The document summarizes the role and development of Scottish community libraries during the Scottish Enlightenment period from the late 17th to early 19th centuries. It describes the emergence of various library models including endowed libraries founded by individuals, circulating libraries run by booksellers, and subscription libraries established by private societies. By 1800 there were over 100 publicly available libraries across Scotland supported by all levels of society. These libraries played an important role in promoting mutual improvement and spreading Enlightenment ideals of reason and tolerance among both the educated classes and the general population.

1. The Scottish Community Library in the Age of Enlightenment Dr John Crawford Former chair: Library and Information History Group and Trustee, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

2. Some background factors ‘Improvement’ not Enlightenment Scottish society associational Main function of towns is commerce Few public buildings or coffee houses Enlightenment thinkers opposed to Scottish Nationalism A belief in tolerance and reason ‘Enlightenment ideas...widely diffused throughout the ranks of the educated classes in Scotland’ ‘Investment in brain intensive activity in late 17th century’ Source Devine (1999) and others

3. A contemporary view ‘Is it not strange that at a time when we have lost our Princes, our Parliaments, our independent government, even the presence of our chief Nobility ... that in these Circumstances, we shou’d really be the people most distinguished for Literature in Europe?’ Source: David Hume 1757 quoted in Herman (2001)

4. Enlightenment (Improvement) values ‘...the more general awareness that man is a social being shaped and determined by background, not purely selfish but ruled also by concern for others. The Scottish Enlightenment provided a working model of a modern society not unaware of its precariousness. ‘ [NB Law and environment critical factors] Source: Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (1994)

5. A fermtoun (Auchindrain)

6. Subsistence level living, early 18th c

7. A planned village c 1800

8. An 18th c town: Kelso

9. Prehistory The world’s first national public library policy document: An overture for founding and maintaining of bibliothecks in every paroch throughout this kingdom. James Kirkwood 1699 Embryonic public (endowed) libraries e.g. : Saltoun (1658); Innerpeffray (1680): Kirkwall (1683) Dunblane (1688); Rothesay (1702); Haddington (Gray Library - bequest operative 1729)

10. Some definitions First endowment phase (Libraries founded mainly by individuals between c.1680 and c.1750; the earliest publicly available collections) Circulating libraries (Libraries where a subscription was paid to hire books from the library’s owner, usually a bookseller or stationer) Subscription libraries (Libraries which were private clubs or societies and which charged a subscription which was used to buy books and defray administrative costs) Reading societies (book clubs of intentionally short duration e.g. 5 years. Stock divided among members at end of period)

11. Innerpeffray Library: an endowed library

12. Innerpeffray Library Interior

13. Leadhills Library: an iconic example

14. Paisley Encyclopaedia Club: a tradesmen’s debating and reading Society c. 1820

15. Numbers of libraries First endowment libraries to 1800 – about 20 Circulating libraries to 1800 - 30 Middle class subscription (Proprietary) libraries to 1800 – 43 Working class reading societies in the 1790s – 52 (about 1800 members in 13 counties) Working class subscription libraries to 1800 – 14 (but 51 by 1820) About 107 publicly available libraries in total

16. Alexander Hay of Drummelzier ‘It must give me great pleasure to think that Dunse is in a way of becoming a Seat of Literature, Arts and Sciences, tho’ I must owe I should still more was there a possibility of its becoming a Settlement for Industry, Trade and manufactures’ Source Record of the laws, regulations and proceedings of the subscribers for a public library at Duns. December 1768. passim

17. Middle and working class library stocks

18. Innerpeffray Loans Book

19. A library society

20. The Library banner

21. The Leadhills rules ‘We, Subscribers, having agreed to form ourselves into a SOCIETY, in order to purchase a Collection of Books, for our mutual Improvement, did... Condescend upon certain ARTICLES, to be observed by us, for the Establishment and Regulation of this our Society...’ Source Leadhills Reading Society (1761)

22. Mutual improvement: an early lifelong learning ideology Mutual improvement might be defined as the intellectual and moral development of the social individual through corporately organised intellectual activity, in this case, book use and reflects the Scottish Enlightenment’s preoccupation with social man

23. ‘Improved man’ ‘To store the minds of the lower classes with useful knowledge, is certainly of very great consequence, both to them as individuals and to society at large. Giving them a turn for reading and reflection, is giving them a source of innocent and laudable amusement; and besides, raises them to a more dignified degree in the scale of rationality’ Source: A peasant [pseudonym]

24. A cultural nationalist agenda? Covington, Lanarkshire ‘A glance at the catalogue at once shows that the books have been chosen by Scotsmen, from the prevalence of Scottish authors... Ramsay, Ferguson, Hume, Smith, Blair, Robertson, Kames &c. and the recent purchases exhibit an equally brilliant combination of great names: Campbell, Grahame, Scott, Stewart, Wilson, Alison, Hogg &c. ‘ Source Letters from Scotland (1815)

25. Scottish imprints Wanlockhead Miners’ Library : 40% of the surviving pre 1801 imprints are Scottish (Private) Library of John Howie of Lochgoin: most 18th century imprints Scottish Leadhills Library: of 349 surviving pre 1801 imprints, 108 or 31% are Scottish. Almost certainly an underestimate

26. Book selection aids Mainly a committee function Suggestions book e.g. Greenock Literary serials e.g. London review, Kirkcudbright Booksellers’ catalogues, e.g. Lackington and Creech, Greenock Copies of other libraries’ printed catalogues ‘Well read people’ e.g. Inshewan in Perthshire ‘Library booksellers’? Peter Hill? Source Crawford (1981, p. 165)

27. Loans book sources Leightonian Library, Dunblane Innerpeffray Library, Perthshire (limited analysis) John Gray Library, Haddington (analysed) Dumfries Presbytery Library (limited analysis) Sanquhar Library, Dumfriesshire Westerkirk Library, Dumfriesshire Wigtown Subscription Library Data recorded is unstandardised and subject to change Identification and transcription of data difficult especially in early examples Source Crawford (1993, p.337)

28. Value of printed catalogues Susceptibility to evaluation An accounting tool in the 18th and early 19th centuries (32 pre 1801 catalogues) Sometimes describes the library and outlines its services and history Sometimes lists members, rules and subscription rates Permits inter – library co-operation May promote a philosophy of library provision A source of printing/local publishing history A tool for historical performance evaluation A major source of cultural and intellectual history

29. A contribution to townscape: Kelso

30. A contribution to townscape: Selkirk

31. And 200 years later A continuing tradition of social inclusion The social class composition of ‘public libraries’ defined by 1800 + the emergence of children as a user group Comprehensive traditions of library provision and a wide understanding of the characteristics and value of libraries But Historically management traditions were amateur and independent of a tradition of professional expertise Because library provision was based on small administrative units it became hostile to bureaucratic organisation and an ideology of professionalism

32. A continuing tradition

33. Contact details Dr John Crawford 21 Polbae Crescent, Eaglesham, Glasgow G76 0LW + 44 (0)1355-302851 polbae2003@yahoo.co.uk This PPT is on Slideshare and may be viewed at

34. Questions?