For a long period lectures have been regarded as an important part of the
educational or "extension" work of organised public libraries throughout
the country, but in the case of Norwich lectures were instituted as a
means of promoting the extension of the Library itself. As soon as the
first stone of the building was laid the Committee in January, 1855,
authorised the Secretary to make arrangements for a course of lectures at
the Bazaar, St. Andrew's Street, in order to promote the objects of the
Library, and by the April meeting lectures had been given by the Rev. A.
B. Power (twice), the Rev. A. Reed, the Rev. J. Compton, the Rev. J.
Gould, Mr. J. Fox (twice), Mr. J. H. Tillett, and Professor Edward
Taylor, of Gresham College. Charges were made for admission, in aid of
the funds of the library, and the net proceeds amounted to about 10
pounds, the attendances having been "better than usual at lectures in
Norwich."
In October, 1861, a sub-committee was formed to arrange weekly penny
readings, interspersed with lectures, in the large room at the Library on
Thursday evenings, and in April of the following year the Secretary
reported a net balance in hand of 9 pounds : 6 : 0, which sum was spent
on books for the Library. In September, 1863, the Committee evidently
intended to continue the penny readings, as it was resolved that Mr.
Dowson, a member of the Committee, should have full liberty to make
arrangements for conducting the penny readings during the following
winter session.
A course of popular lectures in connection with the Library by
distinguished scientists was inaugurated by Mr. F. W. Harmer, J.P.,
F.G.S., F.R.Met.Soc., in the year of his mayoralty, 1888.
(Parenthetically it may be remarked that he has the distinction of being
the oldest member of the Public Library Committee, he having served on it
continuously since 1880.) Hoping to place the scheme on a permanent
basis, Mr. Harmer suggested the appointment of a Committee of the
Corporation to carry out arrangements for a yearly series of similar
lectures on science by distinguished men, under the provisions of the
Gilchrist Trust, and the matter was referred to the Library Committee.
The first of these series, delivered early in 1889 by Sir Robert Ball,
Dr. Lant Carpenter, Dr. Andrew Wilson, Professor Miall, Professor Seeley,
and the Rev. Dr. Dallinger, were "crowned with complete success." Under
the management of the Committee another course was delivered during the
following winter, when the lecturers were Sir Robert Ball, Dr. Andrew
Wilson, Mr. Louis Fagan, and Mr. Henry Seebohm, and two lectures were
given during the winter of 1890-91, by Sir Robert Ball and Dr. Andrew
Wilson respectively. Unfortunately, for reasons of economy, these were
supplemented by a series by local gentlemen (which were given in
Blackfriars' Hall), but the result was the reverse of successful, and led
eventually to the abandonment of the original scheme. Lectures by Sir
Robert Ball and Dr. Andrew Wilson, with others by local gentlemen were
given, however, in the winter of 1892-93, and in the following winter by
Sir Robert Ball, Dr. Andrew Wilson, and Dr. Drinkwater. No lectures were
given in the winter of 1893-94 as the University Extension Lectures then
inaugurated were regarded as sufficient, but these appealed to a
different class, and never took the place of the others.
In that year the Committee-room was in frequent use by three public
circles of the Norwich Branch of the National Home Reading Union, and by
the Norwich Students' Association, which again used the room in 1894-95.
The National Home Reading Union continued to use the room for several
years.
Lectures organised by the Committee were again revived in 1916 on the
occasion of the Tercentenary of the death of Shakespeare, when the
following lectures were delivered at the Technical Institute, the lecture
room at the Library being too small for the purpose: "Shakespeare as
National Hero," by Sir Sidney Lee, D.Litt., F.B.A.; "Shakespeare and the
English Ideal," {84} by the Dean of Norwich (The Very Rev. H. C.
Beeching, D.D., D.Litt.); "Shakespeare and Music," by Mr. A. Batchelor,
M.A.; "Dramatic Companies in Norwich of Shakespeare's Time," by Mr. L. G.
Bolingbroke; and "The Plant Lore of Shakespeare," by Mr. Edward Peake.
For the first two lectures one shilling was charged for admission, and
the net proceeds were sent to the Jenny Lind Hospital in Norwich (7
pounds : 12 : 6) and the Camps Library (8 pounds : 5 : 6). The remaining
lectures were free, but collections were taken on behalf of the Camps
Library, and 3 pounds : 19 : 6 was received.
The Shakespeare Tercentenary was also commemorated by an exhibition in
the Reading Room, consisting of books, prints and other material
illustrative of the life and works of Shakespeare. The prints were
arranged in groups as follows: Portraits, Shakespeare's country,
Contemporaries, Actors, Costume, Music, Pictorial illustrations of
Shakespeare, Elizabethan London, and Shakespeare Memorials.
In connection with the Gray bicentenary, which took place on December
26th, 1916, the Dean of Norwich, who is a member of the Public Library
Committee, delivered a lecture on Thomas Gray at the Technical Institute
on December 15th, when the Deputy Mayor, Alderman H. J. Copeman, J.P.
(Chairman of the Public Library Committee), presided. A small exhibition
of prints, and works by and about Gray was arranged in the Reading Room.
It is hoped that in future lectures on literary subjects or connected
with classes of books in the Library may be arranged from time to time.