CHAPTER XXIII

RULES AND REGULATIONS

=348. General.=---A public library is an institution based upon broad lines of mutual co-operation, in which every citizen has equal rights, and in which the rules should be drafted to protect the common proprietary rights, without penalizing any section of the community. Hence the liberal attitude which recognizes that the whole purpose of librarianship is to get books used must be brought to the drafting of rules. Fortunately this attitude is becoming more common, if it is not universal, and the whole tendency of modern public library work is to break down all barriers between the readers and the freest use of books. Indeed, it is better to lose a few books yearly than to protect them from the very few dishonest people who may live in the community by means which militate against the liberty of readers.

=349. Hours.=--The number of hours during which municipal libraries should remain open to the public will vary according to the local conditions, staff and funds of every town and district. In small places, with scanty populations and little libraries with but one attendant, a few hours open at night on several days in the week, according to requirements, will serve every practical purpose. In towns of a fair size, of say from 10,000 to 30,000 people, the reading rooms should be open all day uninterruptedly from 10 to 9 or 10, but the lending library need only be kept open from 10 to 2 and from 5 to 9. In large towns of over 40,000 inhabitants, the libraries should remain open all day from early morning till late at night--say from 8 A.M. till 10 P.M. for newsrooms; 9 A.M. till 10 P.M. for reference libraries; 10 A.M. till 9 P.M. for lending libraries; and 4 till 8 P.M. for juvenile departments, if any. There should be no interruptions, at any rate so far as departments other than the lending library are concerned, to these services, either in the way of half- or whole-day closing to suit the staff, or any irregularity in hours. The public library is a bureau for the supply of information, and should be found open at any time in a working-day, during which people are likely to use its resources. In large towns there is no necessary connexion between the public hours and the staff, and in an important matter of this kind, which affects the convenience of hundreds of people, the policy of employing extra assistance, in order to keep the library open all day and every day without overworking the staff, should not be questioned. It may be argued that if one town of a certain size can keep its public libraries open all day and every day (save Sundays and holidays, of course), every similar town and all larger ones can easily do likewise. But, as may be seen by reference to Greenwood’s _British Library Year Book_, 1900-1901, this is not invariably the case. A careful and well-constructed time-sheet will often get over difficulties which may seem to arise from under-staffing or other conditions. There have been, and possibly still may be, libraries in which, largely because of badly constructed time-sheets, the assistants are given only one evening off weekly, and work from eight to nine hours daily, although the library is closed for a half-day every week, and thus both assistants and public are incommoded.

At the same time, to dogmatize upon the question of hours is unwise, as local circumstances condition the question so much. Moreover, the recent movements in the industrial and commercial worlds are in the direction of reducing working hours, and most people are now at liberty before 7 P.M., a fact which does away with the _necessity_, if not the convenience, of keeping libraries open to the late hours until recently in vogue. Again, a suburban library, with a population which returns from a neighbouring city in the evenings, has need to be open later than one, say, in the city itself. The whole matter is one of public convenience, and if it is remembered that to have the library used to its fullest limit is the ideal, the hours will be chosen well. At the same time, there are always readers who prefer to use the library in the last hour of the day, whatever that hour may be. If the closing hour is nine, they will arrive at 8.45; if eight, at 7.45, and so on; it is a curious, not uncommon human trait, which may be borne in mind when hours are being arranged.

=350. Age Limits.=--There are wide differences in the practice as regards the limit of age from which persons are allowed to use the libraries, but within recent years the opinion on this point has undergone considerable change. Formerly persons under eighteen and sixteen were forbidden the use of public libraries; now such high limits are very uncommon, though fourteen is still frequently seen in the rules of otherwise progressive libraries. Of course, local conditions must receive due consideration in this matter, though it is difficult to think of any circumstance which calls for any distinction being made between children of twelve and those of fourteen years of age. There are hundreds of bright, intelligent lads and girls of twelve who are the equals in knowledge and ability of their fellows of thirteen and fourteen years of age; in fact, children do not fit, intellectually, into age-compartments; their capacities are surprisingly individual. What seems reasonable is the entire abolition of age limits in lending libraries, subject to the reservation that the librarian should have discretionary power to refuse to issue books to any child unable to read and write. Failing this, the limit might be fixed at twelve where there are no separate juvenile libraries, but reduced to seven where such departments exist. There is a certain amount of trouble and inconvenience to adults resulting from admitting very young children, especially in open access and other libraries without separate juvenile accommodation, and this would be partly met by the compromise proposed. Separate children’s libraries are the solution of the difficulty, and, when these can be provided all round, the age limit downwards can be abolished so far as they are concerned, while the limit for the adult library can be raised to twelve or fourteen. But adequate provision should be made for interchanging, and all necessary facilities provided for enabling intelligent young people under the limit to procure suitable more advanced books if desired, and also for allowing adults to revive their youth by allowing them access to the works of Ballantyne, Henty and other authors.

=351.= As regards age limits in reference libraries and reading rooms, there is more to be said for keeping them high than in the case of lending libraries, especially when there are separate children’s rooms. But, generally speaking, there is no strong reason for excluding well-conducted boys or girls from a popular reading room, whatever their ages may be, provided they do not come during school hours, or do not otherwise make the library a place in which to hide from some duty. In some libraries, with age limits of twelve, fourteen or over, it is the practice to turn away younger children from news and reading rooms in cases where they are accompanied by their parents or elders. This is an abuse of a rule which was only intended to protect readers from the noisy incursions of irresponsible youngsters, who are wont to stray into public places out of sheer devilment, or accident, or excess of curiosity. To apply this rule to children in arms, or youngsters accompanied by and in charge of their elders, is simply officialism calculated to injure the popularity and prestige of municipal libraries. The age limit for a reference library designed for students, with open access to the shelves, should be fixed at fourteen or sixteen, with discretionary power to the librarian to grant permits to any studious youngster under that age. Where access to public reading rooms and juvenile departments is easy, there seems no good reason for throwing open the reference library to all and sundry, unless under the safeguards suggested.

=352. The Borrowing Right.=--There are several points in connexion with the borrowing rights of various classes of citizens which it is desirable to notice, especially as they have much bearing on the question of a library’s popularity and good management. In some towns the borrowing right is strictly confined to ratepayers or residents in the library district. Employees who live outside the district are excluded, but for what particular reason it is difficult to understand. An employee contributes directly to the material well-being of the district in which his work lies; he contributes indirectly but substantially towards the rates; he spends most of his waking and all his working hours in the district; and in other ways he is as much a citizen as the resident who works outside the district and only sleeps in it at night. It is impossible to discover any reason for the distinction made between employee and resident in some places, and it may be pointed out that plenty of large towns grant the borrowing right to employees without the slightest inconvenience, difficulty or injustice to anyone. A further wise liberality permits borrowing privileges to all non-resident scholars and students at schools or similar institutions in the town. Similar arguments apply in favour of such an arrangement, and these young folks are usually readers of a valuable type.

=353.= Teachers and others engaged in educational work should be dealt with as generously as possible, and should be lent as many books as they need at a time for purposes of their work. From six to twelve works are frequently required by a teacher in preparing a subject, and he should be allowed to have them, the most liberal interpretation possible being given to this privilege. Obviously no teacher should be permitted to make his needs an excuse for borrowing batches of current and popular works to the detriment of other readers, but it is better to risk even this than to fail him in what may be an important matter. A teacher reaches farther than the average individual.

=354.= Another regulation which tells against the interests of municipal libraries is that in which every intending borrower, ratepayer or otherwise, is required to obtain the signatures of one or two registered ratepayers as guarantors before a ticket will be issued. It is not necessary to imagine reasons for this very serious obstacle to intending borrowers. Since many large and small towns dispense with this precaution in the case of ratepayers, and allow non-ratepayers and compounding householders to have tickets on the guarantee or recommendation of one ratepayer or on leaving a small deposit, there is no reason why this elaborate double guarantee should not be abolished all round. The time will doubtless come when guarantees of all kinds will be abolished and suitable recommendations substituted.

There are other antiquated and needless restrictions in connexion with the borrowing right which need not be specified at length, but are grouped together here as examples of bad rules for which there is little justification.

1. The illegal charge of 1d. or 2d. for tickets or voucher forms, still levied in some places in defiance of the Public Libraries Act, 1892, Section 11, Sub-section (3); and various judicial decisions.

2. Requiring more than three days’ notice before issuing a borrower’s ticket. (In some places borrowers are required to wait for a week or fourteen days from the date of lodging their application for tickets.)

3. Limiting the time for reading books to less than fourteen days.

4. Refusing to renew books by post-card, letter, telephone, or messenger, and requiring that the actual books shall be brought back to be re-dated.

5. The imposition of fines amounting to more than 1d. per week or part of a week for overdue books. (In certain libraries, some of which are not pressed for funds, the exorbitant fine of 1d. per day is imposed for overdue books, with a time limit of seven, ten and fourteen days. This question is further considered in Section 355.)

6. Refusing to exchange books on the same day as that on which they are issued. (As the books which are brought back for exchange are usually those which the borrowers have read previously, there seems little need for such a disobliging rule.)

7. Refusing to issue books on the same day as that on which they are returned to the library. (A common practice in the old-fashioned libraries, worked by means of charging ledgers, but still found in several much more up-to-date libraries. The same craze for tantalizing the public has in a minor degree infected some open access lending libraries which will not re-issue returned books until they have been replaced on their shelves by the assistants.)

8. Charging borrowers 1d. or 2d. as a penalty for losing their tickets and requiring them to be re-issued. (Query, a contravention of the Act.)

9. Disallowing the use of ink for copying purposes in all circumstances.

10. Allowing only one volume at a time to borrowers.

11. Restricting the number of books which a reference reader may have at one time.

=355. Fines and Penalties.=--So long as the present rate limitation remains as fixed by successive Acts of Parliament, fines will continue to be levied in British municipal libraries. There is no doubt that the small incomes realized in most public libraries from the niggardly provision made by Parliament is one cause of the efforts made in many cases to increase funds, by imposing fines of varying degrees of severity upon the borrowers from lending libraries. This is, indeed, the principal reason, though it is said that, but for penalties of some sort, books would never be returned at all. There may be some truth in this, as regards a small proportion of borrowers, but the experience of Manchester and some American towns where no fines are imposed rather modifies the statement as to the supposed disastrous effects of non-fining. This, like many another question, is one on which the inexperienced theoretical objector appeals to his imagination for details of all sorts of hardships, inconveniences and dangers arising as the result of abolishing fines. Every argument is directed towards showing how the library would suffer, and incidentally it has been mentioned that, perhaps, the undue retention of a popular book would prove highly inconvenient to other readers who wanted it. These matters need not be discussed, since it must be obvious that popular books can always be duplicated to a certain extent; that more diligence can be exercised in the tracing, pursuit and ingathering of overdue popular books; and that there are methods of punishing hardened delinquent borrowers of this kind, by suspending their tickets, as is done at Manchester without serious results. But it is quite evident that in Britain fining for overdue books will be maintained until it is declared illegal--and no doubt, with bye-laws not legally confirmed, it is a doubtful practice, in England at all events--or Parliament has removed the rate limitation or provided other means of financial assistance, without all this scraping, pinching and doubtful means of increasing funds. What is suggested is more latitude in the imposition of fines, and a less eager desire to make money over the business than is implied in such fines as 1d. a day, and fines of two, three, four and five cents as charged in some American libraries. No library has a right or any need to make a profit out of such a transaction as fining for overdue books, and it would be better to make a uniform charge of 1d. per week, or portion of a week, for books retained over a fortnight, when not renewed by postcard or otherwise.

=356. Holiday and Sunday Opening.=--Whether libraries are to be opened or not on public holidays and Sundays is largely a matter for local option. In some places libraries have been experimentally opened on PUBLIC HOLIDAYS on the sentimental plea that many persons are unable to use them at any other time, and the result has been anything but encouraging. In other places, like seaside and holiday resorts, they have been opened on such holidays, with decided advantage to trippers seeking shelter from inclement weather. Generally speaking, all libraries should be _closed_ on public holidays, on the grounds that a general holiday should be generally observed as such, and that people are much better in the fresh air than sitting indoors in libraries or anywhere else on such occasions. If any exception to this were made it would be to open only on wet and stormy public holidays, but always except Christmas, and, in the case of Scotland, New Year’s Day. The public holidays in Britain are too few and far between to effect any radical influence upon libraries or readers.

=357.= As regards SUNDAYS, conditions are rather different. To begin with there are more of them, and they come at regular intervals. But unless the need for Sunday opening can be demonstrated by a satisfactory result derived from a series of trial openings, it is better for the libraries not to be opened as a mere concession to the views of certain societies, or the supposed utility of the movement to people who are alleged to be unable to come on week-days. If experiment proves that Sunday opening is meeting a real need, open the libraries by all means, but not otherwise. As a compromise it is suggested that if Sunday opening is decided upon, the reading rooms only should be open between the hours of 3 and 9 P.M. on every Sunday between October and May inclusive. There is little need for Sunday opening in warm weather--people are much better out-of-doors--especially if, as is usually the case, attendances fall off greatly.

Should the Sunday opening question become a burning one in any town, arrangements might be made to open the reading room and reference library, provided at least 500 citizens take out tickets as an earnest of their intention to use the library. It is doubtful if in any town Sunday opening has been limited to students and other inquirers, but it would form a reasonable manner of settling a difficult question should opinion be sharply divided.

As regards ways and means of carrying on the business of a public library on holidays and Sundays, special arrangements must be made, both as regards the necessary attendants, heating, lighting and cleaning.

=358. Enforcement of Rules.=--There is nothing in the original English or Irish Acts which gives power to enforce rules and bye-laws, but in the Act of 1901 such may be obtained provided the rules are approved by the Local Government Board. In the Scotch Act very full provisions are made for the confirmation and enforcement of bye-laws. Clause 22 of the Act of 1887 reads: “It shall be lawful for the committee to make bye-laws for regulating all or any matters and things whatsoever connected with the control, management, protection and use of any property, articles or things under their control for the purposes of this Act, and to impose such penalties for breaches of such bye-laws, not exceeding £5 for each offence, as may be considered expedient; and from time to time, as they shall think fit, to repeal, alter, vary or re-enact any such bye-laws, provided always that such bye-laws and alterations thereof shall not be repugnant to the law of Scotland, and before being acted on shall be signed by a quorum of the committee, and, except in so far as they relate solely to the officers or servants of the committee, such bye-laws shall be approved of by the magistrates and council, or the board, as the case may be, and shall be approved of and confirmed by the sheriff of the county in which the burgh or parish, or the greater part of the area thereof, is situated.” Provision is also made for advertising and giving due notice of intention to adopt the bye-laws.

=359.= It should be stated, however, that there are quite a number of cases in which magistrates’ decisions in England have upheld the rules of Public Library Committees with regard to recovery of fines for overdue books, the value of books lost and guaranteed, and on other points. In some of these cases it has not been held or suggested that guarantee or voucher forms should be stamped as agreements, or that any limit under £5 should be placed on the amount of the guarantor’s liability. Nevertheless, a value limit of £1 or £2 might be placed upon a guarantor’s liability, and that will dispose of the awkward point as to the agreement being stamped.

=360. Draft Rules and Regulations.=--These draft rules are based upon a careful examination of the principal bye-laws adopted by many of the principal libraries in Britain and the United States, with certain modifications to harmonize them with certain leading principles advocated throughout this book. No two places are exactly alike in all their circumstances and local conditions, so that no library is likely to adopt these rules exactly as they stand. But they contain suggestions which may be found useful in drawing up and adopting a series of suitable rules, and enabling most vital points to be met. Some libraries have an enormous number of rules, amounting in some cases to fifty or sixty items, but many of these are quite unnecessary and need not be considered. The draft rules drawn up by the Local Government Board may be obtained if thought needful; but they are printed separately in the _Library Association Record_, 1903, p. 28. The fewer and simpler the rules the more likely are the people to read and observe them.

LIBERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

RULES AND REGULATIONS

GENERAL

1. The Liberton Public Library 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 annual voluntary contributions of money and gifts of books and periodicals. The library committee shall not make any dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money unto or between any of the members.

3. Admission is free to all parts of the library during the hours of opening, 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, on slips (_or_ in a book) kept for the purpose, the titles and particulars of publication of such books, 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 & 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 & 62 _Vict., c. 53, An Act to provide for the punishment of Offences in Libraries_, 1898, shall also apply.

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT

7. The library and reading room shall remain open on week-days from 9 A.M. till 10 P.M. (and on Sundays, from October to May inclusive, from 3 to 9 P.M.), but shall be closed on Christmas Day (New Year’s Day), all public holidays, and such other days as the committee may from time to time appoint.

8. Every person on entering the reference library shall sign his or her name, with the correct address, in a book kept for the purpose. Anyone 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 9 P.M., but shall be closed on Sundays, Christmas Day (New Year’s Day), 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 the Borough of ..........., or qualified by Rule 18.

14. All persons whose names appear on the current Roll of Electors of the Borough, or in the local directories as residents, may borrow books on their own responsibility, after filling up an application for a borrower’s ticket, on a form provided for the purpose.

15. Other residents, and non-resident employees in the borough, over twelve (fourteen) years of age, may borrow books, but must first obtain a guarantee (or recommendation) from a duly qualified person, as defined in Rule 14, and must sign an application for a borrower’s ticket, on forms to be provided by the librarian. But no such guarantor shall be allowed to assume responsibility for more than three other persons, unless by special arrangement with the committee, and in no single case shall his or her liability exceed £2 per person guaranteed.

16. Any person resident or employed in the borough, unable to obtain the signature of a qualified resident as a guarantee, may borrow books on leaving a deposit of 10s. 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 the district.

17. The Application and Guarantee Form, duly signed, must be delivered to the librarian, and if, on examination, it is found correct, the borrower’s ticket will be issued three days (_or_ at once) after (excluding Sundays), but will only be delivered to the borrower in person. This ticket will be available at the central library or any branch or branches.

18. In accordance with Section 11 of the Public Libraries Act, 1892, the committee will lend books to persons, other than those duly qualified under Rules 13-16, who pay an annual subscription of 7s. 6d.; but such borrowers must conform, in every respect, to all the rules of the library, and shall have no privileges other than those possessed by the other borrowers.

19. 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 may have more than one ticket of this class on application to the librarian.

20. All tickets and vouchers must be renewed annually, each ticket and voucher being reckoned available for one year from date of issue.[13]

[13] In some libraries the practice has arisen of making tickets permanent, as long as the holder resides in the district, without renewal annually. In place of renewal, a revision takes place, to ensure accuracy of addresses, etc.; where this is so, Rule 20 is unnecessary.

21. The borrower 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.

22. Each volume on return shall be delivered to the librarian or his assistant, and if on examination it be found to have sustained any damage or injury, the person to whom it was lent, or his or her guarantor, shall be required to pay the amount of damage done or to procure a new copy or series of equal value, and, in the latter case, the person supplying the new copy shall be entitled to the damaged copy or series on depositing the new one.

23. 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.

24. Borrowers are required to keep the books clean. They are not to turn down or stain the leaves, nor to make pencil or other marks upon them. They must take the earliest opportunity of reporting any damage or injury done to the books they receive, otherwise they will be held responsible for the value of the same.

25. If an infectious disease breaks out in any house containing books belonging to the library, such books are not to be returned to the library, but must be handed over to the Medical Officer of Health or any sanitary officer acting on his behalf. Until such infected house is declared free of disease by the Medical Officer of Health, no books will be issued from the libraries to any person or persons residing therein. In similar circumstances non-resident ratepayers or employees must return their books to the Medical Officer, and cease to use the libraries till their residences are certified free from infection.

26. Only actual borrowers who are enrolled on the register of the library shall have the right of direct access to the book-shelves, but their representatives may be admitted at the discretion of the librarian or his assistants. To prevent disappointment, these representatives should come provided with a list of several book-titles and numbers.

27. Any change in the residence of borrowers or their guarantors, or notice of withdrawal of guarantee, must be intimated to the librarian within one week.

28. 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; otherwise they and their guarantors will be held responsible for any books taken out in their names.

29. No person under twelve years of age shall be eligible to borrow books or make use of the adult library, except by the librarian’s permission.

GENERAL READING AND MAGAZINE ROOMS

30. The general reading room shall remain open on week-days from 8 A.M. till 10 P.M., and the magazine room from 9 A.M. till 10 P.M. (and on Sundays, from October to May inclusive, from 3 to 9 P.M.). Both rooms shall be closed on Christmas Day (New Year’s Day), all public holidays, and such other days as the committee may from time to time appoint.

31. No persons under twelve 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.

32. 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 & 62 _Vict., c. 53, An Act to Provide for the Punishment of Offences in Libraries_, 1898.

33. Readers in possession of newspapers or other 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.

JUVENILE ROOM

34. The juvenile reading room and library shall remain open from 4 till 8 P.M. daily on Monday to Friday inclusive, and from 10 A.M. till 6 P.M. on Saturdays.

35. The admission is free to every boy or girl under (twelve) fourteen years of age residing in the Borough of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . who is able to write and read; but they must obtain a guarantee (or recommendation) from their parents or school teacher as to good behaviour and safe return of all books.

36. Only one book per week will be allowed to each borrower.

37. Application for tickets admitting to the reading room must be made at the library.

There are certain admonitory rules which are best displayed in frames in placard form, such as: SILENCE IS REQUESTED; NO CONVERSATION ALLOWED; NO DOGS ADMITTED; CYCLISTS ARE REQUESTED TO KEEP THEIR MACHINES OUTSIDE THE BUILDING; PLEASE WIPE YOUR BOOTS; NO ADMISSION THIS WAY; NO SMOKING ALLOWED; and so on. Some of the general rules would be much more effective if displayed in this form.

=361. Notes on Rules.=--1 and 2. These rules are included for the purpose of qualifying for the certificate of exemption from income-tax and local rates, as described in Sections 37-40.

15. In some libraries the guarantee of responsible heads of large government and other departments is accepted for all the employees, and secretaries of associations and school teachers have also been accepted. In the first case the association has become responsible for all its eligible members, and signs through its secretary. In the second case the teacher assumes responsibility for all his eligible pupils. It should be understood that a teacher’s guarantee does not involve the teacher in financial responsibility, but is an indication of his opinion that the applicant may benefit by the use of the library, and usually includes the assumption that he will use his moral influence to secure the due care and return of books. Some libraries have abolished the guarantee for non-ratepayers.

16. DEPOSITORS should be treated as ordinary borrowers, and their tickets and numbering should go through the same routine. The money received from deposits may either be paid into the bank and repaid as wanted by depositors from petty cash, or held by the librarian and repaid when called up. Deposit money of this kind when paid into the bank tends somewhat to complicate and falsify the accounts by recording receipts which do not belong to the library, and inflating the petty cash expenditures, but borough accountants regard it as orthodox book-keeping as a rule. The practice differs in all places as regards this point, and the librarian may keep a separate account of these moneys, whether paid into the bank or not.

18. Under the powers conferred by the 1892 Act, many public libraries now permit persons residing outside the district who are not otherwise qualified to become borrowers on payment of an annual subscription, ranging from 5s. to 10s. The money received from this source should be paid into the subscriptions account at the bank, and a proper receipt given to the subscriber, showing how long the subscription is current.

21. The RENEWAL OF BOOKS is generally allowed without question, if no inquiries for them in the interval have been recorded. In other cases, such renewals must, of course, be refused, unless the books are not returned, in which case nothing can be done. Here again the eternal fiction question arises, and there are reasonable doubts if the right of renewal should be allowed in the case of recent popular novels. With classic fiction and other books it is quite another matter, and students should be allowed to renew within all reasonable limits, and by any reasonable means--post-card, telephone, message or other--providing that readers give the necessary particulars. A form of renewal slip is used at some libraries which may be useful. Copies are taken away by any borrower who thinks he may require them, and if he desires to renew a book, he simply fills up a slip and sends it by hand or post to the library. The assistant then picks out the charge from the charging system, inserts the renewal slip in the pocket, and re-issues it under the current date. The renewals may be picked out and sorted in one sequence behind a special guide, so that when a book is returned which has not been re-dated, it is easy to find it; or a “dummy” book card may be inserted in order under the original date of issue bearing a reference to the date of renewal--this is perhaps the more effective method. Renewals should count as re-issues, and a record should be made of the issue of all books which are thus renewed.

+--------------------------------+ | _Book No._ | +--------------------------------+ | _Issued_ | +--------------------------------+ | _Renewed_ | +--------------------------------+ | _Fine_ | +--------------------------------+ | This Ticket should be returned | | when renewing the Book. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +--------------------------------+ | LIBERTON | | PUBLIC LIBRARY. | +--------------------------------+

FIG. 132.--Renewal Slip (Section 361 (21)).

23. The practice of RESERVING BOOKS has been adopted in many libraries, and within certain limits it is useful. The chief points connected with the matter are whether all books should be reserved, and how many orders for the same popular book should be booked at once. As regards the first point, it is wise to exclude current popular, but not classic, fiction from the operation of the rule, partly for the reason that in this class duplicates of popular novels are generally stocked, and also because it is necessary to restrict as much as possible any privilege which may seem to favour one class to the exclusion of another, as there is no doubt that the charge of 1d. will practically exclude many poor people from participating in this method of book-reservation. It is simple to make a rough distinction between classic and current fiction, by adding the classic symbol (some arbitrary sign) to the class-mark of all books which have been published more than ten years. Such works are not necessarily classic, of course, but all that is contemplated is to prevent the holding-up on reservation lists of the latest works. As regards the second point, librarians will have to exercise a nice discretion as to how many readers they will place on the rota at one time, as it is quite conceivable that to reserve any popular work twenty or thirty times ahead is simply to cut it off from general circulation for an indefinite period. In the case of very popular books, the possibility of buying a special copy for reservation should be contemplated. As regards the method of working the system of reserving books, the usual plan is to sell a post-card to the borrower, who addresses it to himself and enters the name of the book wanted. These post-cards are then returned to the librarian, who arranges them in order, and, as the books are stopped on return, sends out the post-card next in order. A usual form for the post-card is as follows: “Please note that the book ............................. reserved by you, has now been returned, and will be kept for you till the evening of ..........................” The assistant fills in the date by which the book should be claimed. Of course, borrowers who fail to claim miss their turn. A separate register of these reserved books can be kept in addition to the cards, if thought advisable. A receipt should, of course, be given for each post-card, and in some libraries the numbers of the books reserved are written on the counterfoils.

25. INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOTIFICATION.--Authorities differ greatly as to the power of books to carry and disseminate disease. American and English bacteriologists, after exhaustive researches and tests, declare that dirty books cannot convey infection, whilst German and French scientists are not so sure. The latest tests and theories are negative. Infection is conveyed in a wet state from the patient to another person, and it is affirmed that when contagious matter has dried it is innocuous. It is, therefore, clear that the conditions under which books may carry disease rarely, if ever, occur. As library assistants are continually turning over, handling and inhaling the dust, etc., from lending library books without observed ill results, it may be assumed that the danger of infection, if it exists at all, is greatly exaggerated. But as the public mind is somewhat excited over this question, it is necessary for library authorities to take steps to reassure the people that everything is done to prevent disease being communicated through the medium of library books. The Public Health Acts are quite clear on the point that persons suffering from infectious diseases, or in charge of other persons so suffering, are liable to penalties for lending any article; and this would cover the case of a library which re-issued a book which came from an infected house. The practice should therefore be for the local sanitary authority to seize all library books found on disease-infected premises, and simply destroy them after due notification to the library authority. A further notification should be sent to the library when the house has been disinfected and declared free from disease, as in the meantime the librarian has stopped the issue of books to persons in the disease-stricken house from the date of the first intimation. There are various forms of notice used for notifying when and where disease breaks out, and what books are destroyed, and also for declaring the infected house free from disease. As regards the disinfection of books by means of fumes, etc., the opinion is that it cannot be properly done without destroying the bindings, and it is best to take the extreme course in view of the public fears. As regards the cost of replacing such destroyed books, the local sanitary authority can be called upon to do this under the provisions of the Public Health Acts, 1901, but unless the annual loss is very great, it seems hardly advisable to raise the point. In small places or towns with very limited book funds, the sanitary authority should certainly be asked to replace all books which are destroyed. It is a wise plan to keep a separate record of books which are destroyed in the interest of the public health. This need not note any further particulars than the dates, titles and numbers of books, and cost. A column can be reserved for remarks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

=362. Rules:=

Brett, W. H. Regulations for Readers. U.S. Educ. Rept., 1892-3, vol. i., p. 939.

Dana, J. C. Public Service. _In his_ Library Primer, p. 122.

Library Hours. Greenwood’s Year Book, 1900, p. 236.

=363. Sunday Opening:=

Barnett, Canon. Sunday Labour in Public Libraries, etc. Greenwood’s Year Book, 1897, p. 102.

Cutler, M. S., Mrs Fairchild. Sunday Opening of Public Libraries. U.S. Educ. Rept., 1892-3, vol. i., p. 771.

Greenwood, T. Sunday Opening of Public Libraries. _In his_ Public Libraries, 1894, p. 458; _and statistics_ in the British Library Year Book, 1900, p. 236.

=364. Infectious Diseases:=

Books as Carriers of Disease. Library J., vol. xxi., p. 150.

Johnston, T. The Replacement of “Infected” Books. Library W., vol. iv., p. 6.

Rivers, J. Do Public Library Books spread Disease? L. W., vol. vii., p. 143.

Willcock, W. J. Notification of Infectious Disease and the Public Library. L. W., 1899, p. 89.

=365. Open Access:=

_See_ Manual of Library Economy, 1903, pp. 445-68, for discussion of policy and list of articles on the subject.

Stewart, J. D., and Others. Open Access, 1915.

For articles see Cannons, E 45-48, Rules and Regulations, Hours, Sunday and Holiday Opening; E 107, Loan Period.

DIVISION XI

THE LENDING, OR HOME READING, DEPARTMENT