Three Centuries of a City Library Part 8

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 Cla.s.sification, some attempt was made to cla.s.sify 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 Sat.u.r.day 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 a.s.sistant Librarian of the St. Pancras Public Libraries, and who received his earlier training at the Bishopsgate Inst.i.tute, 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 acc.u.mulations 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, cla.s.s by cla.s.s. First the useless books were discarded, and new standard and popular books were added. The cla.s.s was then closely cla.s.sified according to the Dewey System of Cla.s.sification, 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 ent.i.tled "The Readers'

Guide," which would contain the whole or a portion of an annotated and cla.s.sified 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 cla.s.sified catalogues containing altogether the t.i.tles 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 cla.s.sified 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 cla.s.sified 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 a.s.sistant on the staff led the Committee to advertise for a Sub-Librarian in 1913, and in November Mr. Charles Nowell, Chief a.s.sistant of the Coventry Public Libraries, and the holder of four certificates of the Library a.s.sociation, 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 a.s.sistants conditional on their obtaining the professional certificates of the Library a.s.sociation.

The t.i.tle of the Library was altered in July, 1911, by the Council from "Free Library" to its statutory t.i.tle "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 cla.s.sified 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 a.s.sist 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 a.s.sistant in the Lending Department is serving in France with the Norfolk Division of the Royal Engineers; and Mr. A. R.

n.o.bbs, a Junior a.s.sistant, is a Sick Berth Attendant in the Royal Navy.

CHAIRMEN AND VICE-CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEE.

During the earliest years of the Library Committee, the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen were not regularly appointed annually. The following is a list of the definite appointments:--

DATE. CHAIRMAN. VICE-CHAIRMAN.

1850-1856 Various.

1857 J. G.o.dwin Johnson. J. H. Tillett.

1858-1860 Various.

1861 George Middleton (who was generally in the Chair during 1860).

1862 Various.

1863-1868 Councillor J. W.

Dowson.

1869-1870 Councillor Carlos Cooper.

1871-1877 Councillor Thomas Jarrold.

1878-1885 Councillor James Freeman.

1886-1887 The Mayor, John Alderman James Freeman.

Gurney, Esq., of Sprowston.

1887-1890 Councillor (afterwards Alderman) James Freeman.

1891-1892 Alderman Samuel Alderman George White.

Newman.

1893-1907 Councillor T. Breese. 1893-1902 Alderman George White.

1903-1907 Councillor H.

J. Copeman.

1908-1917 Councillor Alderman R. G. Bagshaw.

(afterwards Alderman) H. J. Copeman.

DONATIONS.

Although the Public Library Act of 1855 amended the first act, and made provision for the purchase of books, a power denied under the first act, the Library was so deeply involved in debt at its commencement that appeals had to be made for donations of books and money for the purchase of books, newspapers, and periodicals. As previously stated, the Committee's first annual report presented to the Council on 31st August, 1858, showed that donations in cash, with interest, had amounted to 357 pounds : 7 : 1. The same report gave a list of the donors of 2,468 volumes--about two-thirds of the entire stock--of which 833 were from the People's College, and 1,000 were transferred from the Penny Library.

The donations to the Library during its history have been many and varied--good, bad, and indifferent--such as are usually offered to public libraries. Notice may be made of some of the outstanding gifts. The British a.s.sociation in 1868, the year of its visit to Norwich, made a grant of 50 pounds to the Library for the purchase of books, perhaps at the suggestion of the Rev. (afterwards Canon) Hinds Howell, who was the Organising Secretary for the visit. At any rate, at the meeting of the Library Committee on 4th November, 1868, he attended to explain "that the grant would be expended in the purchase of books, which embraced thirty-five different scientific subjects, or such of them as the Committee might think best adapted to the wants of, and most beneficial to, the cla.s.ses using the Library," and he received the thanks of the Committee for representing the wants of the Library to the a.s.sociation.

The Committee complied with the request that a bookcase should be provided for the books, bearing a suitable inscription.

A large number of patent specifications were presented by H.M. Patent Office about the year 1865, and in 1889 the Office acceded to the Committee's request for Abridgments of Specifications, since which time they have been presented as issued.

Having regard to the slender financial resources of the Library the Mayor (Mr. H. Bullard) in 1879 suggested a public subscription, and headed the list with 10 pounds. This was followed by donations of 10 pounds from Mr. J. J. Colman, (who also gave 25 pounds in 1887), and Mr. Henry Birkbeck, and by smaller sums from other people, amounting altogether to 91 pounds : 2 : 0.

A successful application was made to H.M. Treasury in 1886, for a donation of official publications, and some 260 volumes of Calendars of State Papers, Chronicles, Records, etc. were received, followed in 1901 by a further donation of 193 volumes. In 1900 the Library received from the same source twenty-five Memoirs of the Geological Survey relating to the Eastern Counties.

In 1890 the late Alderman James Freeman, who was Chairman of the Public Library Committee for several years, bequeathed 20 pounds for some special purpose in connection with the Library, which enabled the Committee to commence a Shakespeare Collection, now comprising over 600 books and pamphlets.

Mr. Russell J. Colman, J.P., D.L., made a handsome donation to the Reference Library in 1900, when he presented a set of Parliamentary Debates in 511 volumes, in half calf, comprising Cobbett's "Parliamentary History," continued by Hansard, 1066-1803, Hansard's "Parliamentary Debates," 1803-1890, and the "Official Parliamentary Debates" to 1897.

Since that date the following members of Parliament for Norwich have partly kept the set up to date: Mr. Louis J. Tillett, Sir George White, Sir Frederick Low and Lieut. E. Hilton Young.

The firm of Messrs. J. and J. Colman, Ltd., of Norwich, presented 3,500 Parliamentary Papers, Blue Books, etc. in 1900 which Mr. J. J. Colman had acc.u.mulated.

Mr. T. R. Kemp, K.C., Recorder of Norwich, 1892-1905, who had made a study of the Letters of Junius, bequeathed his collection of various editions of the Letters and works relating to them, numbering altogether 128 volumes.

Mr. Henry F. Euren, a member of the Library Committee since 1880, gave 160 volumes on agriculture and other subjects in 1907, before and after which date he made other donations.

The Reference Library was largely increased in 1914 by a bequest of Mr.

Bosworth W. Harcourt, an esteemed co-opted member of the Committee who had taken an active interest in the Library for over 27 years. The bequest, comprising about 2,250 books and pamphlets, was made on condition that such books and pamphlets should be known as the "Bosworth Harcourt Bequest" and that the same should not be placed in circulation, but only read or consulted in the Library. Miss C. M. Nichols, R.E., S.M., N.B.A., designed a suitable book-plate for the books, and a book-case, surmounted by the testator's name was provided. Mr.

Harcourt's library naturally reflected his tastes: works of and about the chief poets and dramatists, well-ill.u.s.trated volumes, and books on the graphic arts preponderate, and there are many volumes dealing with the history and antiquities of Norfolk and Norwich.

The munificent bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth Russell Hillen, by which the Library will receive 500 pounds for the advancement of local archaeology, is mentioned in more detail on page 79.

The chief benefactor to the Library is Mr. Walter Rye, who has been a member of the Committee since 1904. In addition to his many and valuable gifts to the Local Collection, which are described on pages 78-79, he has given a large number of reference books, chiefly relating to heraldry and history, but also including a collection of books and tracts on the Civil War, and a number of calendars of patent rolls, and other official publications.