Detail map of Boston, Massachusetts, United States Overview map of Boston, Massachusetts, United States

A: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Foundation of the Boston Public Library, the First Publicly Supported Municipal Library in the U.S.

1848
The Seal of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library, as designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

The Seal of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library, as designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

In 1848 the Boston Public Library was founded. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library in the U.S. to allow people to borrow books and other materials, and take them home to read and use.

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