Quote:
Originally Posted by murraypaul
Their reason may have changed over time, but the original motivation for public libraries was indeed to make reading widely available to those who could not afford books.
From the opening of the debate on the (British) Public Libraries Act of 1850:
Another, very Victorian, motivation:
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Of course, back in those times, the latest fiction was not what libraries did. Fiction existed, of course, but libraries were oriented towards non fiction. Fiction tended more towards being published in magazines and newspapers. Libraries were more to educate rather than amuse.