美国会员图书馆发展述评

A Review of American Subscription Libraries ’Development

会员图书馆是由会员缴纳会费并维持基本运营、主要供会员使用的准公共图书馆。18~20世纪,美国会员图书馆经历了萌芽、兴盛以及衰落3个历史阶段。会员图书馆兴起的背景包括美国本土经济的兴旺发达、民众悠久的结社传统以及英国图书馆理念的输入。它们既与公共图书馆共存,又为整合的、开放的以及税收支持的公共图书馆系统的建立奠定了基础。会员图书馆运动中,女性扮演了不容忽视的角色。

Subscription libraries relied on their members’subscription rates to survive.They were semi-public libraries used mainly by their members.From the 18th century to the 20th century,these libraries went through the stages of origin,prosperity and decline.The factors which contributed to their rise were as follows:the prosperity of American economy,the long-standing tradition of association and the import of British library concept.They coexisted with public libraries and laid foundation for the establishment of an integrated,open and tax-supported public library system.During their development,women played a moderate role which cannot be ignored.Their development process,operational characteristics and historical contributions need to be examined in detail.