VPRS 1061 Registers of Fines, Damaged and Lost Books

From the period of its establishment in 1856 through to 1944 the library had been administered by a Board of Trustees which was responsible for managing and controlling the Public Library, the National Museum, the Industrial and Technology Museum and the National Gallery. In 1944 separate boards of Trustees were established for each agency.The Trustees were a body corporate, with an official seal, capable of acquiring, holding and disposing of property, and of doing anything that a body corporate may by law do. According to the Libraries Act 1928 the Trustees had the power to make, repeal of alter any rules and regulations for the purpose of providing for the lending of books. The Trustees were able to enforce a monetary penalty for any contraventions to their rules such as late returns.This series consists of ten volumes spanning the period 1893-1930 recording the following information:The offending persons name and addressThe dateThe catalogue number of the late or damaged bookThe total value of fines amassed.In the later volumes a number was placed next to a person who was a repeat offender.The register would have been part of the central administration records of the library.The register also allowed the librarians of the Public Library to trace the movement of volumes from their collection.