>Franklin and friends started a subscription library not public and not forced. It is still in existence today as a non-profit organization called the Library Company.
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>Sure you want to argue this? ;-)
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>The Library Company's motto is "Communiter bona profundere deum est" which translates near enough as "To pour forth benefits for the common good is divine."
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>;-)
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>And it *was* a public library, anybody could borrow if they were a member or if they put up some sort of surety so they wouldn't run off with the book.
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>Soon other towns began forming similar libraries. Here's what Franklin had to say about that: "These Libraries have improved the general Conversation of Americans, made the common Tradesman and Farmers as intelligent as most Gentlemen from other Countries, and perhaps have contributed in some Degree to the Stand so generally made throughout the Colonies in Defence of their Privileges."
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>Franklin's library was made available to the nascent Congress and when the second continental congress met in 1775, its services were again offered. Shortly after that a certain document called "the Declaration of Independence" was signed: of the signatories, nine were members of the Library company that was established to pour forth benefits for the common good: B. Franklin, B. Rush, G. Clymer, F. Hopkinson, R. Morris, J. Morton, J. Wilson, T. McKean, and G. Ross.
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>Coming from Philadelphia, seems to me that Tamar might deserve to be in better company than Stalin and Lenin. JMHO.

Thanks. Franklin is a huge hero here. In addition to the library, he was involved in started our first fire company, the University of Pennsylvania, our first insurance company, and at least a dozen other local institutions. The money he left to the city founded our science museum (which includes a huge statue of him, similar to the Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial).

Franklin understood, perhaps better than anyone else of his time, maybe of all time, how to balance private interest and public good.

Tamar