List of libraries in 18th-century Massachusetts
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This is a list of libraries in 18th-century Massachusetts, North America. It includes subscription, rental, medical, church, and academic libraries. In general, it excludes book collections of private individuals.
There should be a social or circulating library in every town. Less money than a man spends on an election, or training day for punch or grog, would entitle him a reader or proprietor. ... In rainy weather, in winter, or holidays, in the intervals of rest, or during sickness, books will afford treasures and consolations which blockheads know not of. ... They raise men from being savages and brutes. In a word, no town should be destitute of a library.
— The Minerva (Dedham, Massachusetts), June 14, 1798
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (est. 1780)[1][2]
- W.P. & L. Blake's Circulating Library, Boston[3]
- Boston Library Society (est.1792)
- Christ Church[4]
- Benjamin Guild's circulating library, Boston[5]
- King's Chapel[6][7]
- William Martin's Circulating Library, Boston[8][9]
- Massachusetts Historical Library, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston[10]
- Massachusetts Medical Society[11][12]
- John Mein's Circulating Library, Boston[13]
- New England Library, collected by Thomas Prince[14][15][16]
- William Pelham's circulating library
- Town Library, in the Town-House, King St.[17][18]
- Social Library, Boylston Center (est.1792)[1]
- Library in the East Precinct of Bridgewater[19]
- Charitable Library Society, Concord (est.1795)[19]
- Dorchester Library[21]
- Douglas Social Library Association (est.1799)[19]
- First Congregational Church Library, Falmouth[1]
- Groton First Parish Library (est.1793)[1]
- Haverhill Library[23]
- First Social Library, Hingham Centre (est.1771)[19]
- Lancaster Library (est.1790)[24]
- Leicester Social Library Company (est.1793)[19]
- Social Library, Leominster (est.1763)[1]
- Lunenburg Social Library (est.1792)[24]
- Social Library, Marlborough[19]
- Medfield Social Library (est.1786)[19]
- Social library, Middleton (est.1772)[19]
- First Social Library, Newburyport[27]
- Newburyport Book-Store circulating library[28]
- Newburyport Library[29]
- George Jerry Osborne's circulating library, "at his shop, Guttemberg's Head" Newburyport[30]
- Newton Library Society[31]
- Social Library, Oxford[32]
- Pittsfield Library Society[33]
- Library Company of Royalston (est.1778)[24]
- William Carlton's circulating library, Salem[35]
- John Dabney's circulating library, Salem[36]
- Philosophical Library, Salem (est.1781)[37]
- Social Library, Salem (est.1760)[38][39]
- Springfield Library Company[40]
- Wareham Social Library[41]
- Union Library Society (est.1779)[42]
- Williams College Library