General View of Free Town Libraries in 1859

In the Manual of the Public Libraries of America, published, in 1859, by Mr. W. J. Rhees, of Washington, it is stated that in that year there were, in the United States collectively, one hundred and fifty-three libraries which are describable as ‘State,’ ‘City,’ or ‘Township’ Libraries. With rare exceptions–so rare that they will not appreciably affect the statistical results–all these collections are freely accessible; at least, as public rooms for readers. Many of these are also accessible to borrowers. The number is wholly exclusive of associative or proprietary libraries of every class, and also of university, collegiate, and academical libraries, as well as of those Common Libraries of School-Districts, which are only ‘School Libraries’ (as respects several of the States) in so far as they are maintained as part of the Common School system, and are superintended by the several Boards of Education; although intended for the use of the public generally within the respective districts, and supported by the taxation of the rateable inhabitants. But of forty-two libraries, out of the one hundred and fifty-three so enumerated, the extent was unascertained at the date of the official returns upon which Mr. Rhees' Manual was founded. Since that period several of the libraries comprised within the enumeration suffered injury during the ravages of the war; but recuperative measures were soon in operation, after its close.