Before there were public libraries, there were membership libraries – associations of dues paying members who pooled their resources to buy books, rent space, and pay librarians to manage the collection. While most membership libraries disappeared with the advent of the public library movement in the 19th century, a few still exist today. Our sister institutions include:
The Redwood Library & Athenaeum / The Charleston Library Society / The Providence Athenaeum / The New York Society Library / The Boston Athenaeum / The Salem Athenaeum / The Athenaeum of Philadelphia / The Portsmouth Athenaeum / The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen / The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association / The Mercantile Library Center for Fiction / The Mercantile Library (Cincinnati) / The St. Louis Mercantile Library Association / The Mechanics Institute Library (San Francisco) / The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum / The Lanier Library Association / The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
For more information, see America’s Membership Libraries, edited by Richard Wendorf and published by Oak Knoll Press. Members may borrow our circulating copy.