Reference Libraries Independent

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Reference: Libraries: Special Collections (54)

The Ambleside Museum & Armitt Library - Free educational institution in the English Lake District. Bibliographies and artefacts on natural history and local people including Beatrix Potter, Ruskin and the Lake poets.
American Antiquarian Society - Research library in Massachusetts specialising in American history and culture up to 1876. History, catalogues, online exhibits and guides to the collection.
American Library in Angers, France - A branch of the American Library in Paris, offering activities, a newsletter, and access to the online catalog. Site in French and English.
American Library in Paris - A private, non-profit English-language library in Paris, France since 1920. Site includes information on membership, collections, services, and events.
Association of Independent Libraries - Directory and guide to the history and collections of existing subscription libraries in the United Kingdom.
Athenaeum of Philadelphia - Non-profit, member-supported library founded in 1814 to collect materials "connected with the history and antiquities of America, and the useful arts, and generally to disseminate useful knowledge"; online catalog, exhibit information, and grant applications available.
The Birmingham & Midland Institute Library - Book collection dating from 1799 and music library. Events, membership and location map.
Chawton House Library & Study Centre - Centre for the Study of Early English Women's Writing, 1600-1830, in Jane Austen's former home. Online texts, history and access.
Chetham's Library - Founded in 1653 in Manchester, England and open free of charge. History, list of manuscripts and online catalogue.
The Devon & Exeter Institution - Independent subscription library with collections strong in nineteenth-century periodicals and material on South West England. Photographs, history and membership information.
Fendrick Library - A privately funded library open to the public, and sponsoring year round reading programs, special events, and guest speakers.
The Folger Shakespeare Library - Administered by the trustees of Amherst College, the Folger was a gift to the American people from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger in 1932. Includes news on library projects and extensive background information.
Glasgow Women's Library - Women-only collection of material for and about women, including the Lesbian Archive and Information Centre. Services and facilities, newsletter and membership form.
The Grolier Club Library - Overview of the collections of this New York City club devoted to printing, bibliography and the arts of the book.
The Highgate Literary & Scientific Institution - Private lending library in London including archives relating to Highgate Village and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Description of collections and lecture programme.
The Huntington Library - Library of rare books and manuscripts principally in the fields of British and American history and literature, with readers' guides, events calendar, and images of some of the collection.
Jessie Street National Women's Library - Dedicated to the cultural heritage of Australian women. Description of the collections, lecture programme and membership information.
Leadhills Reading Society - Official site of the oldest subscription library in Britain, founded in 1741. History of the library and the village, photographs and information for visitors.
Library of the Boston Athenaeum - A membership and research library with special collections in Boston history, New England state and local history, biography, English and American history, literature, and arts.
The Linen Hall Library - Subscription library with unique collections of books, manuscripts, pamphlets, genealogical sources, graphic images and ephemera for Irish and local studies.
The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne - History and photographs of this subscription library offering books, magazines and CDs. Programme of free events and children's page.
The London Library - Scholarly subscription library in central London collecting principally in the humanities. History, collections, membership information and online catalogue.
Marsh's Library - The earliest public library in Ireland, built in 1701, with contemporary religious and scientific collections. Online catalogue.
Marx Memorial Library - Subscription lending library in London dedicated to Marxism and labour movements. Overview of collections, lecture programme and membership rates.
Mechanics' Institute Library - The Mechanics' Institute Library is a general interest membership library and chess club located at 57 Post Street in San Francisco's business district.
Mercantile Library of New York - Subscription library dedicated to the promotion of literature. Membership information, facilities and programs.
Montreal Association of Independent Libraries - Access to the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, the Fraser-Hickson Library, the Montreal Children's Library, and the Jewish Public Library.
The New York Society Library - Subscription library with public access to the reading and reference rooms only; members may borrow books. Site includes information for members and the general public.
Newberry Library - Independent research library concentrating in the humanities; privately funded, but free and open to the public.
Providence Athenaeum (Rhode Island) - Founded in 1753 as an independent membership library; provides a collection of books and other materials to all who love reading, appreciate literature, and enjoy cultural discovery.
St. Deiniol's Library - Britain's only residential library, founded by Gladstone for his private collection. Programme of lectures and courses and accommodation rates.
Tumbleweed Lending Library - Lends books via the mail to those willing to pay shipping costs. Includes lists of titles and a call for donations.
Village Learning Place - A non-profit community-based library, learning center, educational garden, and technology center serving diverse populations in Baltimore, Maryland (US).
The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine - Research library in London, open to the public free of charge. Catalogues of books, archives and images.
Whitby Literary & Philosophical Society Library & Archive - History and description of the local history, maritime and geological collections of this English learned society.
The Wiener Library - Modern Jewish history collection in London with special reference to Nazism and antisemitism. Events, facilities and history of the library.

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