Public library system in North America

Public libraries in North America date back several centuries. Many early libraries were private collections of books amassed by wealthy individuals and families. Often these were bequeathed to colleges, religious orders, or communities. Others were books collected to benefit groups. As literacy rates increased through the efforts of religious groups that established schools, the desire for reading materials grew. Interest in nonreligious books, as well as newspapers and periodicals, prompted the creation of reading rooms. Some early libraries charged readers to gain access to books, but over time, the number of subscription libraries dwindled as most were opened to the public free of charge.

Many library systems have adopted public service as part of their mission. They are community centers where reading materials, as well as public Internet access, are available to all. Many also make portions of their collections available digitally.

Background

The oldest public library in the Americas is located in Mexico. Juan de Palafox y Mendoza was the bishop of Puebla from 1640 to 1655. He donated five thousand books from his personal collection to the Colegio de San Juan seminary in 1646. His gift came with some provisions: the collection was to be open to any literate person. Although the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, as it is called, has sustained damage from earthquakes in modern times, the collection remains in use. Biblioteca Palafoxiana, whose collection in the twenty-first century had expanded to more than forty-one thousand books and manuscripts, has been recognized as a Memory of the World culturally significant site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Public libraries in the United States date to the Revolutionary War period. As literacy rates improved, and more secular books were published, the desire for reading materials increased. Wealthy individuals often became members of private libraries. The extremely wealthy amassed their own collections, which were often donated to the community for public use after their deaths.

Founding father Benjamin Franklin is responsible for both the first membership library and public library in the United States. Members of his philosophical group in Philadelphia, the Junto, were mostly merchants, and owned few books. They hungered for more, so Franklin organized a membership library in July 1731. The participants paid membership fees that were used to buy books from London. The group's first shipment, received in 1732, was mostly books about religion and education. Members of the group could read what they wished, but non-members could also access the collection by paying a book fee. More of these membership libraries were founded across America into the mid-nineteenth century.

In 1790, a town in Massachusetts named itself after Franklin. The residents of the town asked Franklin to send a bell, but Franklin was a staunch supporter of education. He instead sent a collection of books, which he thought would be of greater importance to the community than a bell. The citizens of Franklin voted to make the collection freely available to all residents. This was the first public library in the United States. The first public library in Canada was founded in Montreal in 1796.

Overview

The Canadian library system expanded westward simultaneously with the Hudson's Bay Company's exploration of the continent. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, Mechanics' Institutes also helped spread education and create a greater demand for reading materials. These organizations, modeled after similar institutions in England, were voluntary associations of working men, most of whom were shopkeepers, ministers, and manufacturers. Members sought education and self-improvement through lectures, reading rooms, and lending libraries. Although these Mechanics' Institutes established private libraries for members only, internal conflicts threatened their success. In 1895, the provincial government of Ontario passed legislation making the private libraries public for the greater good.

The first tax-supported library was established in 1833, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Like others of its time, the Peterborough library was a community library. The first large public library, the Boston Public Library, was founded in 1848. It opened in 1854, with a collection of sixteen thousand volumes, to all residents of Massachusetts.

A convention of US library leaders met in New York City in September of 1853. The gathering was called to establish a permanent professional organization of librarians. Although it took more than a decade to complete the task, a group consisting of more than one hundred librarians met in Philadelphia in 1876 and established the American Library Association (ALA). These men and women represented the first efforts of the organization to fulfill its mission to serve people of all races and genders.

Although many American communities established public libraries, the idea really took off after the American Civil War. These lending libraries differ from membership libraries in that they are governed by boards and funded by taxpayers. Public libraries do not charge for services, are open to all, and operate with the intention of serving the needs of the public.

Early libraries were established to serve adults, but librarians recognized the need to serve others in the community. Caroline Hewins, the librarian in Hartford, Connecticut, began offering a children's story hour in 1882. She also created one of the first children's collections. Soon, other libraries began adding children's collections and dedicated reading rooms expressly for children.

Public libraries have changed with the times and with the needs of users. They have offered English as a Second Language classes and other programs to help newcomers. Many have digitized some of their collections, both to preserve fragile documents and to make them available to the widest possible audience. The Biblioteca Palafoxiana, for example, has digitized thousands of its ancient manuscripts and documents. During the early twentieth century, librarian Mary L. Titcomb of the Washington County Public Library in Maryland sought a way to reach children who could not visit the library building. In 1905, she established the first bookmobile. Up to two hundred books were loaded into a wagon pulled by horses. The library janitor drove the bookmobile. Eventually bookmobiles, which served readers of all ages, became common in many communities.

Many public libraries offer a range of services. Books, standard and large print as well as audio and digital formats; music in the form of CDs and digital collections; movies; public computers and Internet access; documents, including tax forms; and English as a Second Language educational programs are among materials available at many libraries and often are also accessible online. Many libraries offer a range of events and groups, such as tutoring times, science clubs, teen and children's groups, and other events and programs to meet community needs.

Bibliography

"Canadian Library Association." Canadian Library Association, cla.ca. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"The Current State of Libraries in Mexico: Service, Connectivity and Culture." Career Librarian, 17 June 2012, careerlibrarian.com/lis-blog/the-current-state-of-libraries-in-mexico-service-connectivity-and-culture. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

Dawson, Robert. The Public Library: A Photographic Essay. Chronicle Books, 2014.

Gilton, Donna L. Lifelong Learning in Public Libraries: Principles, Programs, and People. Scarecrow Press, 2012.

"History." American Library Association, www.ala.org/aboutala/history. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"A History of US Public Libraries." Digital Public Library of America, dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/history-us-public-libraries. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"Libraries in Canada." Quebec History, faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/LibrariesinCanada-CanadianLibraries-Canadianhistory.htm. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"Mechanics' Institutes." Historica Canada, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mechanics-institutes/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"Memory of the World Register Nomination Form." United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/mow/nomination‗forms/mexico+palafoxiana.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"Modern Libraries: 1875–1899 CE." Eduscapes, eduscapes.com/history/modern/1875.htm. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

"Palafoxiana Library." World Monuments Fund, www.wmf.org/project/palafoxiana-library. Accessed 19 Oct. 2016.

a