"Long Before the Establishment of public libraries in America, during the Colonial period and the early decades of the new Republic, thousands of "social" or membership libraries served as the primary venues for the circulation of books. This collection of sixteen essays represents the first attempt to provide, through individual histories of the largest surviving membership libraries, a composite portrait of this important movement in American library history. Although they sport different names - society library, library society, mercantile library, mechanics' institute, athenaeum - all of these institutions have played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural lives of their communities, which range from Boston, New York, and Charleston to Cincinnati, San Francisco, and La Jolla. Some continue to serve as the central library in their city, whereas others resemble large, independent research institutions. Each chapter in this book is intended to stand alone, and yet collectively these essays should suggest the evolution of a particular kind of American library during the past three centuries."--BOOK JACKET.

"In commemoration of the American Philosophical Society's 275th anniversary, the Society's Library, along with the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), hosted an interdisciplinary and international conference that explored the history of libraries, the present opportunities for libraries (especially independent research libraries and those with special collections), and the potential future for libraries as they continue to evolve in the 21st century"--