in 1868, the year of its visit to Norwich, made a
grant of 50 pounds to the Library for the purchase of books, perhaps at
the suggestion of the Rev. (afterwards Canon) Hinds Howell, who was the
Organising Secretary for the visit. At any rate, at the meeting of the
Library Committee on 4th November, 1868, he attended to explain "that the
grant would be expended in the purchase of books, which embraced
thirty-five different scientific subjects, or such of them as the
Committee might think best adapted to the wants of, and most beneficial
to, the classes using the Library," and he received the thanks of the
Committee for representing the wants of the Library to the Association.
The Committee complied with the request that a bookcase should be
provided for the books, bearing a suitable inscription.

A large number of patent specifications were presented by H.M. Patent
Office about the year 1865, and in 1889 the Office acceded to the
Committee's request for Abridgments of Specifications, since which time
they have been presented as issued.

Having regard to the slender financial resources of the Library the Mayor
(Mr. H. Bullard) in 1879 suggested a public subscription, and headed the
list with 10 pounds. This was followed by donations of 10 pounds from
Mr. J. J. Colman, (who also gave 25 pounds in 1887), and Mr. Henry
Birkbeck, and by smaller sums from other people, amounting altogether to
91 pounds : 2 : 0.

A successful application was made to H.M. Treasury in 1886, for a
donation of official publications, and some 260 volumes of Calendars of
State Papers, Chronicles, Records, etc. were received, followed in 1901
by a further donation of 193 volumes. In 1900 the Library received from
the same source twenty-five Memoirs of the Geological Survey relating to
the Eastern Counties.

In 1890 the late Alderman James Freeman, who was Chairman of the Public
Library Committee for several years, bequeathed 20 pounds for some
special purpose in connection with the Library, which enabled the
Committee to commence a Shakespeare Collection, now comprising over 600
books and pamphlets.

Mr. Russell J. Colman, J.P., D.L., made a handsome donation to the
Reference Library in 1900, when he presented a set of Parliamentary
Debates in 511 volumes, in half calf, comprising Cobbett's "Parliamentary
History," continued by Hansard, 1066-1803, Hansard's "Parliamentary
Debates," 1803-1890, and the "Official Parliamentary Debates" to 1897.