Membership Libraries Group Explained

The Membership Libraries Group is an organization of non-profit membership libraries in the U.S., formed in 1991. Membership libraries are rare in the United States today. Although numerous in the 18th and 19th centuries, they declined after the American Civil War, when the free public library as we know it today developed.

Founding

In April 1991, a support group for membership libraries was formed in New York, hosted by the Mercantile Library and its director, Harold Augenbraum. The twelve libraries in attendance chose the name Membership Libraries Group.

It was decided that the Membership Libraries Group (MLG) would meet annually in the fall, at a different member institution each year. Attendees at the meetings would exchange ideas and discuss issues especially pertinent to membership libraries. The twelve institutions in attendance, and their respective directors, were declared the Founding Members of the MLG.^[1] They were:

• The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, San Diego, CA, Erika Torri, Executive Director and Librarian
• The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Roger Moss, Executive Director
• The Boston Athenaeum, Boston, MA, Rodney Armstrong, Director and Librarian
• The General Society Library, New York, NY, Marjorie Peters, Librarian
• The Mechanics Institute Library, San Francisco, CA, Kathleen Pabst, Director
• The Mercantile Library of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, John O. Faherty, Director
• The New York Mercantile Library of New York City, New York, NY, Harold Augenbraum, Director
• The New York Society Library, New York, NY, Mark Piel, Librarian
• The Portsmouth Athenaeum, Portsmouth, NH, Jane Porter, Keeper
• The Providence Athenaeum, Providence, RI, Michael Price, Director
• The Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Newport, RI, Erik Stocker, Librarian
• The St. Louis Mercantile Library Association, St. Louis, MO, Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director

To be an active and voting Member, an institution must be financially self-supporting, can not be part of a larger organization, and must provide a circulating library to its members. Some libraries fill some, but not all, of these criteria; they may be accepted as Associate Members.

As of 2016, in total, there are 19 different libraries that are members of the MLG. Including the libraries listed above, the additional members are:^[2]

• The Charleston Library Society, Charleston, SC
• , Seattle, WA
• The Institute Library, New Haven, CT
• The Lanier Library Association, Tryon, NC
• The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, Portland, ME
• The Salem Athenaeum, Salem, MA
• The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, VT

References

1. Book: Torri, Erika . Twenty-six Meetings of the Membership Libraries Group 1991-2016 . Athenaeum Music & Arts Library . 2017 . 9780982828960 . La Jolla, CA.
2. Web site: 2016-01-29 . The secret world of membership libraries . 2024-06-29 . Quartz . en.