1848
Boston Public Library was the last library founded with a claim to be the first public library in America. It was the first free municipal library in a large community and was founded in 1848, almost thirty years before ALA
The first public library in the U.S. is contested, but there are three generally accepted answers. The last contender for this title is the Boston Public Library. It was the first free municipal library in a large community and was founded in 1848, almost thirty years before ALA
