In Honor of Civic Engagement

Abstract

In 1731, Ben Franklin opened a subscription library in Pennsylvania. When he realized libraries could play a crucial role in fostering democracy, he decided to let people borrow books for free and began to promote library programs and holdings to others. An idea behind this was that informed citizens make better choices. By giving them free access to materials, Franklin was hoping they would learn about the world around them and thus make intelligent, informed choices when voting in elections.