The Library Company of Philadelphia, located at 1314 Locust Street, was started in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and a group of his artisan friends and many consider it the first library in America. But there is a catch. It wasn’t and isn’t a ‘free’ library (I always wondered why they stuck the word ‘free’ in library names). Franklin’s library was a “subscription” library. Franklin and his buddies chipped in to buy shares in the library in order to build a collection that none of them could have afforded alone. Philadelphians had to be members and pay annual fees or buy shares to participate in the “advancement of knowledge and literature” - imagine! One of my favorite things about the library is that it’s totally free... unless you want to go crazy and spend a quarter for a used magazine or paperback. Even when I am totally broke I can waltz into the library and pick up the latest bestseller - what a deal, always improves my mood. Although paying for the library seems a little elitist to me, in England subscription libraries were a common practice during Franklin’s time, book clubs grew into subscription libraries and focused on serious subjects (no doubt for wealthy men with a lot of time on their hands).
But then came the corrupting effect of the novel, horrors! These popular fiction stories were in great demand by the public and booksellers in England set up commercial circulating libraries to satisfy their readers. These libraries attracted fashionable clientele (perhaps the lonely wives of the wealthy men) and used their fancy interiors and long hours as a selling point. Most subscription libraries were replaced by free public libraries in the 19th century. The Library Company of Philadelphia remains a subscription library focused on American history and culture from the 17th to 19th century. Anyone can become a shareholder in the library for $200/year and receive their newsletter, special event invitations and discounts on publications. You can also become a friend of the library for $75/year. Or maybe you want to become a library steward and purchase rare documents for the library? There is an online catalogue to peruse. The library is free and open to the public but does not lend out its books. All in all an important place in library history but a little to highfalutin for me!
But then came the corrupting effect of the novel, horrors! These popular fiction stories were in great demand by the public and booksellers in England set up commercial circulating libraries to satisfy their readers. These libraries attracted fashionable clientele (perhaps the lonely wives of the wealthy men) and used their fancy interiors and long hours as a selling point. Most subscription libraries were replaced by free public libraries in the 19th century. The Library Company of Philadelphia remains a subscription library focused on American history and culture from the 17th to 19th century. Anyone can become a shareholder in the library for $200/year and receive their newsletter, special event invitations and discounts on publications. You can also become a friend of the library for $75/year. Or maybe you want to become a library steward and purchase rare documents for the library? There is an online catalogue to peruse. The library is free and open to the public but does not lend out its books. All in all an important place in library history but a little to highfalutin for me!
No comments:
Post a Comment