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Tabard Inn Library

Tabard Inn Library
Tabard Inn Library Exchange Station
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
TypeCirculating library
EstablishedMarch 1902
Dissolvedc.1910
Branches2,040+ stations[1]
Collection
Items collectedBooks, periodicals
Size100,000+ volumes
Access and use
Members1,000,000+ at peak
Other information
DirectorSeymour Eaton
Parent organizationBooklovers' Library
Motto"The best reading rooms in the world are the homes of the people"

The Tabard Inn Library was a circulating subscription library with numerous exchange stations (also known as sub-stations[2]) across the United States. It was founded in March 1902[3] by Seymour Eaton.[4] The library operated as a commercial lending service, using distinctive revolving bookcases placed in various shops, each holding between 125 and 250 books.[5] Borrowing required both a membership and an exchange ticket, which could be purchased from agents managing the exchange stations.[6] The books were often referred to as "nickel books" due to the common exchange fee of five cents.[7]

The Tabard Inn Library could be classified as a hidden library, as stations were located in stores, offices, and private homes.[8] Membership provided access to all stations within the distributed network of libraries, with members taking ownership[9] of borrowed books for any duration.[8] Travelers could return and exchange books at any station.[8] Memberships were transferrable, making the service popular for holiday gifts.[10]

The Tabard Inn Library was an outgrowth of the Booklovers' Library but under the same management in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[11] The libraries later became available in Canada operating out of Montreal in 1906.[12]

  1. ^ "Receiver Named for Tabard Inn". The Times Dispatch. Vol. 1905, no. 16803. Richmond, VA. Associated Press. March 28, 1905. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  2. ^ "It Appears Today". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 14, no. 3670. Staunton, VA: Philadelphia Public Ledger. March 1, 1905. p. 8. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  3. ^ Blanck, Jacob (1906). "Tabard Inn Library Collection". Library of Congress Online Catalog. Tabard Inn Library. LCCN 93108751. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  4. ^ "Largest circulating library in the world". The Literary Digest. Vol. 24, no. 16. 1902. pp. 534–535.
  5. ^ "Would You Like A $5.00 Membership In The Tabard Inn Library?". News Leader. Vol. 10, no. 54. Richmond and Manchester, VA: Philadelphia Public Ledger. December 5, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  6. ^ "Tabard Inn Library". The Columbian. Vol. 37, no. 32. Bloomsburg, PA. August 7, 1902. p. 4. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Williams, Cynthia A. (October 9, 2017). Hidden History of Fort Myers. Arcadia Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-4396-6296-0. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Tabard Inn Library advertisement". The American Magazine. 42 (6). October 1906. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Miller, Rhoads & Co. (April 27, 1904). "The Tabard Inn Library". Norfolk Dispatch. Vol. 15, no. 146. Norfolk, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  10. ^ Cash Cigar Store (December 24, 1904). "Tabard Inn Books for Christmas presents at Cash Cigar Store". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 14, no. 3615. Staunton, VA. p. 8. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  11. ^ Mr. Ballard (November 1902). "Report from Pittsfield, Mass., Berkshire Athenaeum". The Library Journal. 7 (11): 971. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "Money in the Tabard Inn Library". Bookseller and Stationer. Vol. XXII. Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg: The Maclean Publishing Company. 1906. p. 17. Retrieved February 16, 2025.

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