Subscription library

"Proprietary library" redirects here. For a private library, see private library.

A subscription library (or membership library) is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments. Historically, they are predecessors to the public library as it is known today. Unlike a public library, access is often restricted to members, but access rights can also be given to non-members, such as students. Through time, different library types have been grouped under this term, but may represent the following library models. A library formed as a joint stock company can be called a proprietary model. Some libraries allowed individuals who were not stock holders to subscribe for given time periods, and were thusly labeled subscription libraries. Athenaeums were similar to social libraries and provided the additional benefit of scholarly publications and cultural programming. The term mechanics or mercantile library refers to institutions established, often by benefactors, for the benefit of the working class.

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