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.



CONCLUSION.

In the annual reports various statistics have been given of the visits to the News and Reading Rooms, and the number of books issued from the Lending and Reference Libraries, but as there was no uniform system of compilation, and the methods employed were not stated, an accurate statistical comparison between the past and present work of the Library is impossible. Suffice it to say that at no time of its history has it been so well equipped in all directions, and at no time has it stood higher in public esteem than it does at present. The old City Library possesses treasures befitting an old English "City of Churches," and the present Public Library fulfils the general purposes of a modern rate-supported Library. The Lending Library consists of about 18,000 volumes in all departments of knowledge, from which some 6,000 adults and juveniles borrow about 110,000 volumes annually. The Reading Room and News Room contain a careful selection of the leading newspapers, and a large variety of the best periodicals. The Reference Library contains about 24,000 volumes, including sets of the publications of several learned societies, and is being brought up to date by the purchase of recent standard works of reference. The Local Collection, which for completeness probably equals that of any other county, has a rich store of material, valuable not only to the antiquary, but to all those who desire to know something of the literature and art of the county, or its natural and geological history, or the part played by Norfolk and Norwich in the general history of England. Further, the Library, being encyclopaedic in character, may be regarded as a bureau of information, and as such it is playing an important part in the educational, industrial and social life of the City.

Printed by Jarrold & Sons, Ltd., Norwich, England.



Footnotes:

{1} A. Jessopp's Norwich (Diocesan histories), 1884, p. 155.

{2a} Leland's "Laboryouse Journey and Serche of Johan Leylande for Englandes Antiquitees," enlarged by John Bale. 1549.

{2b} London apparently is entitled to claim the distinction of having established the earliest British library under municipal control. In an article in the "Library Association Record," vol. 10, 1908, the late Mr. E. M. Borrajo, formerly Librarian to the Corporation of the City of London, wrote: "The citizens of London may fairly claim to be the parent, in a sense, not only of the National Library, but of every public library in the country." He also stated: "The earliest association of a library with the Guildhall dates from some period anterior to the year 1425, when it is recorded that the executors of Richard Whittington and William Bury built the 'new house or library, with the chamber under,' the custody of which was entrusted to them by the Corporation." About the year 1549 the Lord Protector Somerset carried off three cart loads of books from the Library, and the following year saw its final disappearance. This library was a collegiate library and probably opened its doors to non-collegiate students, who were properly accredited. In the will of John Carpenter, proved in 1442, this library is referred to as the "common library at Guildhall."

{3} "The Maire of Bristowe is Kalendar by Robert Ricart Towm Clerk of Bristol, 18 Edward IV." (Camden Society), 1872, p. v.

{4a} J. Kirkpatrick's "History of the Religious Orders . . . of Norwich . . . written about the year 1725." 1845, p. 80.

{4b} ib.

{5a} "Records of the City of Norwich," vol. 2, 1910, p. clxv.

{5b} F. Blomefield's "Norfolk," vol. 4, 1806, p. 262.

{8} Depositions . . . Extracts from the Court Books of the City of Norwich, 1666-1688, ed. by Walter Rye, 1905, p. 130.

{11} "A New Catalogue of the Books in the Publick Library of the City of Norwich, in the year 1732," pp. iii-iv.

{13a} Typewritten copy in the Norwich Public Library (vol. 2 p. 217) of the manuscript of Mackerell's "History of Norwich," in the possession of J. H. Gurney, Esq., J.P., F.Z.S., of Keswick Hall, Norwich.

{13b} Assembly Book, Sept. 21st, 1801.

{13c} Assembly Book, May 3rd, 1805.

{14} "Catalogue of the Books belonging to the Public Library and to the City Library of Norwich," 1825, p. xxvi.

{15a} "Second Catalogue of the Library of the Norfolk and Norwich Literary Institution," 1825, p. I.

{15b} Norfolk Chronicle, July 12th, 1856, p. 2.

{15c} ib.

{15d} Norfolk Chronicle and Norwich Mercury, Nov. 22nd, 1856.

{17} Norwich Mercury, March 21st, 1868, p. 3.

{20a} F. Blomefield's "Norfolk," vol. 3, 1806, p. 366.

{20b} "Norfolk and Norwich Notes and Queries," First Series, 1896-99, p. 193.

{22} F. Blomefield's "Norfolk," vol. 3, 1806, p. 414.

{24} "Dictionary of National Biography," vol. 33, 1893, p. 37.

{25a} "Letters written by eminent persons in the 17th and 18th centuries," vol. 2, 1813, p. 104.

{25b} Mayoralty Court, 9th Jan., 1677/8.

{25c} Kirkpatrick's "History of the Religious Orders . . . of Norwich, written about the year 1725," 1845, p. 81.

{35} It is interesting to note that in the critical part of this work Raleigh was assisted by the Rev. Robert Burhill, rector of Northwold, Norfolk, 1622-41.

{38} In the "Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, Charles I., 1628-29," p. 188, it is stated that he translated the English Liturgy into French.

{40} This is undoubtedly the shelf-mark of the Norwich Public Library.

{43} John Dury's "The Reformed Librarie-Keeper" (Chicago), 1906, p. 45.

{47} The Library contains one copy, the Bodleian Library has two copies, and there is one in the Norfolk and Norwich Library.

{50a} "Catalogus Librorum in Bibliotheca Norvicensi," 1883.

{50b} Henry Harrod's "Castles and Convents of Norfolk," 1857, p. 82.

{51} Kirkpatnck's "History of the Religious Orders . . . of Norwich, written about the year 1725," 1845, p. 57.

{53a} Probably purchased with her donation of 20 pounds.

{53b} Probably purchased with his donation of 5 pounds.

{53c} This entry is not in the Vellum Book, but is in the Minute Book.

{53d} Probably purchased with his legacy of 20 pounds.

{54a} Vellum Book adds: "And other money from many others received with which four books were purchased."

{54b} Ten books were purchased with the donations from Brigges, 5 pounds, Wisse, 3 pounds, and Church, 3 pounds.

{55a} "More than 100 books."—Vellum Book.

{55a} "Several law books and others."—Vellum Book.

{55a} The Vellum Book states that he gave "More than three score books."

{55a} The Minute Book states: Mr. Clayton brought in "History of Parliament," being the gift of the author.

{59} This trowel is now in the possession of Miss Lucy Bignold of Norwich, who has kindly promised to lend it to the Public Library Committee in connection with an exhibition of books and prints illustrative of the history and work of the Library, which will be held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Library.

{70} Annual Report, 1907-8, pp. 3-4.

{84} Published in the "Readers' Guide," vol. 5, no. 3, 1916, and reprinted as a pamphlet.

THE END