Lending Library Fees

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:15 pm Post subject: Lending Library Fees

How much did the lending libraries charge for check-outs? Were they on a per book basis, monthly, or per anum? Thanks!

(Asking question for Courtney Milan.)
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Medieval & Regency Writer
keirasoleore.blogspot.com

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:47 pm Post subject:

As far as I can tell, from the few references I was able to find in my own library, there was generally an annual subscription fee of around one guinea charged by both Subscription Libraries and Circulating Libraries (which weren't that different yet -- it wasn't until after the Pubic Libraries Act of 1850 that free public circulating libraries came into being). Depending on the library, and whether it was funded from sources other than subscription fees, there was also generally a small fee per book. I haven't been able to find any referenceas to how much that fee might have been, but I suspect it was only pennies.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:23 pm Post subject:

Thanks much, Candice!!
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Medieval & Regency Writer
keirasoleore.blogspot.com