Three Centuries of a City Library

Three Centuries of a City Library - an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Norwich Public Library Established in 1608 and the present Public Library opened in 1857

In medival times the making, collecting, and preserving of books, as well as the maintenance of learning, were almost exclusively confined to monastic institutions, some of which lent books to laymen, and thus became the public libraries of the surrounding district. As to the literary life of Norwich in the fifteenth century, the late Dr. Jessopp wrote: Whatever may have been the case in other dioceses, it is certain that the bishops of Norwich during the fifteenth century were resident in their see, and that they were prominent personages as scholars and men of culture and learning. . . . It is clear that . . . their influence was not inconsiderable in encouraging literary tastes and studious habits among their clergy. Pitts, in his list of distinguished Englishmen of letters who flourished during the latter half of the fifteenth century, mentions no less than twenty-four Norfolk men who were recognised as prominent scholars, controversialists, historians, or students of science. [1] Coincident with the decline of monastic learning in Europe were the revival of secular learning and the invention of printing, which gave a great impetus to the collection of books, especially on the continent. The sixteenth century was a dark age in the history of British libraries, the iconoclasts of the Reformation ruthlessly destroying innumerable priceless treasures both of books and bindings. John Bale, Bishop of Ossory, who was educated at a Carmelite Convent in Norwich, and became vicar of Swaffham, Norfolk, in 1551, wrote scathingly of the literary condition of England in the middle of the sixteenth century, and referred specifically to Norwich: O cyties of Englande, whose glory standeth more in bellye chere, than in the serch p. 2of wysdome godlye. How cometh it, that neyther you, nor yet your ydell masmongers, haue regarded thys most worthy commodyte of your contrey? I meane the conseruacyon of your Antiquytees, and of the worthy labours of your lerned men. . . . I have bene also at Norwyche, oure seconde cytie of name, and there all the library monumentes are turned to the vse of their grossers, candelmakers, sope sellers, and other worldly occupyers. [2a] In the early years of the seventeenth century many famous collegiate and town librariesi.e., libraries under the guardianship of municipalitieswere founded throughout the country, and in the history of the latter Norwich has a unique place. So far as can be ascertained from the published historical accounts of libraries, Norwich has the distinction of having established in 1608 (six years after the foundation of the Bodleian Library, and 145 years before the foundation of the British Museum) the first provincial town library under municipal control. [2b] The other earliest popular town libraries are those of Ipswich (1612), Bristol (founded in 1613 and opened in 1615), and Leicester (1632). Mr. Norris Mathews, the City Librarian of Bristol, contends that The claim to the earliest [public library] in England still belongs to Bristol. This library was that of the Kalendars or Kalendaries, a brotherhood of clergy and laity who were attached to the Church of All-Hallowen or All Saints, still existing in Corn Street (Library Association Record, vol. 2, 1900, p. 642). In some notes regarding this Gild of p. 3Kalendars in Miss Lucy Toulmin Smiths Introduction to Ricarts Calendar [3] it is stated that In 1464 provision was made as to a library, lately erected in the house of the Kalendars, and reference is made to a deed of that date by which it was appointed that all who wish to enter for the sake of instruction shall have free access and recess at certain times, and that, lest the books should be lost, three inventories shall be made, to be yearly collated with the books, which books shall be chained in a room, and for the loss of which heavy penalties are imposed on the prior. The prior to be appointed by the Mayor. Mr. John Taylor in his article on The earliest English free libraries (Library Chronicle, vol. 3, 1886, p. 156), stated that these regulations were made by an ordinance of John, Bishop of Worcester, A.D. 1464. From the foregoing quotations it is obvious that the Library was under the control of the Gild, and not of the municipality, and therefore while, as a semi-monastic library, it may be regarded as a prototype of the modern public library, it cannot be justly claimed as the first public town library. The following account of the first provincial town library and its successor is in two parts: part I. deals with the Library established in 1608 and now known as the City Library, and part II. deals with the Public Library, established under the Public Library Act of 1850. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 19804
Author: Stephen, Geo. A. (George Arthur)
Release Date: Nov 14, 2006
Format: eBook
Language: English