Library Company of Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Library Company of Philadelphia |
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| Established | 1731 |
| Location | 1314 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Collection | |
| Size | 500,000 books; 70,000 other items |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | Non-circulating collection |
| Population served | Free and open to the public |
| Members | Benjamin Franklin originally |
| Other information | |
| Director | Interim |
| Staff | 25 |
| Website | http://www.librarycompany.org/ |
The Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) is a special library in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a non-profit group that started as a library in 1731. Benjamin Franklin founded it. Over the years, the Library Company has gathered one of the most important collections of old books and papers in the United States.
Today, the library has about 500,000 books and 70,000 other items. This includes 2,150 items that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin. You can also find the Mayflower Compact here. The collection has many old pamphlets, maps, and entire libraries from the 1700s and 1800s. It even has first editions of famous books like Moby-Dick and Leaves of Grass.
Contents
History of the Library Company
How the Library Began
The Library Company started because of a group called the Junto. This was a discussion club in colonial Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin was a key member. On July 1, 1731, Franklin and his friends decided to create a library. They often had deep talks about ideas and politics. But sometimes, they needed facts that they couldn't find in books.
In colonial Pennsylvania, there were not many books. Books from London were expensive and took a long time to arrive. Franklin and his friends were not rich. None of them could afford a big library on their own. So, they decided to combine their money. This way, everyone's small payment helped create a large collection of books for all.
Many of the first books were about religion and education. It's interesting that these early books were in English. At that time, most books in college and private libraries were only in Latin.
Early Librarians and Access
The Library Company hired America's first librarian, Louis Timothee. He worked there for a short time. When he left, Benjamin Franklin took over the job. Franklin was the librarian until 1734. Then, William Parsons became the librarian for the next 12 years. Robert Greenway was the fourth librarian, serving until 1763.
The library's rules said that new members had to be approved. They also had to pay a fee. The main jobs of the directors were to approve new members and choose new books.
In 1741, Franklin wrote in the library's catalog that non-members could borrow books. They had to leave money equal to the book's cost. This money was given back when the book was returned. Members could borrow books for free. Franklin also noted that the library was only open on Saturdays for four hours in the afternoon.
Growing the Collection
Fifty people paid 40 shillings each to join the library. They also promised to pay ten shillings every year. This money was used to buy books and keep the library running. This is why it's called "the Mother of all American subscription libraries." A list of books was sent to London. This list was partly made by James Logan, who was known as "the best Judge of Books in these parts." By autumn, the first books were on the shelves.
Before this, libraries in the Thirteen Colonies belonged to rich people, church leaders, and colleges. Members of the Library Company soon gave their own books. These included works by John Locke and Plutarch.
The library's collection grew based on what its members wanted to read. About a third of the 375 books in 1741 were history, geography, and travel stories. The Library Company has always collected these types of books. About a fifth of the books were literature, mostly poetry and plays. Novels were still new then. Another fifth of the books were about science. Only a tenth of the books were about religion. This was different from college libraries like Harvard and Yale. The rest of the collection included philosophy, economics, and social sciences.
The Library Company's example was soon copied in other cities. These included Salem and Charleston. The Library also became a place for other interesting items. These included old coins, fossils, and natural history items. In 1739, the library received an air-pump. To keep it safe, they built a special cabinet. This is one of the earliest examples of American-made Palladian furniture.
The library and its collections were housed on the second floor of the State House (now Independence Hall). Franklin and his friends did their first experiments with electricity there in the 1740s. Later, Benjamin West sent the mummified hand of an Egyptian princess.
A New Home and National Importance
The library's microscope and telescope were often borrowed. In 1769, Owen Biddle used the telescope to watch the transit of Venus.
The library grew too big for its rooms. In 1773, it moved to a larger space in the new Carpenters' Company hall. In 1774, the First Continental Congress met on the first floor of Carpenters' Hall. The Library Company let all the delegates use its books. This offer was made again for the Second Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Many important figures, including Benjamin Franklin, were members. The Library Company served almost like the Library of Congress until the nation's capital was set up in 1800.
In 1789, the Library Company bought land on Fifth Street for a permanent home. Dr. William Thornton won a competition to design the new building. It was a red-brick building with white columns. A statue of Franklin stood in a niche above the door. The new building opened on New Year's Day, 1791.
In 1792, the Loganian Library was moved to the Library Company. This added 2,600 books, mostly in Latin and Greek, collected by James Logan. This collection also included a medical library, which was the best in North America at the time. Thornton's new building quickly needed a new section.
The library's collections continued to grow in the 1800s. By the mid-1800s, it was seen as one of the "five great libraries" in the United States. The others were the Harvard University Library, Yale University Library, Library of Congress, and Boston Athenæum.
The Library Company's collections were split in the mid-1800s. A large gift from Dr. James Rush led to a new building called the Ridgway Library. This library was far from where members lived and worked. A new, more central library opened in 1880.
A different library, the Free Library of Philadelphia, started in 1891. It was meant to "be free to all."
20th Century and Beyond
During the Great Depression, the Library Company faced money problems. It had to sell its building and combine its collections at the Ridgway Library. After the war, the library improved its finances. It then focused on being a place for serious research. In the second half of the 1900s, the library became a very important center for research and education once more. The Library Company finished a new building on Locust Street in 1965. It opened to the public in April 1966.
See also
- Free Library of Philadelphia
- History of Public Library Advocacy
- Life in Philadelphia
- Public Library Advocacy
