JAMES TALLMADGE, the President of the Institute, made a donation of Niles' Register, which had been purchased by him for one hundred dollars. The following is a copy of the Library Scrip issued to contributors: LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. This Scrip represents share for which twenty-five dollars have been paid, and entitles to the ordinary privileges of the Reading Room and Library of the American Institute, and also to take one volume from the library, subject to the terms and regulations of the Library Committee, the privilege transferable only by approbation of said Committee. The first share of Library Scrip was issued on the twenty-third day of June, 1834. The Library was first opened at the rooms of the Institute, in the year 1833, in Liberty street, near Broadway, in this city. In 1834 the Library and Institute removed to No. 41 Cortlandt street. The Institute and Library remained there until 1836, when a lease was taken by the Institute of the 2d floor of No. 187 Broadway, at a rent of $1000 a year, where they remained for three years. In 1839 the Institute and Library were removed to rooms in the new City Hall in the Park, rented from the corporation for four years, at a rent of $400. In 1843 the corporation granted a free lease to the Institute for 10 years, subject to the right of the corporation to terminate the same when wanted for public purposes. In 1848 the corporation terminated the lease, additional rooms being wanted for court rooms. In November, 1848, the Institute hired the second floor of the building corner of Broadway and Anthony street, at the rent of $1000 per year. There being no accommodation for the Library in those rooms, the books were carefully packed up and stored. After the close of the Annual Fair in the fall of the year 1848, there appeared to be a general desire among the members to obtain a permanent location for the Institute. The Institute having accumulated about $17,000, being the surplus proceeds of their Fairs, in the spring of 1849 purchased the building now occupied by them, No. 351 Broadway, for $45,000, on which there is now a mortgage for $25,000, payable on May 1st, 1854, to meet which the Institute have now invested, on bond and mortgage, $10,000. The Institute removed to their new building in June, 1849, and the Library was then unpacked and re-opened, for the use of the shareholders and members of the Institute. The Library Room is 80 feet long, by 25 feet wide, and has been handsomely fitted up by the Institute with glass cases, gas fixtures, &c., at an expense of $702 19. Connected with the Library is a Reading Room furnished with the newspapers published in the city of New York, and one newspaper from each of the principal cities in the United States, and also with the principal periodicals and scientific magazines published in the United States and Great Britain. As the Institute had at various times voted appropriations of money to the Library, increasing its value, questions arose as to the relative right of the shareholders and the Institute in the Library. The members of the Institute were not entitled to take a volume from the Library until the first day of May, 1850, when that privilege was given to them by the new By-Laws. For the purpose of settling the questions as to the rights of the shareholders, a paper was drawn up and signed by fifteen of them, releasing their rights as such, to the Institute, and which was presented at a meeting held on 11th of April, 1850; whereupon a resolution was passed that shareholders who should release their rights in the Library, should be life-members of the Institute, and a special vote of thanks to those shareholders who had so released their rights was passed.* Since that time nearly all the shareholders have released their rights and become members of the Institute for life. Up to that time, April 11, 1850, the Institute had contributed Contributed by shareholders, in money and books Since 1st May, 1850, the Institute has expended for books .... $2,478 25 2,494 29 1,270 00 948 03 Total amount contributed and expended for books for the Library $7,190 57 *Sinclair Tousey, Livingston Livingston, James Van Norden, James J. Mapes, Martin E. Thompson, Israel Foote, John S. Bowron, Adoniram Chandler, William Hagar, Edward T. Backhouse, John Disturnell, David Banks, John J. Cowenhoven, J. W. Benedict, R. R. Boyd. Since May, 1850, when the present committee was elected, there have been added to the Library 1280 volumes, and its gradual increase has been provided for by an annual appropriation, passed by the Institute on the sixth day of March, 1851, of $500 a year for five years. The Library is now composed of 5860 volumes. We add, for the information of the members, the By-Laws of the Institute relating to the Library, and the Rules and Regulations of the Library now in force, which were adopted May 23, 1850. LIV. LIVINGSTON, NEW YORK, January 1st, 1852. Library Committee. BY-LAWS RELATIVE TO THE LIBRARY. SEC. 49. It shall be the duty of the Library Committee to make selections for the Library, and adopt rules and regulations in accordance with which books may be taken therefrom, and exercise a general superintendence over all affairs connected with the Library, which rules and regulations must be submitted to the Institute for confirmation at its next regular meeting, after their adoption by said committee. SEC. 50. All members who shall have paid regularly and punctually their annual dues, and the Shareholders of the Library, shall be entitled to take books from the Library, at such times and subject to such rules and regulations as may be established, in the manner prescribed in the foregoing section. SEC. 51. Any member availing himself of the privilege named in the preceding section, who shall not strictly comply with, and observe the rules and regulations prescribed as aforesaid, shall, upon being reported to the Institute, be suspended from his rights as a member, until restored thereto by a vote of two thirds of the members present at any stated meeting of the Institute; and if he shall refuse or neglect a compliance with such rules and regulations for the term of six months, he may be expelled by a vote of the Institute, and his name be stricken from the roll of members. SEC. 81. Whenever any member of the Institute shall make a donation to the Library of Books, none of which shall then be duplicates of books in the Library, and which shall, in the opinion of the Library Committee, be suitable for the Library, and worth in their opinion the sum of one hundred dollars, he shall, upon such committee making a report of the same to the Institute, and upon such report being adopted, become a Life member of the Institute. RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE LIBRARY. ADOPTED MAY 23, 1850. SECTION 1. The Library and Reading Room shall be open daily, (except Sundays, New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Annual Thanksgiving, and Christmas,) to wit: from 8 o'clock, A. M., until 71⁄2 o'clock, P. M., on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and until 10 o'clock, P. M., on Tuesdays, and Thursdays, during the months of April, May, June, July, August, September and October; and from 8 o'clock, A. M., until 6 o'clock, P. M., on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and until 10 o'clock, P. M., on Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the months of January, February, March, November and December. SECTION 2. The Librarian shall make a full and accurate catalogue of all the books, pamphlets, maps, charts, newspapers, &c., belonging to the Library of the Institute, and arrange and number them in proper order, which shall at all times be open to the inspection of the members; he shall make a record of all books presented to the Institute, in a book provided for that purpose, with the names of the donors. SECTION 3. He shall enter, in a book to be kept for that purpose, the number of every volume delivered by him, the name of the person to whom delivered, the time of taking and returning the same, together with the forfeitures arising from every default. SECTION 4. He shall collect all Library dues and forfeitures incurred by the members, and account for the same to the Treasurer of the Library Committee at the close of each month, or oftener, if required by the said Committee. SECTION 5. He shall report monthly to the Library Committee the names of such members as may refuse to pay their forfeitures, or lose or damage any book belonging to the Library, and the names of all delinquents, with the amount of dues remaining unpaid. SECTION 6. He shall replace the books in proper order upon the shelves as soon as may be after they are returned, having first examined them with care and ascertained whether they have been injured or defaced. SECTION 7. He shall see that the books, Library and Reading Room, are kept in good order, shall duly observe the instructions which may be given him by the Library Committee, and take care that the regulations relative to the loaning of books be strictly adhered to. |