Before the Public Libraryexplores the emergence of community-based lending libraries in the Atlantic World before the advent of the Public Library movement in the mid-nineteenth century. Essays by eighteen scholars from a range of disciplines seek to place, for the first time, community libraries within an Atlantic context over a two-century period. Taking a comparative approach, this volume shows that community libraries played an important - and largely unrecognized - role in shaping Atlantic social networks, political and religious movements, scientific and geographic knowledge, and economic enterprise. Libraries had a distinct role to play in shaping modern identities through the acquisition and circulation of specific kinds of texts, the fostering of sociability, and the building of community-based institutions.

Before the Public Library explores the emergence of community-based lending libraries in the Atlantic World before the advent of the Public Library movement in the mid-nineteenth century. Essays by eighteen scholars from a range of disciplines seek to place, for the first time, community libraries within an Atlantic context over a two-century period. Taking a comparative approach, this volume shows that community libraries played an important – and largely unrecognized – role in shaping Atlantic social networks, political and religious movements, scientific and geographic knowledge, and economic enterprise. Libraries had a distinct role to play in shaping modern identities through the acquisition and circulation of specific kinds of texts, the fostering of sociability, and the building of community-based institutions.

Excerpt from The Function of a Public Library and Its Value to a Community: A Paper Read Before "the Round Table," at St. Louis Club, Saturday, Nov. 8, 1884 The United States report of 187 6 gives a list of libraries, containing an aggregate of over twelve million vol umes, with permanent funds estimated at The private benefactions to libraries reported at that time amounted to and it was estimated on good grounds that there was as much more which had not been reported. Five sixths of the whole sum has been given within the last thirty fivc years. The statistics soon to be published by the Government will, I think, show a still larger-proportionate aggregate for the last eight years. The most notable dona tion is that of Enoch Pratt of nearly for the foundation of a public library for the city of Baltimore. A citizen of Providence gives for a new building for the public library of that city and there have been numerous endowments and bequests throughout New England. The collected statistics of twenty-three libraries show that out of a total circulation of volumes in the year 1875, were lost through borrowers and were worn out, being a total loss of volumes, or less than two-tenths of one per cent, a considerably smaller percentage than the loss of a like amount of paper currency in circulation during the same period and it appears that nearly three times as many books wear out in honorable service as are lost through carelessness and dishonesty. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The New York Public Library AMAZING scientists Discover the moons of Jupiter with Galileo. Uncover the science of radiation with Madame Curie. Travel forward in time with Einstein. Find out how scientists learned to cure diseases, how they discovered gravity, and how they determined the structure of the atom. Fact-filled and fun, this book's question-and-answer format lets you explore the discoveries of some of the world's greatest scientists. What is the Hippocratic Oath? See page 11. How did archimedes single-handedly hold off the entire Roman army? See page 13. Which famous physician learned about human anatomy in a gladiator ring? See page 19. What is natural selection? See page 36. What was the worst disease of all time? See page 40. Who discovered over 300 uses for peanuts? See page 48. Which founder of chemistry lost his head in the French Revolution? See page 65. What Nobel Prize-winning physicist escaped the Nazis in 1933? See page 109. Also in The New York Public Library Answer Books series: Amazing Explorers Amazing Native American History Amazing Hispanic American History Incredible Earth Amazing Space Amazing Mythology Amazing Women in American History Amazing African American History