The public library is a cultural and educational institution that provides free, open access to books and other information resources for the general public, funded typically through government or municipal support rather than private subscription. Modern public library systems developed chiefly in nineteenth-century Britain and the United States, building on earlier subscription and parish libraries, with philanthropic support, most famously from Andrew Carnegie, funding thousands of library buildings across the English-speaking world. Public libraries have since expanded their institutional role well beyond book lending to include community programming, digital access and literacy services, and are widely regarded as a foundational institution of public education and civic life.
Facts
Institution Type Emergence Era Membership Basis Connections
Associated With
Public libraries and learned societies developed together in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as parallel institutions for the free circulation of knowledge, and many public libraries began as the private collections of learned societies.
Salons and, later, public libraries both served as institutions extending access to literature and ideas beyond aristocratic or clerical circles.
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Public library (Wikipedia)Article textQuote, Article text
The Malatestiana Library (Biblioteca Malatestiana) in Cesena, Italy, is regarded as the first community-run public library in Europe.
Sources
1. Public library (Wikipedia)
English Wikipedia, sections text
Public libraries existed in the Roman Empire by the 1st century BC.
English Wikipedia, intro text
Public libraries are supported by taxes, are open to all who wish to access the library collection, and do not charge money for access to the library collection.
Lead, institution-type-category cultural-institution
A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes.
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.