The Catalogue of 1883 stated that the following was the rule for the use of the City books: "A loan of these books may be obtained at the Free Library, from 11 to 4 on any day of the week excepting Thursday, by application to the Town Clerk, who will supply a Form to be filled up by the applicant and forwarded to the Chairman of the Libraries Committee." Now the books are issued by and at the discretion of the City Librarian, for use in the Reference Library, in accordance with the rules of the Public Library. The City Committee, which is responsible for the City Library, provided in 1912 a large exhibition case in the Reading Room for the display of some of the more rare and interesting books. DONORS. The Library was formed almost entirely by donations, principally from local residents, including bishops, deans, and other clergy, magistrates, merchants and tradesmen. The donations from the inception of the Library in 1608 to 1737 are enumerated in the Vellum Book provided for the purpose in 1659, to which reference is made on page 46. The first donation was a gift of fifteen volumes from Sir John Pettus who was Mayor during the year of the foundation of the Library, viz., Severinus Binius' "Concilia generalia et provincialia," 4 vols. in 5, (Cologne, 1606), "Centuriones Magdeburgh," 7 vols., (Basel), and Bellarmine's "Disputationes de controversiis Christianae Fidei," 3 vols., (Paris, 1608). His gift was followed by one in the same year from Susannah Downing, wife of Alderman George Downing, who had been Mayor in the previous year. She gave Hieronymus Zanchius' "Opera theologica," 8 vols. in 3, 1605 (Excudebat Stephanus Gamonetus). In the following year Thomas Corye, merchant, gave Luther's Works in 7 vols. and three volumes of Ludwig Lavater's Commentaries, (Zurich); Sir Thomas Hirne, the Mayor, gave ten volumes of Calvin's works, and a polyglot Bible--Biblia Sacra, Hebraice, Graece, et Latine (1599), 2 vols.; Thomas Corbett gave St. Augustine's Works (Basel, 1569); and Henry Doyly gave St. Bernard's Works (Paris, 1586). The three chief benefactors to the Library were Richard Ireland, who at the time of his death was rector of Beeston, Norfolk; Thomas Nelson, rector of Morston, Norfolk; and John Kirkpatrick, a linen merchant, of Norwich, the eminent antiquary. Ireland's bequest was made in 1692, and the entry in the Vellum Book is as follows: "Mr Richard Ireland, Formerly Rector of Beeston and sometime also of St Edmonds in the Citty of Norwich where he was born, gave by his last Will all his Bookes to the publick Library of the Citty: where they are set up on Shelves, and accordingly specifyed in the Catalogue of the Library, viz, the Folios on Classis. 16 and the smaller bookes on Classis 20 and 21. with some others of the Old Citty Library distinguished in the said Catalogue.