. D. Bayne, the author of the
"Comprehensive History of Norwich," 1869. The Committee had power to add
to its number not exceeding five, and it was also resolved that the
Committee should include five members to be nominated by the subscribers
and five by the working classes. The Committee shortly afterwards added
to its number. Protests were received regarding the proposal that
admission to the Library should be by subscription, and apparently it was
not proceeded with. In accordance with the other resolution of the
Council, to the effect that the working classes should nominate five
persons to serve on the Committee, the Mayor convened a meeting of the
"working classes" at St. Andrew's Hall on the 1st October, 1856, when the
following were selected for nomination to the Council, and were duly
elected on the 16th October: Mr. C. J. Bunting, printer, Mr. Daniel
Weavers, weaver, Mr. Henry Roberts, herbalist, Mr. L. Hill, news-vendor,
and Mr. James Lofty, hairdresser.
The Library was opened on the 16th March, 1857, without any public
function, owing to the difficulty of getting an eminent person to perform
the ceremony, and the Committee resolved to celebrate the opening at a
later date, which, however, was not done, although Mr. Ewart had promised
to be present. According to the particulars in the appendices of J. J.
Ogle's "The Free Library," Norwich was the eleventh modern rate-supported
public library to open its doors, the previous ten libraries being those
of Warrington and Salford (established under the Museums Act of 1845),
Winchester, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Kidderminster, Cambridge,
Birkenhead and Sheffield. The following is a description of the building
which appeared in the _Illustrated London News_, May 16th, 1857:
"The exterior of the lower story of the building is Roman Doric, the
second story Roman Ionic, and the third Italian. The Library and an
adjoining apartment, appropriated to the Museum, are on the ground floor;
and below are spacious vaults, which are devoted to trade purposes, and
from which a considerable annual revenue is expected to be derived. Over
the principal entrance is a well executed head of Homer, and in the
entrance-hall which has a tesselated pavement, are four scagliola columns
with Corinthian capitals. The Museum-room is 54 feet in length and 26
feet wide, and the Library is 44 feet long and 33 feet wide. A broad and
handsome stone staircase conducts the visitor to the second floor, on
which is a lecture-room of the same dimensions as the Library, and two
apartments appropriated to the Literary Institution, which are
collectively of the same size as the Museum beneath. On the third floor
are two large rooms for the School of Art, with domed roofs and ample
skylights, and four smaller apartments for classes are also provided." A
reproduction of a recent photograph of the building, showing to the left
a portion of the Reading Room added in 1907, faces page 56.
The Library proper at first consisted of one room, as stated above, which
combined a news and reading room, and reference and lending departments.
Books were not issued from the lending department until January 1st,
1858, when the books in two classes, "General Literature" and "Voyages
and Travels" were ready for circulation. Regarding rules for the loan of
these books, the Committee provisionally adopted those of the Sheffield
Free Library. By July of the same year all the books were available for
borrowing, and the circulation "reached 500 volumes, always on loan,
every volume being returned or renewed within a week." When the first
report was published in August, 1858, there were 3,354 volumes in the
Library, of which 2,468 volumes were presented, arranged in ten classes:
A, General Literature, 586 vols.; B, Geography, Voyages and Travels, 560
vols.; C, Dramatists, Poets, and Novelists, 454 vols.; D, History and
Biography, 383 vols.; E, Bohn's Libraries, 318 vols.; F, Bonn's Libraries
and Cabinet Cyclopaedia, 315 vols.; G, Natural History and Sciences, 244
vols.; H, Metaphysics, Logic and Religion, 306 vols.; I, Dictionaries,
Cyclopaedias, Reviews, 88 vols.; [J] Magazines, 100 vols. All the books
were apparently available either for reading at the library or for
home-reading. In 1858 a record of issues was kept which showed that
during the first half year 5,225 volumes were circulated "to nearly 700
persons," and the total issue of books "for perusal" in the reading room
was 10,066 "issued to a large number of citizens."
Owing to the small amount of money available for the purchase of books
and periodicals, the citizens were invited in the second quarter of 1857
to contribute for the supply of reviews, periodicals and newspapers, and
by July 1858 nearly 60 pounds in subscriptions for this purpose had been
obtained.
Mr. A. D. Bayne, as Hon. Secretary to the Committee, virtually acted as
Librarian until his resignation in April, 1860, attending its meetings,
conducting its business, purchasing the books for the Library, etc. The
first person to take charge of the Library was Mr. Henry Turner who was
engaged pro tem. on the 31st December, 1856, to take care of the new
building, to catalogue the books, collect the subscriptions, etc., at a
salary of 1 pounds weekly. For the first year he was regarded as an
attendant, but subsequently he was called the Librarian. Apparently by
reason of illness his engagement ceased at the end of 1858, and after a
short interval, during which time Mr. R. L. M. Overton and Mr. C. Hunt
were successively engaged, Mr. George Harper was appointed Librarian, the
Committee recommending his appointment to the Council on 30th June, 1859.
Mr. Harper remained the Librarian until his death at the end of 1876.
During his tenure of office very little progress in the development of
the Library was made, chiefly because the greater part of the library
rate was absorbed in extinguishing the building loan, and no annual
reports were issued. In a schedule in Edward Edwards' "Free Town
Libraries," 1869, it is stated that the aggregate number of volumes in
the Library in 1868 was 3,642, that the aggregate annual issues were
13,480, and that the annual expenditure on the Library was 600 pounds.
As a matter of fact, the expenditure for the year ending 1st September,
1868, was 634 pounds : 7 : 3, of which 492 pounds : 9 : 11 was for the
interest on, and repayment of, the loan. The product of the penny rate
was 740 pounds, and an additional 119 pounds : 6 : 5 was received as fees
for the hire of the upper rooms and the cellars of the Library. In the
early days of the Library these rooms were hired for many purposes,
including Sunday services, temperance meetings, Cambridge University
local examinations, lectures, dinners, entertainments, etc., the cellars
were used for the storage of wines and spirits, and the Norwich
Meteorological Society had an anemometer fixed on top of the building.
Mr. George Easter, who succeeded Mr. Harper as Librarian in January 1877,
was a native of Norwich, who had followed the craft of a wood-carver in
Cambridge, and had had no training in library work. The burden of debt
upon the Library having been considerably diminished, and the librarian
coming to his duties with enthusiasm and a disposition to seek advice on
books and library matters from those competent to give it, he was able to
effect some improvements in the administration of the Library, and to
develop it. About six months after his appointment he had prepared for
the press an author catalogue of the books in the Lending and Reference
Departments of the Library, which was ready for sale at sixpence each in
December. One thousand copies of this crown octavo catalogue of 94 pages
were printed. In this catalogue the hours of the Lending Department were
stated to be from 11 a.m. till 3.30 p.m. on week-days.
The publication of an annual report was revived in 1879 when a report
covering the period December 1st, 1877 to December 31st 1878 was
submitted to the Town Council. It showed that the stock consisted of
4,400 volumes, of which nearly 1,000 had been added during the year; and
that during the period 1,545 borrowers' tickets had been issued, and
27,408 volumes had been issued, as compared with 15,312 vols. issued from
September 1875 to September 1876.
In 1879 the Librarian requested the Committee to allow him to purchase
works relating to Norwich, which eventually led to the formation of the
Local Collection, which is described on pp. 77-81.
The library rate was one penny in the pound from the date of the opening
of the library until 1871, but for several years afterwards it was either
about three farthings or one halfpenny. The rate was raised to three
farthings in the pound in 1880, and in the following year it was raised
to one penny in the pound, thereby providing 937 pounds : 10 : 0 for the
year, since which time the full library rate has always been levied. Mr.
F. W. Harmer took a prominent part in securing the increase in the
library rate. He pointed out that to spend the product of a halfpenny
rate on the plea of economy was really the reverse of economical, as it
just sufficed to pay standing charges, leaving little or nothing for the
purchase of books.
The annual report for the year ending March 25th, 1888, is interesting as
it records that the great burden of the debt on the building had been
cleared off, and briefly reviews the work of the Library after ten years'
service of the Librarian, as follows:
"The present Librarian was appointed in 1877, starting with a stock
of 3,500 books in the Lending Department and almost none in the
Reference Department; whereas the present stock consists of 11,500
for Lending and 5,000 for Reference purposes, about 1,200 of the
latter, with 1,650 pamphlets, pictures, &c., being of a local
character and purchased with fines imposed for detaining books beyond
the time allowed for reading.
"The number of borrowers in 1877 was 1,540, whereas the number in
1887 was 3,550; the number of issues of books in the same period
increasing from 27,000 to 77,000--about 10,000 of the population of
the city over 14 years of age having taken advantage of the boon
afforded by this department."
The report draws attention to an increase in the hours of the lending
library, which hitherto had been 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., to 11
a.m. till 9 p.m. every week-day except Thursday.
The establishment of a juvenile department as a means of stimulating
interest in the Library was one of the first suggestions made by Mr.
Easter after his appointment, and although the Committee did not
entertain it then he did not abandon it, and the subject was raised in
the press and in Committee in 1885. As a result the Mayor, Mr. John
Gurney, who was keenly interested in the proposal, offered to give 100
pounds on condition that an additional 150 pounds was raised, but he died
before the establishment of the scheme. The Chairman of the School
Board, Mr. (afterwards Sir) George White, who was a member of the
Committee, promised to raise the matter at a School Board Meeting, but
the scheme, to be financed by public subscription, did not come to
fruition until 1889. In that year the total amount of subscriptions
reached 276 pounds : 14 : 9, and 3,667 volumes suitable for juveniles
were obtained.
Batches of books were forwarded to every elementary school in the City,
and the head teacher in each was made responsible for the distribution of
the books to the scholars in standards IV and upwards. The tables
published in the annual report for the year ending March 1890 show that
3,621 books were sent to 38 schools, and that the total issues for the
first seven months was 52,312. In the report for the year ending March
1893 the Committee reported:
"The Juvenile Department having proved a source of labour and cost much
beyond what was anticipated, a Sub-Committee appointed to report on the
subject recommended that the School Board should be asked to contribute
to the expense of repair and renewal of books, and to urge upon their
staff increased care and vigilance in the management of the Department.
This expense the Board report they are unable legally to incur. Pending
this decision the distribution of the books was suspended, but the
Committee have now decided to continue the circulation for another twelve
months."
The wear and tear of the juvenile books proceeded apace, and the report
for 1894-95 stated that when they were last called in "1,700 had to be
rebound or repaired, and in the four circulations about 800 volumes have
been found defective or worn out and withdrawn. The Committee therefore
decided to issue the reduced number of books, to such schools as made
application for them, under more systematic regulations." The juvenile
books went from bad to worse, and in the report for the year ending March
1900 it was stated that the Committee had decided to hand over the stock
to the Norwich School Board, which had recently decided to establish and
work a Juvenile Library of its own. Thus ended an experiment which was
financed unsatisfactorily, badly controlled, and of very doubtful utility
as a means of developing the work of the Library.
The large increase in the stock of the lending library necessitated a new
catalogue, and one (304 pp.) was printed and published in 1889, which was
followed by supplements (88 pp. and 106 pp.) in 1889 and 1895. These
catalogues were compiled on the dictionary plan, the authors' names and
the titles and subjects of the books being arranged in one alphabetical
sequence.
The question of Sunday opening was discussed by the Committee in July,
1884, but the Council declined to sanction the Committee's recommendation
to open the Reading Room. Five and a half years later the Council
revoked its decision, and the men's and women's reading rooms on the
first floor were opened on Sundays between the hours of 3 and 9 p.m. In
the annual report following the Sunday opening the experiment was
described as "quietly successful," and in the reports for the next few
years the visits were estimated at 15,000 annually--a daily average of
289. The Reading Room continued to be open all the year round until
1913, when owing to the small attendances during the summer months it was
closed from June to September inclusive; in that year the average
attendance on the Sundays was 117. Having regard to the small
attendances and the inadequate library staff, the Committee in 1915
decided that the Reading Room should be closed on Sundays during the war.
The Report for the year ending March 1894 briefly reviewed the work of
the Library after forty years. By that time the stock had reached 30,124
volumes in all departments, and the annual issue from the lending
library, excluding 49,000 books issued by the teachers in 36 elementary
schools, was 86,355. The Reference Library, including the Local
Collection, contained 10,520 volumes and 5,367 pamphlets.
The large room on the ground floor vacated by the Museum was extended and
renovated during the year 1895-6, and was partially furnished with
book-cases and shelving in order to provide accommodation for the
Reference Library, which then comprised 8,450 volumes and 2,081
pamphlets, with 2,987 local books and 4,327 local pamphlets.
In 1896 a loan of 1,300 pounds was sanctioned by the Local Government
Board for defraying the cost of the extension of the Reference Library
and fittings, the purchase of a Cotgreave Indicator, installed in 1897,
the restoration of the exterior stonework of the building, and interior
decoration and repairs. The total expenditure amounted to 1,740 pounds,
the difference between the cost and the amount of the loan being paid
from the balance in hand.
During the year 1898-1899 a catalogue of the Reference Library was
prepared for printing in sections, and in the following year five were
printed. The entries in these sectional catalogues were single-line
author and subject entries, the latter being merely inverted
title-entries.
Mr. J. Geo. Tennant, the Sub-Librarian, who had been appointed to that
position in 1888, having previously been engaged part-time at the
Library, was promoted to the office of Librarian in 1901, following the
death of Mr. Easter. A few months later the Committee advertised the
vacant office of Sub-Librarian, candidates to have had training and
experience in a public library, and Mr. Llewellyn R. Haggerston, an
assistant in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Libraries, was appointed.
The safeguarded open-access system, by which borrowers are allowed to
choose books from the shelves, was considered by the Committee and the
Council in 1905, but not adopted. The system was then in its infancy,
but has since been introduced into many public libraries.
The provision of catalogues of the Library was considered by the
Committee in 1905-6, and it was decided to provide type-written sheaf
catalogues of authors and subjects for the Lending Department, which were
completed in 1906-7.
Owing to the inadequate accommodation in the Reading Room on the first
floor, the question of extending the Library building received the
attention of the Committee for a considerable period, and eventually the
City Engineer prepared plans for the extension of the building, to
provide a reading room on the ground floor. The new room cost about
1,640 pounds and was provided with book-cases, furniture, etc., at a cost
of 267 pounds, and was opened to the public in April, 1907. Most of the
book-cases were provided for shelving several classes of the Lending
Library books, partly because more shelving accommodation was required,
but principally to permit the public to inspect the books, "the object
being to induce a more general use of these works in place of fiction."
A collection of directories, annuals, and reference books was placed on
open shelves in the room for ready reference.
In accordance with the Committee's decision to adopt the Dewey Decimal
System of Classification, some attempt was made to classify the books
according to this system.
An experiment which aimed at fostering the use of the Library by school
children was made during the winter of 1907-8. "By arrangement with the
Education Committee a selection of books likely to meet the tastes of
elementary school children was made by several of the teachers. These
books were placed on Saturday mornings in one of the rooms on the top
floor where tables and chairs were provided. One or more teachers
attended in rotation to superintend the young readers . . . It has to be
confessed, however, that the attendance, once the novelty had worn off,
was not sufficient to justify the expenditure of time and trouble which
was necessarily involved." {70}
Owing to ill-health Mr. Tennant, who had served the Library faithfully
for about 21 years, was compelled to vacate the office of Librarian in
1909, and light occupation was found for him in the capacity of
Superintendent of the Reading Room, which post he filled until his death
in August, 1911. He was succeeded as Librarian by the Sub-Librarian, Mr.
Haggerston, who resigned his appointment on 1st March, 1911. Following
Mr. Haggerston's resignation, the Committee advertised for a trained
librarian, and from 110 candidates the author of this History, who was
the Chief Assistant Librarian of the St. Pancras Public Libraries, and
who received his earlier training at the Bishopsgate Institute, was
appointed in May, 1911.
The administration of the Library for many years had, in the words of the
Report for 1909-10 "proceeded steadily on the old lines," and when the
present Librarian took office his first duty was to present a
comprehensive report to the Committee on the condition of the Library,
and to make suggestions for its re-organisation on up-to-date methods of
library administration. The Report was approved in principle, and since
that date the work of re-organisation has proceeded as rapidly as the
conditions have allowed.
The work of re-organisation may be briefly described. The rules and
regulations for the conduct and management of all departments of the
Library were revised with the view of affording additional facilities to
the public. Structural alterations were made for the better lighting and
arrangement of the Lending Library, and improvements were made in the
electric lighting of the several departments.
The condition of the Lending Library was especially serious. The Library
had been in existence for over half a century, and the stock of books had
never been subjected to a thorough overhauling, so that there were
accumulations of old, useless and worn-out books, while numerous standard
works on various branches of knowledge were not in the Library. The work
of re-organisation was done systematically, class by class. First the
useless books were discarded, and new standard and popular books were
added. The class was then closely classified according to the Dewey
System of Classification, and catalogued. As complaints regarding the
lack of a printed catalogue had been made continuously for several years,
it was decided, as an immediate advantage to the public, to publish at
the price of one penny, a bi-monthly magazine entitled "The Readers'
Guide," which would contain the whole or a portion of an annotated and
classified catalogue of the books in one of the sections immediately
after its revision, and also an annotated list of new books added to the
Library. The Fiction Catalogue was published in the first number, which
was issued on 1st November, 1911, and the series of classified catalogues
containing altogether the titles of over 17,000 volumes was completed in
the issue for May, 1915, since which date the "Readers' Guide" has
contained special bibliographies of local subjects and topics of current
interest, in addition to the usual list of recent books. The special
bibliographies have included the subjects of the University Extension
lectures each year, George Borrow, Lord Nelson, Agincourt and Erpingham,
Norfolk Artists, the European War, Shakespeare, Child Welfare, and Thomas
Gray. For the use of borrowers two card catalogues have been installed
in the Lending Library, the one being a complete author catalogue, and
the other a complete classified catalogue, with numerous subject guide
cards to facilitate reference.
A stock of books specially suitable for juvenile readers was obtained in
1911 to form a Juvenile Department of the Lending Library, in order that
the young people should acquire a facility in the use of a large library
which would be of value to them after leaving school. A classified
catalogue of the books in this Department was prepared by the
Sub-Librarian under the supervision of the City Librarian, and was
published in September, 1914, and an enlarged edition was published in
September, 1916.
During the period 1911-1916 there were several changes in the personnel
of the staff. The great pressure of the re-organising work and the need
for a trained assistant on the staff led the Committee to advertise for a
Sub-Librarian in 1913, and in November Mr. Charles Nowell, Chief
Assistant of the Coventry Public Libraries, and the holder of four
certificates of the Library Association, was appointed to the position.
With the view of increasing the efficiency of the staff the Committee, in
common with many other Public Library Committees, has made the
appointments of junior assistants conditional on their obtaining the
professional certificates of the Library Association.
The title of the Library was altered in July, 1911, by the Council from
"Free Library" to its statutory title "Public Library."
The large oval room on the second floor, which in the early days of the
Library had been used as an art room, was converted into an exhibition
and lecture room in 1912.
The Norfolk and Norwich Photographic Survey Record was inaugurated in
1913, particulars of which are given on pp. 81-82.
The Library has fulfilled special national functions during the present
European War. Several thousand leaflets issued by the Central Committee
for National Patriotic Organisations were distributed at the Library.
The Committee realising the importance to the public of studying the
deeper causes of the war, and other important matters involved, appointed
a Sub-Committee to deal with the problem of war literature. A large and
representative selection, dealing with the subject from every point of
view, was made from the several thousand books published. The books thus
purchased made the collection of war books a thoroughly representative
one, and an annotated and classified catalogue of the books was printed
in the "Readers' Guide." The Library has also been at the service of
soldiers billeted in Norwich both for borrowing and for reference, and a
large number of soldiers have availed themselves of its facilities for
recreative reading and study. To assist the Camps Library, which
provides libraries for all the camps of the British armies at home and
abroad, the Committee sent many of its worn-out books, collected for it
hundreds of books and magazines from readers frequenting the Library, and
sent a donation of 12 pounds : 15 : 0, referred to on page 85.
Three members of the staff enlisted in H.M. Forces in 1915, with the
promise of their positions being retained. The Sub-Librarian, 2nd Lieut.
Chas. Nowell (22nd London Regiment) was wounded in France in September,
1916, but he was able to return to his military duties in December; Mr.
F. T. Bussey, the Senior Assistant in the Lending Department is serving
in France with the Norfolk Division of the Royal Engineers; and Mr. A. R.
Nobbs, a Junior Assistant, is a Sick Berth Attendant in the Royal Navy.