RULES, &c.
THAT, the Names of all the Proprietors of the said Library be fairly written in the Library Register, in an alphabetical Order, to prevent any Uneasiness about Precedency.
THAT, the Titles of all the Books that have, or shall be given to the Library by any Gentleman, charitably disposed to contribute to the better furnishing thereof, be at large, and fairly written in the Register, with the Name and proper Addition of the giver, as a Mark of the Proprietors Gratitude.
THAT, a Catalogue of all the Books belonging to the Library be fairly written in the Register, in alphabetical Order, and the Prices thereof in Sterling Money carried out, care being taken to leave Room under each Letter for inserting such Books, as may be hereafter purchased.
THAT, from Time to Time some proper Person shall be appointed Librarian, whose Business and Duty shall be, to see that all Things be written in the Register according to these Rules; to take Care that the Books be kept clean, in good Order, and in their proper Places; to deliver out Books to the Proprietors, and take Receipts for them; to receive them back, replace them, and discharge the Receipts; to take Care that the Room, where the Books are, be kept clean and neat; to attend from two to five of the Clock every Saturday Afternoon upon the opening the Library, delivering out, and receiving in Books, and to attend to shew the Library to all Strangers, who are Gentlemen, and desire to see it.
THAT, no Proprietor shall receive, or have at one Time, more than one Folio, or one Quarto, or one large Octavo Volume, or [Page 22] two small Octavo, or Duodecimo Volumes. The Folios to be returned in seventeen Weeks, Quartos in twelve Weeks, and Octavos and Duodecimos in eight Weeks.
THAT, none of the Proprietors lend any Book to any Person, or suffer any Book in their Hands to be torn, defaced, or any way misused or injured.
THAT, if any Proprietor lend, lose, or unfairly injure any single Book he may have taken out of the Library, every such Person shall be obliged to pay to the Librarian, double the Price such Book is marked at in the Catalogue; and if such Book be one of a Lot of Books, commonly kept, and properly belonging together, then he who loses, detains, or unfairly injures such a Book shall be obliged to pay the double Price of the whole Sett, and may, if he pleases, receive the Remainder of such Sett to his own Use.
THAT, every Proprietor, when he receives any Book out of the Library, shall, in the Presence of the Librarian, sign a Receipt, in the Receipt-Book for that Purpose to be kept, setting forth the Title of the Book, of what Fold it is, and the Time when received; and when such Book is returned, the Librarian shall, with his own Hand, write the Word (Returned) on the Bottom or Margin of the Receipt; also putting down the Date.
THAT, the Right of any of the Proprietors in the said Library shall not be divided, but shall always remain in single Person, and may be Sold or Transferred from one Person to another, at Pleasure.
THAT, from this Date any Person of a good Character may be admitted and made a Proprietor in said Library, he first paying to the Treasurer eight Pounds, Sterling: And the Money arising by such Admission, shall be immediately laid out in purchasing such Books as shall be most wanted.
THAT, for the future, there shall be a General Meeting of the Proprietors [Page 23] on the first Monday of September annually, and oftner if need be, the Time to be appointed by the Librarian and any seven of the Proprietors, and proper Notice given by the Librarian to the Members: And when they are duly met, the Librarian shall lay before them the State of the Library, giving an Account of all that hath been done since their last Meeting; and the said Proprietors shall regulate and amend any Thing that shall be found amiss, and from Time to Time provide and make such further Rules and Orders, as shall be found necessary for the better governing the Library: And at every such annual Meeting they may remove the Librarian, and appoint another in his Stead, if they think fit.
THAT, previous to every such annual Meeting, the Treasurer and Librarian shall lay their Accounts before the standing Committee, who shall examine them, and lay the State thereof before the said annual Meeting for their Approbation, and whatever they shall find due on the said Accounts they shall immediately order to be paid: and for that End shall have Power to assess and levy an equal Tax on all the Proprietors, and order by whom, in what Manner, and within what Time, the same shall be collected.
THAT, all Ministers and Preachers, for the Time being, among the different Denominations of Christians within the Town of Providence, shall be allowed the same Liberty with the Books belonging the Library, as though they were Proprietors therein, they observing the same Rules as others are hereby directed to follow.
THAT, if any Proprietor do keep any Book longer than the Time limited in the foregoing Rules, he shall pay to the Librarian a Fine of two Pence, three Farthings, Lawful Money a Week, for any Book so detained, which shall be the Librarian's Perquisite for his Attendance. And that no Proprietor shall take any other Book out of the Library until such Fine be paid.
[Page 24] THAT, no Proprietor shall take out the same Book again which he returns, if any other Member appears to take out the same.
THAT, whenever the General Assembly shall sit in the Town of Providence, the Librarian shall, on the first Day of their sitting, deliver the Keys of the Library to whomsoever they shall appoint, to be returned to him again when they shall rise; so that the Members may have Opportunity to read any of the Books, if they see Cause, trusting to their Honour to leave them in their Places.
THAT, if any of the Proprietors of the Library shall neglect or re-refuse to observe and govern themselves, in affairs relating to the Library, according to the foregoing Rules, or such others as may be hereafter established for the future good Order thereof, it shall be in the Power of the Proprietors, at any General Meeting, to remove such refractory Member from being one of their Number, and to deny and refuse him any Benefit of the Books belonging to the Library. And if any Member shall neglect or refuse to pay any Tax or Assessment imposed by the Proprietors at any of their Meeting, for the Space of one Year after such Meeting, that then the Treasurer of the Proprietors shall cause the Right or Share of such delinquent Member to be sold at public Vendue, for the payment of the Tax or Assessment, and the Residue of the Money arising from the Sale, after payment of Vendue Fees and the other lawful Expences, shall be delivered unto such Member. Provided, That nothing herein shall be in Force against any Member who shall be over Sea during the whole Twelvemonth.
AGREED and RESOLVED, That Caesar's Commentaries, by Duncan, with Clarke's fine Cuts; a large and beautiful Folio Edition of Guillim's Heraldry; Bickham's Universal Penman; and Bowen's System of Geography, in two large Folio Volumes, with curious Maps; should not be taken out of the Library, but remain there for the general Inspection of the Members, when the Library shall be opened.
1762.