The Small Library/Chapter 10
The Rules and general arrangements made for readers in small municipal libraries should be as liberal and unrestrictive as may be considered consistent with efficiency and safety. In recent years a strong reaction has set in against the prison-like rules and conditions which governed the early public libraries, and in this country, the United States, the British colonies, and also in various parts of Europe, the tendency is all in favour of making libraries efficient every day workshops rather than bonded stores. Access to libraries is now rendered easy for everybody; age limits have been reduced; the borrowing right has been greatly extended, both as regards the number of books allowed at one time and the method of enrolment; while direct access to the shelves, which is the rule in most reference libraries, is also being extended to lending departments. All these, together with the adoption of exact classification and annotated cataloguing seem to distinguish modern from the older librarianship, which was more or less based on distrust of the public, and a failure to grasp the Public Service and Rules educational significance of well-selected collections of books. To be thoroughly successful, a municipal library should be staffed by educated and intelligent officers, trained specially for the work; and with the aid of a broad-minded committee, they can make the institution first in value to the inhabitants. The public library is practically the only department through which a municipality comes into direct and unrestrained contact with the people, and it is, therefore, the institution most likely to be criticized and consequently the one most requiring constant supervision. This fact has been recognized more generally in the larger provincial towns than in London, where there still exists a strong feeling that in some way libraries are a costly delusion, and an encouragement to the spread of socialism! In the great cities of the north quite a different spirit is abroad, and so far from starving and cutting down the public libraries, every effort is made to foster and extend their activities. Indeed, most of the large towns have obtained special parliamentary powers, with the consent of the ratepayers, for raising or removing the limitation of the rate of one penny in the pound, and the result has been to improve the public service all round.
Before setting out a series of draft Rules to serve as a basis for a code, some practical points affecting the public service in libraries may be considered. In news or reading rooms it is best on the whole to assign a fixed place for every periodical, and to classify the magazines so as to bring together all the related trade, art, literary, scientific and other miscellanies. By confining the daily newspaper element to one good London paper like the Times, and the local journals, considerable economies can be effected by which money is released for the purchase of the higher-class magazines. In the Reference Department much good will result from placing on open shelves, accessible to all without formalities, a selection of quick-reference books like encyclopædias, dictionaries, year-books, directories, histories, atlases, gazetteers and similar works. These can be used without any preliminary filling up of application forms, and the privilege will attract hundreds of readers to the library who otherwise might not come. Open access to shelves on the British Museum plan is undoubtedly much appreciated, and is now in operation nearly everywhere. By this method quick-reference books are placed on open shelves, while very valuable and little used books are applied for in the usual way, either on written application or demand. In the Lending Department it is desirable to make the choice of books as easy and satisfactory as possible, and for this reason, elaborate mechanical devices for registering the issues of books and indicating them 'in' and 'out' are absolutely unnecessary. It is absurd to find municipal libraries in small towns fitted up with a huge rampart of indicator for the purpose of recording a daily issue of about 50 to 100 volumes. It is like employing a steam engine to sharpen one pencil!
Even in larger libraries with daily issues amounting on an average to 300 or 500 a day, it is unwise to use indicators for any class of books save fiction. A library with a rapidly growing stock, which employs an indicator for all classes of books, is certain to reach a point where further expansion of the indicator is impossible, and then great difficulties are introduced. It should always be remembered that non-fiction forms about 70 per cent to 75 per cent of the total stock, but that it is not issued in the lending library to a greater extent than about 30 per cent to 35 per cent.; consequently it is wrong to add a constantly growing but little used apparatus to the equipment, when it is more likely to prove an obstruction than an aid as regards nearly three-fourths of the stock and work. An indicator for fiction only, plus a card-charging system in a busy lending library, is a reasonable compromise, but in small libraries a good card-charging system is infinitely more economical and satisfactory. There are plenty of simple and accurate card-charging systems on the market for recording the issues of books and enabling them to be traced at any moment, and these can be seen at any library outfitters. These card-registration systems are very rapid in operation, and when worked in conjunction with open shelves, furnish a perfect and satisfactory method of book issue and record. The public in general take more interest in libraries and the books they contain, when allowed direct access to closely classified shelves, there to examine before selecting literature. It is an education for a man who wants a book on ferns to go to a series of book shelves and find displayed the whole literature of botany, arranged in logical order, and thus obtain in five minutes a better conception of his own subject and its relationships, than could be got by hours of study in a catalogue. The effect of access to the shelves has a tendency to convert mere 'readers' into students, and to introduce to notice hundreds of good books which would otherwise remain unknown. This latter fact can easily be ascertained by comparing the issue labels of certain historical, biographical and scientific works in an open and closed library. In the former case such works are generally dated to show frequent issues, while in the latter the issues recorded are either few in number or non-existent. There are other practical details of modern library practice, but these must be sought for in the special works noted in the Appendix. With these remarks, the following draft Rules are submitted as a series of suggestions for the compilation of codes suitable for small municipal libraries. Anything which does not suit local circumstances can be omitted, as hours and conditions must be fixed accordingly.
[Draft.]
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
General.
1.—The Library of . . . is a society established for purposes of literature and science exclusively. The Librarian shall have the general charge of the library, and shall be responsible for the safe keeping of the books and for all the property belonging thereto.
2.—The library is supported in part by a rate levied in accordance with the Public Libraries Acts and in part by voluntary contributions of money and gifts of books, periodicals, etc. The Library Committee shall not make any dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money unto or between any of its members.
3.—Admission is free to all public parts of the library during the hours when it is open, but no person shall be admitted who is disorderly, uncleanly, or in a state of intoxication. Smoking, betting, and loud conversation or other objectionable practices are also forbidden in the rooms or passages of the library.
4.—The Librarian shall have power to suspend the use of the ticket of any borrower, and refuse books or deny the use of the reading rooms to any reader who shall neglect to comply with any of these rules and regulations, such reader having the right of appeal to the Library Committee, who shall also decide all other disputes between readers and the library officials.
5.—Readers desirous of proposing books for addition to the library may do so by entering the titles and particulars of publication of such books on slips provided for the purpose, which will then be submitted to the Committee at their first meeting thereafter. All suggestions on management to be written on slips or sent by letter to the Committee.
6.—Any person who unlawfully or maliciously destroys or damages any book, map, print, manuscript, or other article belonging to the libraries shall be liable to prosecution for misdemeanour under the provisions of 24 and 25 Vict. c. 97, 'An Act to consolidate and amend the statute law of England and Ireland relating to malicious injuries to property, 1861,' the provisions of the statute entitled 61 and 62 Vict c. 53. 'An Act to provide for the punishment of offences in libraries, 1898,' shall also apply.
Reference Library.
7.—The Reference Library shall remain open on weekdays from 10 a. m. till p. m., but shall be closed on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and such other days as the Committee may from time to time appoint.
8.—Any person over the age of 16 and such others as the Librarian may permit may use the reference library, and on entering shall sign his or her name, with the correct address, in a book kept for the purpose. Any one giving a false name or address shall be liable to prosecution, and shall not afterwards be allowed to use the library.
9.—Every person before leaving the room shall return the book or books consulted into the hands of the Librarian or his assistants, and must not replace books taken from the open shelves, but leave them with the assistant at the exit.
10.—Any work in the lending department, if not in use, excepting fiction, may be had on application at the reference library counter for perusal in the reading room, but on no account must such books be taken from the room.
11.—Illustrations of all kinds may be copied, but not traced, save by permission of the Librarian. Extracts from books may be copied in pencil. The use of ink is only permitted at certain tables which are reserved for the purpose. Certain works are only issued after a written application to the Library Committee.
Lending Department.
12.—The lending library is open daily for the issue and receipt of books every week-day from 10 a.m. till . . . p.m., but shall be closed on Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday, all public holidays, and such other days as the Committee may from time to time appoint.
13.—Books shall be borrowed for home reading only by persons rated, resident, or employed in . . .
14.—All persons whose names appear on the current Register of Electors of . . . or in the local directories as residents, or who can produce a receipt for current rates, may borrow books on their own responsibility, after filling up the application forms provided for the purpose.
15.—Other residents and non-resident employees in over 14 years of age may borrow books, but must first obtain a recommendation from a duly qualified person as defined in Rule 14, and must sign the necessary application forms provided for the purpose. The filling up and signing of these forms will be regarded as an assent to these rules and regulations, and an undertaking to observe due care in the use of the books, and to make good any loss or damage sustained.
16.—Any person resident or employed in . . . able to obtain the recommendation of a qualified person as defined in Rule 14, may borrow books on leaving a deposit of five shillings with the Librarian. The guarantee of the recognized head officials of Government Departments, Friendly Societies, and similar organizations may be accepted at the discretion of the Committee, in lieu of an ordinary guarantee, for persons who are employed in . . .
17.—The application forms, duly signed, must be delivered to the Librarian or his assistant, and if on examination they are found to comply with the rules and regulations, tickets will be issued at once [or after three days interval]. These tickets must be revised and stamped annually by the assistants to ensure the correctness of the addresses and other particulars [or must be renewed annually at the date of expiry].
18.—The Committee shall issue additional tickets to readers, available for all classes of literature save fiction. Any duly enrolled borrower may have one of these extra tickets on filling up an application form as for an ordinary ticket. School teachers in . . . may have more than one ticket of this class on application to the Librarian.
19.—Borrowers must return each volume lent within fifteen days, including days of issue and return, and shall be liable to a fine of 1d. per week or portion of a week for each volume lent, if not returned within that period, but the issue of a book may be renewed for a further period of fifteen days, dating from the day of intimation, on notice being given to the Librarian either personally or in writing, and no further renewal will be allowed if the book is required by another reader. Books which are much in demand may, however, be refused such renewal at the discretion of the Librarian.
20.—Borrowers who are unable to obtain a particular non-fictional book and desire that it shall be retained for them on its return, must give its title, number, etc., to the assistant, and pay 1d. to cover cost of posting an intimation that it is available for issue, but no book will be kept longer than the time mentioned in the notice sent. Novels cannot be reserved under this rule.
21.—No person shall take out of any library any book for use in any house in which there is a person suffering from infectious disease, and no person shall return to any such library any book which has been exposed to infection from any infectious disease, but shall at once give notice to the Medical Officer of Health that it has been exposed to infection, and leave the book at the office of the Medical Officer of Health or hand it over to any Sanitary Inspector acting on his behalf, who shall cause the same to be disinfected and then returned to the library, or destroyed.
22.—Borrowers leaving the district or ceasing to use the library are required to return their tickets to the Librarian in order to have them cancelled, and changes of address should be notified at once.
Reading Rooms.
23.—The Reading Rooms shall remain open on weekdays from 9 a.m, till 10 p.m., but certain newspaper advertisements shall be on view from . . . a.m. The department shall be closed on the usual holidays as stated in Rule 12.
24.—No persons under 14 years of age, unless accompanied by their parents or elders capable of controlling them, shall be allowed to use these rooms except by permission of the Librarian or his assistants.
25.—Any persons who use these rooms for purposes of betting, or who in any way cause obstruction or disorder in these or any other rooms or passages of the libraries, are liable to be proceeded against under the provisions of 61 and 62 Vict. c. 53. 'An Act to provide for the punishment of offences in libraries, 1898.'
26.—Readers in possession of periodicals must be prepared to resign them to any other reader who may ask to peruse them, ten minutes after the request has been made through one of the library staff.
Children's Rooms.
27.—The Children's Reading Rooms and Libraries shall be open from 4.30 till 8 p.m. daily, from Monday to Friday inclusive, and from 10 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. on Saturdays.
28.—The Children's Lending Libraries are free to every boy and girl under 14 years of age residing in . . . able to write and read; but they must obtain a recommendation from their parents or school teachers as to their good behaviour and the safe return of all books. Only one book a week will be issued to each Borrower, but books may be returned any day.
29.—The Children's Reading Room shall only be open to children over 10 years of age who possess tickets of admission issued by the Librarian on the recommendation of parents or school teachers.