In its Free Public Library Concord feels a just pride. To the visitor it is one of the first and most attractive points of interest.
The Library building, though quite picturesque in appearance, is of no positive order of architecture, but rather a combination of the old and the modern styles. From every point of view, it strikes the eye most pleasantly, and is a decided ornament to the town. The front view is particularly attractive, suggesting a group of buildings rising successively one above the other. It is situated in a central and beautiful portion of the village, on the slightly elevated part of an acre of land, triangular in shape, at the junction of Main and Sudbury streets. A full description of the building would require more space than can well be spared. The engraving presents a good idea of its outward appearance from one point of view.
The plans of the building, its construction, and the interior fixtures were completed under the direction, and at the expense of Mr. Wm. Munroe, as a gift to his native town. The building and land adjoining were conveyed by him in trust to the Concord Free Public Library, subject to certain conditions and restrictions, as follows: “To forever keep and maintain thereupon a building for a public library, for the use of the inhabitants of Concord; that no building shall ever be erected upon the granted premises, except for the use of the public library, as aforesaid; and the ground not so used, to remain open for light and air, and as an ornamental enclosure for the benefit of the inhabitants of Concord, but without a right in said inhabitants to go upon, or use the same, except for reasonable access to said library, under such regulations as may be made by said Corporation,” etc.
The building was dedicated for the use of the library on the 1st of October, 1873, with ceremonies appropriate to the occasion.
A circulating library has existed in Concord probably for a longer period of time than in any other town in the United States.
Most of the early settlers in Concord, were men of liberal education and refinement, though, as with the Puritans generally, the religious sentiment predominated far above the intellectual. “The religious bias of our founders,” says Mr. Emerson, “had its usual effect to secure an education to read the Bible and hymn-book, and thence the step was easy for active minds to an acquaintance with history and with poetry.”
In 1672, the town, by a committee, instructed the select men to see “that care be taken of the Books of Martyrs and other books that belong to the town, that they be kept from abusive usage, and not be lent to persons more than one month at a time.” How long previous to this record, that little nucleus of a library existed here, can only be conjectured, but as Bulkeley, Flint, and others, brought with them from England quite respectable sums of money, and personal property of various kinds, no doubt those “Books of Martyrs,” and other books were among the effects brought into Concord by those religious enthusiasts in 1635, and freely circulated, to keep alive the sentiment which prompted them to seek this new home in the wilderness, and to sustain all its trials.
During the next hundred years or more there were, no doubt, other books added to this collection from time to time, but to what extent is not known.
In 1786, a literary company was formed in the village, with a collection “consisting of well-chosen books in the various branches of literature” which were purchased by subscription. In 1795, the Charitable Library Society was organized, and of the books of this Society, there is a copy of the catalogue now in the Concord Alcove, printed in 1805, which has two hundred and fifty volumes recorded. The members of this library united with others in the organization of another, which was incorporated in 1821. This was called the Concord Social Library. In 1835, it had 1168 volumes on its shelves. No records exist to enable us to give all the statistics we would like in reference to the Social Library. It was owned by shareholders, and supported by contributions; the shareholders paying a certain sum yearly, and others a larger sum, for the privilege of taking out books, the money so contributed going towards buying new books and paying expenses. In 1851, the Social Library was merged into the Town Library. Two other collections, the Parish Library and the Agricultural Library, were afterwards added to the Town Library which continued in existence till the autumn of 1873. Its books were then transferred to the present Concord Free Public Library.
The first annual report of the Town Library Committee ending March 1st, 1853 represents the number of volumes received from the Social Library to be 1,318, to which were added during the previous year 199 volumes, 111 by purchase, and 88 by donation. The number of books taken out during that year was 4,288, the largest number in one day being 80, and the smallest five. A special appeal was made in this report, to the friends of the library, for additional contributions, which however, was not responded to very liberally, for during the next year only 18 books were presented, 131 others were purchased, making the whole number 1,663. When the Social Library conveyed its property to the town, it bound the latter by contract to raise annually the largest sum allowed by law. The amount so raised in 1853 was $141.75. The number of books taken out the following year is not reported, but the use of the library, the committee say, was “constant and increasing.” In 1856 the committee reported with some exultation, that “295 volumes a month have been taken out, on an average throughout the year.” The report of 1858 says “the interest of the people in the library continues without abatement.”
The amount appropriated by the town varied but slightly from year to year up to 1860, when the law seems to have been changed authorizing towns to appropriate fifty cents each of the ratable tolls, instead of twenty-five cents as had previously been the law. The whole number of volumes in the library in 1860 was 2,762. With the larger appropriations from 1860, the library increased in a greater ratio from year to year up to the time immediately preceding its transfer to the present Free Public Library, Oct. 1st, 1873, when the number of volumes was 6,887.
Previous to the opening of the new library building, an appeal was made to citizens of the town, to natives who resided elsewhere, and to all lovers of old Concord, for donations of books, etc., the great object being to bring the number of books up to what is termed a first-class library, viz: 10,000 volumes. Such was the interest and enthusiasm excited by this appeal, that money, books, pamphlets, coins, medals, busts and pictures come in from all directions. There were one hundred and nineteen donors. The totals of the gifts were as follows: Money $3,570; books, 2,489; pamphlets, 1,360; three oil paintings; forty-eight heliotype impressions; seven busts of prominent men; twenty medals; five hundred and sixty-nine coins; and seven autograph manuscripts. One lady sent a thousand dollars; Geo. Wm. Curtis sent a full set of his works. Jas. T. Fields presented six autographs, viz; original manuscripts of “Dorothy Q,” by O.W. Holmes; “The Cathedral,” by J.R. Lowell; “Culture,” by R.W. Emerson; “Walking,” by H.D. Thoreau; “The Brazen Serpent,” by Nath’l Hawthorne, and an address by J.L. Motley. Of the books presented, there were many rare and valuable ones; one old Bible printed in 1598 and other ancient and curious works covered with the wrinkles of age, containing autographs of the Bulkeleys, the Emersons, and the Ripleys of old.
Under these favorable circumstances, the new library commenced its career of usefulness, and its success has more than realized the most sanguine expectations, “making,” as Mr. Emerson said it would, “readers of those who were not readers, scholars of those who only read newspapers and novels till then,” and greatly adding to the many attractions which make Concord a desirable place of residence.
In the report of the Social Library in 1836, the committee congratulated the public on its increased love of reading. It says: “Judging by the number of books taken out, your committee are happy to state that the library has been useful during the past year beyond all precedent.” The number of books given out that year was 2,438, a less number than is now frequently given out in a single month.
On commencing its work Oct. 1st, 1873, the Concord Free Public Library had upon its shelves nearly 10,000 volumes, excluding duplicates. Since that date up to March 1st, 1880, over 5,000 volumes have been added to the library, about half of which have been donations, and the others by purchase, making the present number of volumes in the library a little over 15,000. Besides books, there are over 5,000 pamphlets.
The annual circulation since the opening of the new library has averaged over 23,000. The largest number of volumes given out in any one year is 26,000 and in any one month is 2,868, and the largest number in any one day 278.
A portion of the library room is devoted to reference books, and conveniences for consulting them. About 5,000 volumes are used here annually in addition to the circulation of the lending library.
This seems a most extraordinary showing for a population of less than 3,000. Nearly ten books for every man, woman and child; and including the books used in the reference department, more than ten to each person. It is doubtful if any other library in any town or city in the world can make so favorable a showing.
The reading room, which is separate from the library room, is liberally furnished with magazines and other periodicals, by subscriptions and donations. By the last report March 1st 1880, there were on the tables twenty-nine quarterly and monthly magazines, twenty-four weekly and two daily papers. The number of readers in this room varies from twenty to fifty per day, which should also be added to the previous statement of the reading capacity of Concord people.
From the commencement, the new library has been extremely fortunate in securing and retaining the services of a very efficient librarian, Miss Whitney. Much credit is due to her for the interior arrangements and for the successful management of the library. The catalogue of books compiled by Miss Whitney is a most admirable one. All the books are alphabetically arranged and classified under the names of authors, titles, and subjects, with many cross-references. The books are all classified, each subject, and each division of a subject being by itself.
One alcove in the library is devoted exclusively to the books, pamphlets, etc., relating particularly to Concord.
The reference department is a very important one. It includes many valuable books in all departments of learning. Its advantages are seen every day, not only in connection with general readers, but with scholars from the higher schools; words, technical terms, names, dates, and places in history, geography and science, and illustrations and references in fiction, are made clear by the works in this section.
Since the opening of the new library to the present date, a period of six years and five months, during which time over one hundred and fifty-two thousand volumes have been given out, not a volume has been lost or seriously injured, without being replaced by the borrower.
The library is now supported by appropriations from the town, and by income from a permanent fund donated and bequeathed to the library by different individuals.
The library is open every day except Sundays and holidays, from 9 to 12 A.M. and from 2 to 6 P.M., and on Saturday evenings, from 7 to 9 o’clock.
Visitors will be interested in examining the fine oil painting of Emerson by David Scott of Edinborough, painted in 1848; an oil painting of Columbus copied by Raphael Mengs from the portrait by Titian; a copy of Stuart’s Washington by Wm. Marshall; an engraving of Emerson by Schoff made from Rouse’s [i.e. Rowse’s] crayon; a crayon of Thoreau by Rouse [i.e. Rowse]; a bust of Emerson by Gould; bust of Plato; Miss Landor’s bust of Hawthorne; Dexter’s bust of Agassiz; Gould’s bust of Mr. Munroe; French’s bust of Simon Brown; a bust of Horace Mann; a picture of the old jail drawn by a British officer imprisoned there; the sword carried by Capt. Isaac David at the Concord Fight; spontoon carried at the Concord Fight; scissors with which the cartridges were cut, and the anvil on which guns were repaired previous to the Concord Fight.