Owing to the small amount of money available for the purchase of books and periodicals, the citizens were invited in the second quarter of 1857 to contribute for the supply of reviews, periodicals and newspapers, and by July 1858 nearly 60 pounds in subscriptions for this purpose had been obtained. Mr. A. D. Bayne, as Hon. Secretary to the Committee, virtually acted as Librarian until his resignation in April, 1860, attending its meetings, conducting its business, purchasing the books for the Library, etc. The first person to take charge of the Library was Mr. Henry Turner who was engaged pro tem. on the 31st December, 1856, to take care of the new building, to catalogue the books, collect the subscriptions, etc., at a salary of 1 pounds weekly. For the first year he was regarded as an attendant, but subsequently he was called the Librarian. Apparently by reason of illness his engagement ceased at the end of 1858, and after a short interval, during which time Mr. R. L. M. Overton and Mr. C. Hunt were successively engaged, Mr. George Harper was appointed Librarian, the Committee recommending his appointment to the Council on 30th June, 1859. Mr. Harper remained the Librarian until his death at the end of 1876. During his tenure of office very little progress in the development of the Library was made, chiefly because the greater part of the library rate was absorbed in extinguishing the building loan, and no annual reports were issued. In a schedule in Edward Edwards' "Free Town Libraries," 1869, it is stated that the aggregate number of volumes in the Library in 1868 was 3,642, that the aggregate annual issues were 13,480, and that the annual expenditure on the Library was 600 pounds. As a matter of fact, the expenditure for the year ending 1st September, 1868, was 634 pounds : 7 : 3, of which 492 pounds : 9 : 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.