Legislation

Libraries Offences Act 1898

This brief Act provided for penalties of up to £2 for anyone behaving badly in a public library.

The text of the Libraries Offences Act 1898 was prepared by Derek Gillard and uploaded on 29 October 2019.

© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

[page 1]

An Act to provide for the Punishment of Offences in Libraries. [12th August 1898.]

BE it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Libraries Offences Act 1898.

2 Penalty for offences

Any person who, in any library or reading-room to which this Act applies, to the annoyance or disturbance of any person using the same, -

(1) behaves in a disorderly manner;

(2) uses violent, abusive, or obscene language;

(3) bets or gambles;

(4) or who, after proper warning, persists in remaining therein beyond the hours fixed for the closing of such library or reading-room,

3 Application of Act

This Act shall apply -

(a) to any library under the Public Libraries Act 1892; and

(b) to any library or reading-room maintained by a Society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1893 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 39), or under the Friendly Societies Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. 25), or by any registered Trade Union.

This Act shall not apply to Scotland or Ireland.