Public libraries are a very different place today than they were when the Rock Island Public Library opened. There were no DVDs or computers with internet access in those days. There wasn’t a Library of Things that allowed residents to borrow a bicycle repair kit. But the primary core use of a library, to share knowledge and literature through books, was very much the same. Even the rules of the library were pretty similar than they are today, with a few exceptions. The rules used to be a little more strict, as we can see below.
Rock Island Public Library Rules in 1872
- Weekday hours are 9 a.m.to noon, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Open Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Every Rock Island resident 16 and older is entitled to use the library. Those younger may be admitted if they agree to obey the rules.
- No one may borrow more than one volume and no family may borrow more than three volumes at a time.
- Items may be checked out for 14 days.
- Overdue fines are 2 cents a day. The librarian collects the fines.
- Borrowers must pay for books they lose or injure reasonable wear.
- The librarian is authorized to decide who may be admitted.
- No one but the librarian may take books from the shelves.