Free Circulating Libraries.

During the last quarter of the 19th century a number of separate and independent libraries, formed mostly by private charitable or religious organizations - but generally free and open to the public - were established throughout New York City.

The largest of these free, circulating libraries was the New York Free Circulating Library. Formed in 1878 for a church sponsored sewing class, the NYFCL grew throughout Manhattan to a system of 11 branches in 1899. The Aguilar Free Library was begun in 1886 to serve a mostly immigrant, Jewish and working class public on the East Side of Manhattan. It consisted of 4 branches at the time of its consolidation with the New York Public Library in 1903.

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