American Libraries before 1876

by Haynes McMullen

1876 is considered to mark the beginning of the modern library movement in the United States, but Americans created and used thousands of libraries before that date. While the history of American libraries has not been neglected by scholars, none has examined in detail where in the different parts of the country various libraries came into existence over any extended period of time. The present work does that, detailing the kinds of libraries that existed before 1876 and including 80 to 85 kinds, depending on the way the collections are classified.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provided some useful basic info, but focused too much on analyzing data.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the history of American libraries. Of particular value is the glossary that contains definitions for the various names libraries went under in this early period.