DIRECTIONS 
RESPECTING 
THE READING ROOM 
OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
The Reading Room of the Museum is open from Ten till Four, 
every Day, except on Sundays, and for one Week at Christmas, 
Easter, and Whitsuntide; except also on the 30th of January, Ash- 
Wednesday, Good-Friday, 5th of November, and any Fast or 
Thanksgiving Days ordered by authority. 
Persons desirous of Admission are to send in their Applications 
in writing (specifying their Christian and Surnames, Rank or Pro¬ 
fession, and Places of Abode) to the Principal Librarian, or, in 
his absence, to the Senior Under Librarian, who will either im¬ 
mediately admit such persons, or lay their Applications before the 
next General Meeting, or Committee of the Trustees. But as it 
might be dangerous , in so populous a Metropolis as London, to admit 
perfect Strangers, it is expected that every Person who applies 
should produce a Recommendation satisfactory to a Trustee or an 
Officer of the House. Applications defective in this respect will not 
be attended to. 
Permission will in general be granted for Six Months; and at 
the Expiration of this Term, fresh Application is to be made for a 
Renewal. 
The Librarians are strictly enjoined to use all possible Despatch 
in supplying the Readers with the printed Books or Manuscripts 
they may apply for; but in so extensive a Library it may not be 
always possible to find every Article immediately. 
Readers are allowed to take Extracts from any printed Book or 
Manuscript; but no entire Manuscript is to be transcribed, with¬ 
out Leave from the Trustees. The Transcribers are not to lay the 
Paper, on which they write, on any Part of the Book or Manuscript 
they are using: nor are any Tracings allowed without particular 
Permission of the Trustees. 
