#lcparchives

This month we are joining the #IGlibraries challenge #buildingblocks first by highlighting the old Ridgway Building located on Broad and Christian Streets. The building housed our collections and reading room from 1878 to the 1960s when we moved to our current building. Though it no longer houses Library Company collections, the Ridgway Building still serves those who wish to learn as the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.  

It’s #NationalLibraryWeek and this year’s theme is Libraries = Strong Communities. For the Library Company of Philadelphia the community was a pivotal part of our creation and growth. As we continue to provide stewardship  in the 21st century for an amazing collection of rare books, graphics, and artifacts, we are looking for new ways to connect and reconnect with our local community. 

The Lion’s Mouth Suggestion Box represents how the community participated in building our collection. The first book order was sent to England on March 31, 1732. The list of books ordered was representative of the kind of books that could be found in any good colonial American, or even English, private library. The largest portion included titles on history and travels, followed by literature. Small segments dealt with the sciences, theology, philosophy, economics, and linguistics. 

The Lion’s Mouth Box is currently on display as part of Stylish Books: Designing Philadelphia Furniture, up through April 26th.See the online exhibition here: https://librarycompany.org/stylish/index.html 

This seems like a crafty tracking system...

Loan book of the Library Company of Philadelphia, 1794-1812.

#TBT to a view of the reading room at one of our former location at Locust and Juniper Streets. This one of those library rooms that Belle would fall in love with Beast over. #justsayin

Opening on February 24, 1880, this building was the first of Library Company to cater to women in addition to men, which included the installment of a ladies’ sitting room and the Library Company’s first woman librarian. Today the staff is predominantly women. 

#fbf to the Library Company’s Ridgway Building stacks on South Broad at Christian Street. The Library Company used this location from the 1870s to the early 1960s when it moved to its current location on Locust Street. 

Note: library sweaters are timeless and will always be fierce.