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I recently reviewed an account of Benjamin Franklin’s advocacy for libraries. At age 15, in 1671, he became a fugitive from an apprenticeship and began to work in journalism. Eventually, in 1731, he founded a subscription library in Philadelphia. He wrote: “A proposition was made by me that since our books were often referr’d to in our disquisitions upon the inquiries, it might be convenient for us to have them altogether where we met, that upon occasion they might be consulted; and by thus clubbing our books to a common library, we should, while we lik’d to keep them together, have each of us the advantage of using the books of all the other members, which would be nearly as beneficial as if each owned the whole.”
Franklin understood that access to books, a difficult thing to obtain as a penniless young person who had left his training program, was key to civic life in a nation in which common people voted on leaders and policy.
We are fortunate to have a beautiful and well-stocked library here in Bangor. Recently, I went into the library and tried to talk my way into a library card with my law school ID and my General Delivery mailing address. I could not get a library card. As I stood there, I thought about Benjamin Franklin, a young fugitive from an apprenticeship, likely without a stable address.
I would like to suggest we establish some books shelves expressly for folks who cannot obtain a library card, for one reason or another, so that folks like me can donate from our personal excess books. I cannot imagine life without books, and I don’t think anyone else should have to.
Grace Nichols
Bangor