The origins of “independent” libraries, as they are now known, date back to the mid-18th century when even the upper middle classes found books and newspapers expensive and decided to pool resources. One of the grandest, The Portico in Manchester, was opened in 1806. It was funded by 400 of the city’s wealthiest men, who each gave around 30 guineas for a share (the equivalent of 18 months’ wages for a framework knitter) followed by a smaller annual subscription.
The Portico Library (Source: Independent Library Association)
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The jewel in the crown of Independent Libraries is the London Library in St James’s Square (membership costs about £500 a year). It is breathtaking in its scope — 17 miles of shelving and around 1m books. But around the country there are dozens of other gems — whether it is Newcastle’s stunning Lit & Phil, the Devon & Exeter Institution or the country’s oldest surviving subscription library, The Leeds Library, which celebrated its 250th anniversary last year. Check out your nearest by visiting the Independent Libraries Association website, but if you do unearth a local treasure, don’t tell too many people — they’ll all want to join.
The London Library (Source: Independent Library Association)
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
