(No. II.) RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CHIEF (October, 1851.) I. THE LIBRARIAN shall have the general charge of the Libraries, and shall be responsible for the safe keeping of the books, and of all other property belonging thereto. II. THE LIBRARY OF REFERENCE shall be open to the Public gratuitously every day, Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday excepted, -from the hour of Ten in the morning to Nine in the evening. IV. No person shall be admitted who is intoxicated, or in an uncleanly condition; nor shall any audible conversation be permitted in either of the Libraries; nor shall any person be allowed to partake of refreshments therein;-and any person who shall offend against these regulations, or shall be guilty of any other misconduct, shall not be allowed to remain within the building. V. No person shall be allowed to take any book from the shelves of the REFERENCE LIBRARY, except by permission of the Librarian; and no book or other article shall be taken out of the Reference Library. VI. Two or more Catalogues shall always be kept in the REFERENCE LIBRARY for the use of the readers; and each reader shall sign a receipt for every book so delivered; and shall, before leaving the room, return such book or books into the hands of the Librarian or of his Assistant. VIII. The Librarian shall carefully examine, or cause to be examined, each book returned, and if the same be found to have sustained any injury or damage, or to have been rendered of less value by being soiled or written in, he shall require the person to whom the same was delivered; to pay its value, or otherwise to procure.a new copy of equal value; and in the latter case, such person shall be entitled to the damaged copy on depositing the new one. BOOK IV. Appendix to Chapter VI. Regulations of the Chief Library of the City of Manchester, BOOK IV. Appendix to Manchester. IX. If any person to whom a book shall have been delivered in the REFERENCE LIBRARY shall not re-deliver the same to the Librarian or his assistant, before leaving the room, or shall refuse or neglect to pay on Regulations of demand, the amount of any loss, damage, or injury, or to procure the chief Library of the City of another copy as before mentioned, then the amount of such loss, damage, or injury, or the value of such book, shall be recoverable from the person or persons as aforesaid, as a debt, in any action or proceeding applicable to the recovery of debts of like amount, in which action or proceeding the Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of the City of Manchester shall be the plaintiffs; and the fact of their being the persons entitled, shall be taken to be admitted by the defendant. X. The two last preceding rules shall likewise be enforced, so far as the same are applicable, in cases where any damage or injury shall have been done to any other property in the Libraries. ... XI. The Librarian shall have power to refuse books to any reader who shall neglect to comply with the rules and regulations of the Library; but any person so refused shall have liberty to appeal to the Library Committee. XII. No person under the age of fourteen years shall be admitted to the REFERENCE LIBRARY. [The remaining Regulations, which relate to the management of the Lending Department will be found in the next Chapter.] CHAPTER VII. THE REGULATION OF LENDING LIBRARIES. The strongest objection against the system of Lend ing is that many students are deprived of the advantage of consulting works in the Library whilst lent; and that a large number of students are thus put to great inconvenience for the accommodation of a few. On the other hand, no one can deny that a student who has it in his power to peruse a work quietly in his own house, at any time, can pursue his studies with greater advantage than when he is obliged to limit himself to the hours during which the Reading Rooms are open, and when he possibly may not be able to resort to them. If a Public Library could lend books to students at their houses without interfering with the persons who attend the Reading Room, the only well-grounded objection to this system would be removed. This could be done by the loans of books being limited to Duplicates....... In considering this question, no account ought to be PANIZZI, (Copy of a Representation from Trustees BOOK IV. Chapter VII. IN the Chapter headed PUBLIC ACCESS, the Reader has before him ample materials wherewith to form The Regulation a deliberate opinion as to the predominance of advantage or disadvantage, in the system of Lending, as respects Libraries of the first and second rank. of Lending Libraries. BOOK IV. Chapter VII. of Lending Libraries. He will there find that the cases of noticeable abuse The Regulation of the privilege are comparatively few; the recognized utility of it large and general. In Mr. Panizzi's able paper of 1846 he will also find a brief but well-reasoned statement of the question in its special bearings on the British Museum, a statement which will, doubtless, by and bye, bear its proper fruit. Popular Lend Meanwhile, our rate-supported Libraries have accumulated valuable evidence, both as to the best economy, and as to the experienced results, of Lending Collections of a directly popular kind. The first Free Lending Library in the United Kinging Libraries. dom, that of Manchester, was opened for public use on the 6th September 1852. On the 31st December 1857, its aggregate issues amounted to 454,196 volumes. At the same date, the number of volumes which had been worn out, by the ordinary results of constant circulation, was about 800. The total number of persons who had been admitted, on the guarantee of two citizens, as borrowers was, in five years, 13,484. The total number of persons whose admission had been expressly cancelled or suspended, either by the withdrawal of the guarantees from their responsibility, or for infringement of the Rules of the Library, was 499. The number of persons actually in the receipt of books in the winter of 1857-58 was 3170. In addition to the main Lending Collection, two Branches were provided in other parts of the Town. That at Ancoats had at the same date 1732 readers; that at Hulme 1911; making, in the aggregate, 6813 persons, actually using their privilege, at the same time. BOOK IV. Chapter VII. The nature of the guarantee exacted and the regulations under which the books are lent will appear from The Regulation the following copies of the forms employed: No person is entitled to sign this Voucher who MANCHESTER FREE LIBRARIES. CAMP FIELD LENDING DEPARTMENT. We, HENRY BAKER, of 400, Oxford Street, in All Saints Ward, and RICHARD ROE of 2, Burlington Street, in Oxford Ward, declare that we beliere THOMAS JONES of 5, Burlington Street, in the City of Manchester, to be a person to whom Books may safely. be entrusted for perusal; and we hereby undertake to replace any Book belonging to the CORPORATION OF MANCHESTER which shall be lost or materially injured by the said THOMAS JONES. (Signatures.) of Lending Libraries. Examined this + day of November, 1858. EDW. LINGS, Assist. Librarian. No. of Ticket. 15,701. HENRY BAKER. Dated this 2nd day of November 1858. The Camp Field LENDING LIBRARY is open for the issue and return of Books daily between the hours of TWELVE at Noon, and NINE in the Evening, uninterruptedly. Vouchers, in due form, are received at the Library at any hour between Ten in the Morning and Nine in the Evening; and if on examination they be found to be correct, Tickets will be issued on the Fourth Day after receipt of the Vouchers. ADMIT THE R. W. SMILES, Princ. Librarian. What follows is printed on the verso of each of these Voucher forms: |