There was excitement and celebration when the brick and mortar of the Gleason Library opened its doors. At last, townspeople had a permanent place where they could go for books and magzines, as well as a comfortable place to read and study.
Carlisleans longed for a free public library for almost 100 years before the opening of the Gleason Library. Prior to the opening of the Gleason, the Carlisle Free Public Library, founded in 1872, allowed people to check out books for free. The drawback was that the library rotated between people's houses, and therefore was open for very limited hours.
Before 1872, literate residents supported three separate subscription libraries. These libraries consisted of a paying membership but were considered public because anyone could join as long as they could pay. Books were expensive to buy; subscribing members pooled their resources and obtained books for reference and general knowledge to share among themselves.
Carlisle public library's creation and success could not have succeeded without the enthusiasm, devotion, and hard work of its townspeople, but most of all, without the vision, drive, and generosity of two women: Lydia Eames Patten and Joanna Parker Gleason.
The exhibit will proceed chronologically and begin with the early subscription libraries through to the formation of Carlisle's free public library, and then to the establishment of its permanent home, the Gleason Library.
