: 11 was for the
interest on, and repayment of, the loan. The product of the penny rate
was 740 pounds, and an additional 119 pounds : 6 : 5 was received as fees
for the hire of the upper rooms and the cellars of the Library. In the
early days of the Library these rooms were hired for many purposes,
including Sunday services, temperance meetings, Cambridge University
local examinations, lectures, dinners, entertainments, etc., the cellars
were used for the storage of wines and spirits, and the Norwich
Meteorological Society had an anemometer fixed on top of the building.

Mr. George Easter, who succeeded Mr. Harper as Librarian in January 1877,
was a native of Norwich, who had followed the craft of a wood-carver in
Cambridge, and had had no training in library work. The burden of debt
upon the Library having been considerably diminished, and the librarian
coming to his duties with enthusiasm and a disposition to seek advice on
books and library matters from those competent to give it, he was able to
effect some improvements in the administration of the Library, and to
develop it. About six months after his appointment he had prepared for
the press an author catalogue of the books in the Lending and Reference
Departments of the Library, which was ready for sale at sixpence each in
December. One thousand copies of this crown octavo catalogue of 94 pages
were printed. In this catalogue the hours of the Lending Department were
stated to be from 11 a.m. till 3.30 p.m. on week-days.

The publication of an annual report was revived in 1879 when a report
covering the period December 1st, 1877 to December 31st 1878 was
submitted to the Town Council. It showed that the stock consisted of
4,400 volumes, of which nearly 1,000 had been added during the year; and
that during the period 1,545 borrowers' tickets had been issued, and
27,408 volumes had been issued, as compared with 15,312 vols. issued from
September 1875 to September 1876.

In 1879 the Librarian requested the Committee to allow him to purchase
works relating to Norwich, which eventually led to the formation of the
Local Collection, which is described on pp. 77-81.

The library rate was one penny in the pound from the date of the opening
of the library until 1871, but for several years afterwards it was either
about three farthings or one halfpenny. The rate was raised to three
farthings in the pound in 1880, and in the following year it was raised
to one pen