In October, 1861, a sub-committee was formed to arrange weekly penny readings, interspersed with lectures, in the large room at the Library on Thursday evenings, and in April of the following year the Secretary reported a net balance in hand of 9 pounds : 6 : 0, which sum was spent on books for the Library. In September, 1863, the Committee evidently intended to continue the penny readings, as it was resolved that Mr. Dowson, a member of the Committee, should have full liberty to make arrangements for conducting the penny readings during the following winter session. A course of popular lectures in connection with the Library by distinguished scientists was inaugurated by Mr. F. W. Harmer, J.P., F.G.S., F.R.Met.Soc., in the year of his mayoralty, 1888. (Parenthetically it may be remarked that he has the distinction of being the oldest member of the Public Library Committee, he having served on it continuously since 1880.) Hoping to place the scheme on a permanent basis, Mr. Harmer suggested the appointment of a Committee of the Corporation to carry out arrangements for a yearly series of similar lectures on science by distinguished men, under the provisions of the Gilchrist Trust, and the matter was referred to the Library Committee. The first of these series, delivered early in 1889 by Sir Robert Ball, Dr. Lant Carpenter, Dr. Andrew Wilson, Professor Miall, Professor Seeley, and the Rev. Dr. Dallinger, were "crowned with complete success." Under the management of the Committee another course was delivered during the following winter, when the lecturers were Sir Robert Ball, Dr. Andrew Wilson, Mr. Louis Fagan, and Mr. Henry Seebohm, and two lectures were given during the winter of 1890-91, by Sir Robert Ball and Dr. Andrew Wilson respectively. Unfortunately, for reasons of economy, these were supplemented by a series by local gentlemen (which were given in Blackfriars' Hall), but the result was the reverse of successful, and led eventually to the abandonment of the original scheme. Lectures by Sir Robert Ball and Dr. Andrew Wilson, with others by local gentlemen were given, however, in the winter of 1892-93, and in the following winter by Sir Robert Ball, Dr. Andrew Wilson, and Dr. Drinkwater. No lectures were given in the winter of 1893-94 as the University Extension Lectures then inaugurated were regarded as sufficient, but these appealed to a different class, and never took the place of the others. In that year the Committee-room was in frequent use by three public circles of the Norwich Branch of the National Home Reading Union, and by the Norwich Students' Association, which again used the room in 1894-95. The National Home Reading Union continued to use the room for several years.