1855-12-13 City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
Board: Library Trustees
Subcommittee:
Date: 12/13/1855
Place: Beverly Public Library
Board members present: Richard P. Waters, William Endicott, Jr., Charles W. Galloupe, Charles
Haddock, and Benjamin O. Peirce
Board members absent:
Others present:
Recorder: Benjamin O. Peirce
Thursday Evening Dec. 13
The Board met, Mr. Galloupe in the chair. The second proposed regulation came up for
consideration & after some amendment was adopted.
It was then
Voted That the system of Rules & Regulations presented by the Committee be adopted in their
amended form & duly recorded.
Voted That Mr. Peirce be requested to procure the printing of 4000 or 5000 copies of an abstract of
the Rules to be affixed to the books.
Adjourned to Saturday evening at 7 o'clock.
Rules and Rel ulations
Article 1st The Library shall be open for the delivery of books on every afternoon and evening of
every Saturday, except during the formight immediately preceding the Annual Examination of the
Library which shall occur on the last Wednesday of February of each year.
Article 2d All persons hereina~er specified who shall sign an obligation to observe all the existing
Rules and Regulations of the library and all that may be subsequently prescribed by due authority shall
have free right to take books from the Library so long as they comply strictly with all its Regulations
viz.
First Any inhabitant of the Town of the age of Twenty one years and upwards.
Second Any person not an inhabitant of the Town who shall have been a benefactor to the Library
to an amount of not less than twenty five dollars.
Third Any inhabitant of the Town between the ages of twelve and twenty one years who shall present
to the Librarian a certification in the following form signed by such parents, minor's parent or
guardian
"The subscriber requests permission for a minor to be allowed
to take out books from the Public Library and will become responsible for said minors
observance of the Rules of the Library and for any damage or loss that may accrue to the
Library in consequence of such permission
Signed Street
This voucher may be withdrawn at any time on application to the Librarian.
Article 3d Every person proposing to borrow books from the Library shall receive from the
Librarian a printed card on which the book asked for shall be designated by its catalogue number in
a blank column lef~ for that purpose and this card is to be presented to the librarian or assistant as the
only mode of obtaining any book that may be wanted. If the book called for is not to be found the
card will be returned for the applicant to insert another number and the Librarian shall not allow
applicants to have access to the books excepting in this manner.
Article 4th No person shall be allowed more than one volume at any one time and no book shall be
kept by the person borrowing it for a longer time than that prescribed by the Trustees which time shall
be plainly designated upon the cover. If, however, no written application shall have been made for
the book during the interval by some other person he may again take it out and retain it for a farther
period of one week. The fine for retention of any volume beyond the specified time shall be five cents
for each and every week it is so retained.
Article 5tu The times allowed for the retention of books shall be three weeks for Octavo & larger
volumes and two weeks for those of duodecimo & smaller size. When any book is from an
circumstance likely to be frequently called for, the time of its retention may be limited to one week.
Article 6m Any book retained two weeks beyond the time prescribed by these Regulations shall be
sent for by the Librarian and the expense incurred in thus obtaining it shall be paid by the person to
whom it stands charged; and should the book not be returned to the Library within two weeks after
demand thus made it shall be regarded as lost.
Article 7 All injuries to books beyond reasonable wear and all losses shall be made good to the
satisfaction of the Trustees by the person charge, able therewith.
Article 8 All books are required to be returned to the Library fourteen days before the annual
examination in February under penalty of a fine of one dollar. But reasonable public notice shall be
given by the Librarian.
Article 9th No person receiving a book from the Library shall lend it to any person not a member
of the same household.
Article 10th No person owing a fine or forfeiture shall receive books from the Library until the same
is paid.
Article 11 th All person visiting the Library Room will be expected to demean themselves quietly and
no loud conversation will be allowed in the room. Any one abusing the privileges of the L~rary by
improper or offensive conduct will be denied admission to the room.
Article 12 Persons entitled to the privileges of the Library may receive books for consultation in the
Library Room during the times when it may be open but such books shall be charged to them on
delivery & the entry erased when the same are returned precisely as in the case of books withdrawn
from the room.
Article 13 Books of reference and those deemed by the Trustees unsuited for general circulation
shall not be loaned except by an order signed by a majority of the Trustees.
Article 14th When any book that may be applied for is found not to belong to the Library, the
applicant is particularly requested to furnish the Librarian with the title of such book, the names of
the author & publisher together with his own signature.
Article 15 The Library shall be under the immediate superintendence of a Librarian who shall
observe such rules in its administration as the Trustees may from time to time prescribe and who is
especially charged to require an exact observance of the foregoing Rules on the part of all.
Article 16 These Rules and Regulations or any of them may be repealed, amended, altered or
enlarged at any legal meeting of the Trustees of the Library, a majority of the whole number of
Trustees concurring.
Article Ist The Librarian shall under the direction of the Trustees have the charge and
superintendence of the rooms of the Public Library and shall be responsible for the due care &
keeping of all the books and other public property contained therein.
Article 2 He shall be present in person or by an assistant during such times as the Library may be
open to the public and at other times when requested by the Trustees - performing in such manner
as they may prescribe the duties usually required of a Librarian.
Article 3 He shall arrange all the books on the shelves in an order convenient for use and shall enter
in a record to be kept for that purpose the time when each book was received, its condition; its cost
of purchase; the name of its donor, if given, and all other facts in relation to it which the Trustees may
direct.
Article 4 He shall prepare in such manner as the Trustees may direct a complete alphabetical
catalogue of the Library giving the titles of the books with the Library numbers which book shall be
kept in the Library Room for the use of applicants for books.
Article 5th He shall acknowledge all gifts to the Library as soon as they shall have been reported to
the Trustees and accepted, first procuring the signatures of the President and Secretary of the Board
of Trustees to each acknowledgment he may make.
Article 6th He shall keep a careful record of all such books as may be asked for and are not in the
Library exhibiting it to the Trustees at every regular meeting of the Board.
Article 7th He shall cause all books and pamphlets in the Library to be marked by impression or
otherwise with the words Public Library of the Town of Beverly.
Article 8th He shall cause a book plate to be securely fastened in each volume belonging to the
library noting on it the date of the book' s reception, the name of the donor if it be a gift, and the
number it may bear in the catalogue.
Article 9th He shall cause to be marked on each volume in the Library or on the back of its cover,
the number which such volume may bear in the catalogue.
Article 10th He shall cause every volume intended for circulation to be neatly covered with suitable
paper and to have attached to it an abstract of such Rules of the Library as are needful to be known
by those who may use it but he shall permit no book to be used until it shall have been duly numbered
in the catalogue.
Article l ]th He shall, before the last Wednesday in February of each year, prepare for examination
all the books and property of the Library under his control and shall at the same time make in writing
and present to the Trustees a detailed and circumstantial account of its condition, increase and use
during the year preceding.