EPSOM SOCIAL LIBRARY

adopted 1801

In 1999 a small pamphlet was delivered to the Epsom Public Library by a Pittsfield resident to be placed in the Epsom archives.

Prior to this, I do not believe anyone new of this Epsom Social Library. The information is great, and I think you will enjoy it!.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

OF THE
Epsom Social Library
Adopted March 14, 1801.

Section 1. There shall be a meeting of the Proprietors of the said Social Library annually, on the Monday succeeding the annual town-meeting in March, at three of the clock in the afternoon, to be notified by an advertisement posted up on the day of holding said meeting, at the place where said meeting is holden, and at such other place or places as may be judged necessary.

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Sec. 2. There shall be chosen by ballot, annually, at the annual meeting of the Proprietors of said Social Library, or oftener if necessary, a President, two Directors, and a Librarian, who shall also be Treasurer and Clerk, and shall give bonds to the President and Directors to their satisfaction, for the faithful performance of his duty.

Sec. 3. The said Social Library shall always be kept within one mile of the meeting house in said Epsom.

Sec. 4. Each Proprietor shall exercise votes and enjoy privileges, in proportion to the number of shares which he holds.

Sec. 5. Every constitutional vote, passed by a majority of the members present at any regular meeting, shall be binding on all Proprietors; except the reversing, repealing, annulling, or altering any of the fundamental Rules or Constitution of said Society, which

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shall not be done but by a major vote of all the Proprietors, or two thirds of those present.

Sec. 6. Each Proprietor shall pay to the Treasurer, annually, at the annual meeting, twenty-five cents on each share he holds, for the term of eight years, or till four dollars be paid on each share.

Sec. 7. In case any Proprietor shall die, without a particular transfer or assignment of his shares, it shall descend to his executor or administrator, and the President and Directors shall, on application therefore, deliver him a certificate of each share, in the form herein after prescribed, by his producing and filing with the Librarian the original certificate of the deceased.

Sec. 8. No person shall become hereafter a Proprietor by subscription, without the consent of the President and Directors, who shall prescribe the terms.

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Sec. 9. Each Proprietor shall receive a certificate for each share, signed by the President and Directors, and countersigned by the Librarian, in the form following, to wit--This may certify, that A.B. is entitled to one share in the Epsom Social Library, with all the privileges thereto belonging; which certificate, when the share is transferred, shall be endorsed by the Proprietor and filed by the Librarian, and a new one issued as aforesaid to the purchaser.

Sec. 10. No book shall be taken out of the Library, till it has been covered with paper, parchment, or leather, and numbered on the back thereof; --and there shall be a certificate inserted in the following form, to wit--This book belongs to the Epsom Social Library; under which shall be inserted the number of the book, the price, and the time in which it shall be returned.

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Sec. 11. The President and Directors shall meet annually, on the Thursday preceding the annual meeting of the Society, and at any other time or times, when the President shall deem it necessary, who shall notify said meeting as he thinks proper.

Sec. 12. It shall be the duty of the President and Directors to call original meetings of the Proprietors, or on application, in writing, of one eighth part of the Society; to propose catalogues of books to the Proprietors at any legal meeting, and if approved of by a majority of the Proprietors present, to purchase the same for the use of said Society. The President and Directors shall determine all appeals from the sentence of the Librarian, respecting fines and forfeitures, and in general superintend and direct the prudentials of said Society.

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Sec. 13. The Proprietors may, at any regular meeting, instruct the President and Directors respecting the appropriation of the funds.

Sec. 14. The Librarian shall keep an account of the books that shall be taken out of the Library, noting the time of taking and returning them, with their state when taken and returned, as also any fine or forfeiture that may be incurred; he shall collect all monies due to the Society, by assessment or otherwise, and pay them to the order of the President and Directors; and at each annual meeting, shall report the state of the treasury, by regular account of receipts and disbursements.

Sec. 15. The Library shall be open every Saturday, during two hours preceding sunset, when every Proprietor may take out one Folio, one Quarto, one Octavo, or two Duodecimos, upon each share; and in case he does not re-

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turn each Folio and Quarto at the expiration of six weeks, and each Octavo or Duodecimo at the expiration of four weeks, he shall pay a fine of ten cents per volume, for every week he shall detain it after said term for returning the same is expired; and no book shall be taken out or returned at any other time, except at the pleasure of the Librarian.

Sec. 16. No person shall be at liberty to take out the same book more than twice successively, if any previous application shall have been made for the same; and if two or more persons shall apply for the same book, preference shall be given to the first applicant.

Sec. 17. If any Proprietor shall lend a book to any other person not residing in his family, he shall forfeit and pay a fine of fifty cents; for every blot of tallow or ink, ten cents; for every word he shall write, ten cents; for every leaf he shall tear, ten cents; and for folding

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or turning down any leaf, four cents. And if any or all the before related fines shall amount to more than the prime cost of the book or books, then it shall be optional with the holder of the book or books, to retain the same and pay the cost thereof. Or replace the same with new ones. And if any person shall lose a book, he shall replace it, or pay the prime cost thereof; if he shall lose a book belonging to a set, he shall replace, or pay the value of the set and take the remainder.

Sec. 18. If any dispute shall arise between any Proprietor and the Librarian, he shall have an appeal to the President and Directors, who shall decide the same.

Sec. 19. In any Proprietor shall refuse to pay his assessment annually, for the increase of the Library, or any fines and forfeitures which he may have incurred in the opinion of the President and Di-

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rectors, or neglect to replace or pay for any book or set lost or spoiled, he shall be punished with suspension of privilege, certified by the President and Directors to the Librarian, until the same be complied with; and if any Proprietor shall detain or withhold any book or books, with intent to cheat or defraud the Society of the same, the Librarian shall, with advice of the President and Directors, commence an action in his own name against such delinquent or offender, in any Court proper to try the same.

Sec. 20. All the transactions of the Society shall be entered at full length on the records of the Clerk, as also the name of each Proprietor, and a catalogue of the books belonging to said Library, which shall be open to the inspection of the Proprietors.

Sec. 21. It shall be the duty of the President and Directors, to see the fore-

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going Rules and Regulations carried into execution, without any deviation from prejudice or partiality.

At the annual meeting of the Proprietors of the Epsom Social Library, holden March 21st, 1803, Voted unanimously, That the time for holding the books, as established by Sec. 15, of the foregoing Rules and Regulations, be repealed, and the time for holding the books be as follows: a Folio or Quarto twelve weeks, and Octavo or Duodecimo eight weeks.

CATALOGUE OF BOOKS
Belonging to the Epsom Social Library in 1803.

(# of) Vols.
Alexander's History of Woman, 2
Adams's View of Religions, 1
Addison's Evidences, - - 1
Afflicted Man's Companion, - 1
Busson's Natural History, - 1
Bellisarius, - - - 1
Brydone's Tour, - - - 1
Baxter's Call, - - - 1
Belknap's History of N. Hampshire, 3
________ Biography, - - 2
Burgh's Dignity, - - - 1
Cook's Voyage, - - - 2
Cain and Abel, - - - 1
Cases of Conscience, - - 1
Davie's Sermons, - - - 2
Doddridge on Regeneration, - 1
________ Rise and Progress, - 1
Dodd on Death, - - - 1
Damberger's Travels, - - 1
Elements on Morality, - - 1
Edwards on Redemption, - - 1
Erskine's Sermons, - - 1
________ Sonnets, - - 1
Edwards on the Affections, - 1
Franklin's Life, - - - 1
Farmer's Letters, - - - 1
Foresters, - - - 1
Family Instructor, - - 1
Goldsmith's History of England, - 4
Hervey's Meditations, - - 1
_______ Dialogues, - - 1
Hutchinson's Massachusetts, - 2
Jefferson's Notes, - - - 1
Junius's Letters, - - - 1
Knox's Essays, - - - 2
Life of Christ, - - - 1
Letters from a Father to his son, - 1
Locke on the Understanding, - 3
Langdon on Revelation, - - 1
M'Ewen on the Types, - - 1
Milton's Works, - - - 1
Morse's Geography, - - 2
______ Gazetteer, - - 1
Mason on Self-knowledge, - 1
Night Thoughts, - - - 1
Peter Pindar, - - - 1
____ Evidences, - - - 1
Pope's Works, - - - 8
Prideaux's Connexion, - - 4
Rumford's Essays, - - 2
Rambler, - - - 2
Staunton's Embassy, - - 1
Spectator, - - - 8
Thomson's Seasons, - - 1
Watts's Lyric Poems, - - 1
______ Essays, - - - 1
Williams's History of Vermont, - 1
Washington's Letters, - - 2
Wilberforce on Religion, - - 1
Willison on the Sacrament, - 1

NAMES OF THE PROPRIETORS.

Joseph Brown ...........Aaron Babb
Levi Brown ...............Daniel Cilley
John Brown.............. Edmund Chadwick
James Brown............ David Dickey
Jonathan Brown........ Jonathan Dolbur
Thomas Bickford....... John Dolbur
Thomas Babb............ Jeremiah Fogg
John Babb................. John Godfrey
Jeremiah Gordon........ Benjamin Moody
Ebenezer Haseltine..... James Menden
Levi Haynes............... Samuel Morril
Elisha Haynes .............Samuel Osgood, jr.
Jeremiah Haynes ........Daniel Philbrick, jr.
Jonathan Locke.......... Daniel Shaw
William Locke............ Andrew Sanborn
Francis Locke............. Josiah Sanborn
Samuel Locke............. Ira Sanborn
Samuel Lear ................Joseph Sherburne
Joseph Lawrence ........Richard Tripp, jr.
Bickford Lang .............John Tripp
James H. M'Clary .......John Wallace
Michael M'Clary......... Samuel Wells