Alexandria Library Company (Alexandria, Va.)

ALC
Alexandria Library Company
The Alexandria Library Company was founded on July 24, 1794, at the house of John Wise for the purpose of providing reading material on a subscription basis. The following week, the members met next door in what is now the Assembly Room of Gatsby's Tavern to choose officers. The Rev. James Muir was elected president, Samuel Craig treasurer, and Edward Stabler secretary and librarian, all prominent Alexandrians. On January 9, 1799, the Alexandria Library Company was chartered by the General Assembly of Virginia.



Our 1801 catalog totaled 450 books and grew to 5,063 titles by 1858. More than 1,000 holdings were lost during the Civil War. Despite tumultuous times, our collection survived. In 1937, when Alexandria’s first public library, Kate Waller Barrett, was founded, the Alexandria Library Company contributed its collection.



The Alexandria Library Company Collection is currently housed in the Local History/Special Collections (LH/SC) Branch at Barrett. To this day, the Alexandria Library Company appoints three of its members to serve on the Board of Directors of the city’s expanded library system. We also fund an Alexandria Library Company Summer Internship program in which a student of Library Science works with the LH/SC Branch Manager to digitize our early collection.



The Alexandria Library Company Speaker Series began in 1957 when the Company revived a tradition from our early days of presenting lectures. Every year, we invite a notable author, historian, or journalist to address topics of regional or national interest.




Your are interested in supporting our organization or have any questions, email president@alexandrialibrarycompany.org

Alexandria Library (Virginia)

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Coordinates: 38°48′28″N 77°2′49″W
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library (Virginia) is located in AlexandriaCharles E. Beatley, Jr. Central LibraryCharles E. Beatley, Jr. Central LibraryKate Waller Barrett Branch LibraryKate Waller Barrett Branch LibraryEllen Coolidge Burke Branch LibraryEllen Coolidge Burke Branch LibraryJames M. Duncan Branch LibraryJames M. Duncan Branch Library
MapWikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Location US
Established 1794
Branches 6
Collection
Size 503,191
Other information
Director Rose T. Dawson
Website alexlibraryva.org

Beatley Central Library

Reference area in Beatley Central Library

Duncan Branch Library in 2019

Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
Alexandria Library is the public library in Alexandria, Virginia in the United States.[1]

History
In 1794, Alexandria Library opened as a private lending library, calling itself the Alexandria Library Company.

In 1937, Dr. Robert South Barrett donated funds to build a public library in memory of his mother, physician Dr. Kate Waller Barrett (1857-1925). The Society of Friends granted a 99-year lease for use of its former Quaker Burial Ground (then used as a playground).[2] An informal agreement provided that the interments would not be disturbed, although the few gravestones were transferred to the Woodlawn Quaker Meetinghouse and a granite marker acknowledges the former use. Thus, the new library building was built without a basement, but rather on a concrete slab foundation (as were subsequent additions).[3] The Library Company cooperated in this effort, contracting with the Alexandria City Council to turn over its collections to City of Alexandria as the City agreed to include the public library's operating expenses in its budget.

Due to practices common in Virginia and other Southern states at the time, the public library originally only permitted white residents to use the facility. On August 21, 1939, several young African American men, in a strategy devised by attorney Samuel Wilbert Tucker (who grew up about two blocks from the new library), staged a peaceable sit-in at the library to enable African Americans to use that public facility in the first known non-violent sit-in of the Civil rights movement in America.[4][5] Although they were arrested, charges were ultimately dropped by city attorney Armistead Boothe, and a branch library was built in 1940 for African Americans and named after Robert H. Robinson, which closed circa 1960 and now houses the Alexandria Black History Museum.[6][7]

Current operations
Today the library consists of a new central building (built in 2000 and named for mayor Charles E. Beatley) and four branch libraries, and includes two special divisions: Local History /Special Collections (in what became the Kate Waller Barret Branch Library) and a Talking Books division for the blind and visually handicapped. The other library buildings are: the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, the James M. Duncan Branch Library and the law library branch located in the historic Alexandria City Hall near the Barrett branch.[8]

Patrons check out more than 1.5 million titles annually, including books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, eAudioBooks, and other items. The system owned 503,191 items and had 700,921 library visitors (more than 1.3 million including its web site) in FY2017.[9] The library's current director is Rose T. Dawson. Among its more than 150 employees are more than 40 staff with master's degrees in library science.[8]

The library offers a wide variety of programs and services, both in the branches and via the Web site. Each branch has computers for access to the Internet, the catalog, downloadable material and databases. Library sponsored programs include: summer reading, One Book/One City, literary discussion groups, author book signings, children story times and other events for the city's diverse population. The Alexandria Library also started offering passport services[10] at the Barrett Branch[11] and Beatley Central Library in October 2016.

Non-resident privileges
Non-Residents of the city who work, own property or attend school in the city may obtain a library card without charge. Non-Residents that live in an area that will offer reciprocal library card privileges to Alexandria residents may also obtain a free library card. Thus residents of the District of Columbia, the Maryland Counties of Montgomery, and Prince George's, the Virginia cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, and Prince William are all eligible.

Nearby public library systems
Arlington Public Library
Fairfax County Public Library
District of Columbia Public Library
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
References
"Alexandria Library". alexlibraryva.org. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
Martha Claire Catlin, Historical Overview of the Woodlawn Quaker Meeting (October 2016), available at http://woodlawnfriends.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Historical-Overview-of-the-Woodlawn-Quaker-Meeting.pdf
Francine M. Bromberg et al., "To Find Rest from All Trouble: The Archeology of the Quaker Burying Ground Alexandria Virginia" (Office of Historic Alexandria, 2000) pp. 90-91, 109-111, 180-182
"1939 Library Sit-In". alexlibraryva.org. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
"How An Alexandria Man Came To Lead One Of The First Civil Rights Protests". WAMU. October 3, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
"The History of the Alexandria Black History Museum". Retrieved January 26, 2018.
"Robert Robinson Library - African American Historic Sites Database". African American Historic Sites Database. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
"Locations and Hours". alexlibraryva.org. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
"Library" (PDF). Alexandria Library. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
"Apply for a Passport". alexlibraryva.org. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
"Alexandria Library Barrett Branch". February 4, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2018.

Alexandria Library Company Records
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-10-27
Finding aid written in English
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Local History and Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Library
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA, 22314
pwalker@alexlibraryva.org
http://alexlibraryva.org/lhsc
Alexandria Library Company Records
- 2 -
Table Of Contents
Summary Information .............................................................................................................................. 3
Content Description ............................................................................................................................. 3
Biographical / Historical, Presidents and Librarians of the Library ................................................... 3
Related Materials ................................................................................................................................. 6
Processing Information ....................................................................................................................... 7
Preferred Citation ................................................................................................................................ 7
Administrative Information ...................................................................................................................... 7
Collection Inventory ................................................................................................................................. 8
Series I: Organizational Records, 1794-2002, bulk 1944-2002 ........................................................... 8
Series II: General Correspondence, 1854 - 2002 ................................................................................. 9
Series III: Financial Records, 1915 - 2002 ......................................................................................... 10
Series IV: Meetings, 1794 - 2003 ....................................................................................................... 11
Series V: Member Records, 1942 - 1971 ........................................................................................... 14
Series VI: Subscription Records, 1794 - 1879 ................................................................................... 16
Series VII: Annual Lecture, 1860, 1957-2006 ................................................................................... 18
Series VIII: Miscellaneous, 1864, 1954-1982 .................................................................................... 24
Series IX: News Clippings, 1860, 1956-1976 .................................................................................... 25
Series X: Catalogs, 1801 - 1912 ......................................................................................................... 25
Series XI: Circulation Records, 1794 - 1879 ..................................................................................... 40
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
7.75 Linear Feet (15 boxes) : 12.5 legal size boxes, 1 oversize box, and
one record storage carton of audio-visual material. ; Oz 25 x 20 x 2.5
Physical
Description:
Date: 1794-2007
Identifier: MS002
Title: Alexandria Library Company Records (MS002)
Creator: Alexandria Library Society (1937-1953)
Creator: Alexandria Library Association (1897-1937)
Creator: Alexandria Library Company (1794-1881, 1953)
Repository: Local History and Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Library
Summary Information
Content Description
The collection consists of circulation, subscription, and financial ledgers, annual lecture series documents,
catalogues, correspondence, and various organizational documents. Topics include: foundation of the
Alexandria Library Company, its cycles of growth and decline reflecting the local economy; the
formation of the local public library system; and the on-going activities of the Alexandria Library
Company, most notably its lecture series.
Biographical / Historical
In the 1780s, a discussion group of Alexandria gentlemen called “The Society for the Promotion of
Useful Knowledge” was formed. In 1794, many of these same individuals gathered to form the nucleus of
the Alexandria Library Company (ALC). The ALC was a subscription library modelled after the
Philadelphia Library Company, which had also emerged from such a club.
Society president Reverend John Muir became president of the ALC, a position he would hold for almost
20 years. Many of the library’s founders are known to have been members of local Masonic lodges.
Elisha Cullen Dick, who had succeeded George Washington as the leader of Lodge 22, was among the
first directors of the ALC as well as the secretary of the earlier Society. The first Librarian was Edward
Stabler, the proprietor of an apothecary shop. In 1796, Stabler was replaced by James Kennedy, who
served as librarian until 1818. Overlaps and family links between the leadership of the library and other
Alexandria institutions remained common over the next century and a half.
For a time, the Alexandria Lyceum (founded in 1838) and the ALC shared a physical space as well as
similar missions. The Alexandria Lyceum was founded as part of a national movement focused on
educational lectures. The union between the two organizations was dissolved in 1844, but the library
continued to rent space from the Lyceum. The library was later said to have been in a state of “suspended
animation” from around 1846 to 1852. In 1852, a “Young Men’s” group took over under the original
charter, publishing a new catalog in 1856. The library continued to operate into the Civil War. It remained
in the Lyceum but not without acrimony, which is evident in the Alexandria Gazette in 1860.
In October 1867, an agreement was reached with what was variously referred to as the Alexandria
Christian Association and the YMCA for assistance with running the library. The library separated from
this organization during the early 1870s. By the second half of the 1870s, the library fell into a decline
which the directors blamed on the lack of a published catalog.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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The first library catalog had been prepared by Kennedy in 1796 and published sometime thereafter. The
earliest catalog of which there is an extant copy was published in 1801, followed by another in 1808 of
which there are few traces. A more enduring catalog was created in 1815. The 1830s saw publication of a
supplement to the 1815 catalog and the creation of a working catalog that would be used into the late
1840s. Normal circulation records end in April 1861 when the library was converted into a military
hospital. There are stray entries in May and December before operations resumed on a limited basis in
May 1862 and continued at least through that year. Over a thousand volumes were lost during the war.
Due to the decline in usage in the 1870s, a new catalog was produced by librarian Emma J. Young in
1872 but never published. After two years with Young’s catalog, another was commissioned from Dr.
Theo West, which also went unpublished. As a stopgap, handwritten copies were used by patrons. In
1898, a new catalog was created which utilized a decimal system for the first time. The last published
catalog was a supplement to the 1912 version.
In the late 1870s, appeals were made to the men of Alexandria for support,. The directors met with
another “Young Men’s Library Association” in 1878 without success, records of operations stop after
January 1880.
The Gazette reported in January 1881 that the books were now in the custody of the school board, whose
membership included William F. Carne, a former library company director and the son of one its former
presidents. In May 1887 it reported that Carne, as leader of the board’s library committee, was inviting
associations wishing to participate in re-opening the library to a meeting at the Peabody school building
where the books were held, and explained that he had always intended a reading room to be opened to the
public once space was freed up for that purpose.
In June 1887, the Gazette reported that the “Reading Circle of Washington and Lee Schools” organized
by teachers two years prior and the YMCA would operate the free library during the summer, in the hope
that in September “an effort will be made, with a very fair prospect of success, to re-organize the Library
Company.” Gazette reports in 1890 and 1891 refer to continued efforts by Carne and others to “re-open”
the library, and in 1892 being part of a “committee on the project for a free public library,” but they did
not succeed.
In the decades after 1870s librarianship not only professionalized but underwent a rapid gender shift, and
apart from the periods in which there was no librarian for financial reasons, no male librarians seem to
have been employed until well into the 20th century. Women’s library organizations had become common
nationally, and along with the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie played a major role in the growth of
public libraries in America starting in the late 19th century.
In September 1897, the Alexandria Library Association led by Virginia Corse received custody of the
books then in possession of the school board. With a modest donation from Carnegie, by 1898 the library
was back in business, but as a subscription library, it would not become a free public library for almost 40
years. The new library needed a new librarian, and after one or two initial hires, the association found
Alice Green (1865-1956), who would serve from 1902-1937 and in a lesser capacity into the mid-1940s.
During this period, space for the library was rented from the United Daughters of the Confederacy
(UDC).
The Depression brought financial hardship. As the crisis worsened in early 1931, the association had
obtained $1,000 from the city council to form “a nucleus for the establishment of a public library.”
Discussion of becoming a public library had been common since the 1920s, as the efforts of Carnegie and
others had made them the norm nationally. Attempts were made to sell older books and hold fundraisers
as subscription fees dried up. There was also a dispute with the UDC over a rent increase in 1933. The
library was aided by the wealth of its members, including a $5,000 bequest in 1935 from its long-time
treasurer, Margaret L. Smoot.
Members built political support both on the council and among the public in the mid-1930s and in 1937 it
was agreed that a building would be constructed on the site of the old cemetery of the Society of Friends
and that the city government would cover annual expenses of no more than $5,000 for the association to
Alexandria Library Company Records
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operate a free library. One member of the board would be appointed by the city. The new governing
organization was rebranded the Alexandria Library Society. Agreements were signed in January, and the
library opened at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch’s current location, 717 Queen Street.
Another change after 1937 was the gender composition of the leadership. Men served on the board of the
new Society and played prominent roles after 1937. After 1948 they typically occupied the presidency of
the organization. Most elections were unanimous, often with women casting most of the votes, but it
ceased to be a women’s organization.
In 1945 a technicality in the Society’s contract with the city was brought to the attention of the board.
Namely that the $5,000 the city was obligated to provide each year was not the minimum but rather the
maximum contribution, and that the higher appropriations it had been making were illegal. The city took
this as an opportunity to demand a contract change beyond the funding formula. Although the men of the
city council had representation on the board, the women of the Society were still ultimately running the
library, and the Society was asked to allow a majority of the executive board to be appointed by the city,
and a minority by the Society. That the city legally “owned the building and all its contents” so long as it
paid $5,000 per year was also pointed out. The Alexandria Library Society signed the new contract,
surrendering control of the library in November 1947. In its reduced role, the Society still elected
members to the board and received reports from the librarian. It also retained independent funds that
could be used for the benefit of the library. With the library now fully the city’s responsibility, the
membership was also able to more openly advocate for additional funding.
Another longstanding issue at the library was race. The president’s 1928 annual report had endorsed
becoming a "free city library," but feared that becoming a Carnegie library "would bring in some elements
hitherto unknown and I think undesirable in our Library.” In the 1930s the library association favored
providing segregated facilities, but, after repeated meetings with the city council, failed to achieve even
that modest goal. In the 13 March, 1939, minutes, the issue was revisited yet again, but without result.
Four days later on 17 March 1939, Sergeant George Wilson was turned down for a library card because of
his race and Samuel Tucker filed a civil rights lawsuit against the librarian on his behalf. Plans for a
segregated facility were dusted off, and new staff was hired so that the librarian could focus on the
controversy. On 21 August 1939, several black men organized by Tucker entered the library and followed
Wilson’s example, but after being refused, seated themselves in the library with books, beginning
America’s first library sit-in. It ended only after the city manager called the police, and all were arrested.
The lawsuit was dismissed on technical grounds, but to prevent a new lawsuit the city approved the
Robert H. Robinson branch, which opened in 1940. Tucker refused to accept a card there.
A major issue in the early 1950s was the push to expand the overcrowded main library serving the white
community. The white librarian at the time, who had been hired in a junior capacity during Tucker’s
campaign in 1939, suggested to the Society that the expansion could be an opportunity to integrate. In the
midst of the debates over expansion and additional funding, an opportunity emerged to purchase a
neighboring building on the corner of North Columbus and Queen, which was later demolished. This
prompted a discussion about the Alexandria Library Society’s connection to the original library company.
It was decided to change the name from the “Alexandria Library Society” to the “Alexandria Library
Company,” make the appropriate filings with the state government, and reinstate the 1799 charter, which
would be revised by the legislature in the 1980s to help obtain tax-exempt status from the IRS.
This name change was completed at one of the company’s most consequential meetings in February 1956.
Every member was asked to sign their name in the minute book to signal their assent. A letter from a local
civil rights activist questioning the legality of library segregation was also read, but deemed the province
of the library board, which referred the matter back to the company whose reply is not preserved.
Member Mangum Weeks thereupon raised the question of the future role of the Library Company, and
proposed resuming the tradition of annual lectures dating from the Lyceum period using funds from the
newly instituted membership dues. This proposal was adopted, and preparing the annual lectures soon
Alexandria Library Company Records
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became a major focus of the Company. The Library Company continues to appoint members to the board
of the Alexandria Library and hold its annual lecture series. It commissioned a new history of the library
by William Seale in 2007, which can be found at the Local History and Special Collections Branch.
Presidents and Librarians of the Library
Chronological listings for both presidents of the board and librarians up to the modern day.
February 1794-February 1813 Rev. James Muir February 1813-February 1815 Hugh Smith February
1815-March 1824 John Roberts March 1824-February 1829 Hugh Smith February 1829-February 1835
John Richards February 1835-February 1840 John Roberts February 1840-1852 Elias Harrison
1852-February 1855 J. Louis Kinzer February 1855-September 1858 Francis Miller September 1858-
February 1859 Richard L. Carne February 1859-September 1859 Caleb S. Hallowell September
1859-February 1860 William G. Cazenove February 1860-February 1870 Richard L. Carne February
1870-February 1873 K. Kemper February 1873-October 1873 Samuel H. Janney October 1873-February
1874 Sidney C. Neale February 1874-June 1879 Mercer Slaughter September 1897-October 1905
Virginia Corse July 1906-June 1925 Mrs. Samuel. L. Monroe October 1925-April 1930 Loula Smoot
April 1930-November 1933 Mrs. Henry B. Soule, [Jessie E. Soule] December 1933-December 1934 Mary
Lloyd December 1934-December 1936 Susan Thomson December 1936-November 1937 Mrs. Louis
Scott November 1937-November 1944 Mrs. Curtis Backus November 1944-November 1946 Mrs.
[Lawrence] Fawcett, [Mary Fawcett] November 1946-November 1947 Howard Worth Smith November
1947-October 1948 [Miss Anne] Lewis Jones October 1948-October 1949 Miss Horne October
1949-October 1950 Mr. Stanley King October 1950-December 1951 Mr. [Joseph] Crockett December
1951-February 1955 Mr. Robert Moncure February 1955-February 1957 Dr. [W. Bruce] Silcox February
1957-February 1959 Stanley King February 1959-February 1962 Mangum Weeks February
1962-February 1963 Richard Bales February 1963-February 1965 Donald King February 1965-February
1967 David Squires February 1967-February 1969 Howard Worth Smith Jr. February 1969-February
1971 William Francis Smith February 1971-February 1972 John T. Ticer February 1972-February 1974
David M. Abshire February 1974-February 1976 Mrs. Merill Beede February 1976-February 1978 Mrs.
Douglas Lindsey February 1978-February 1980 Clarke T. Cooper Jr. February 1980-February 1982
William Seale February 1982-February 1983 Denys Peter Myers February 1983-February 1985 William
B. Hurd February 1985-February 1986 George J. Stansfield February 1986-February 1987 Dr. Ernest A.
Connally February 1987-February 1989 Dr. Wilton C. Corkern, Jr. February 1989-March 1991 James M.
Lewis March 1991-March 1992 Mrs. Anne Smith Paul March 1992-March 1993 Richard R. G. Hobson
March 1993-March 1995 Dabney Waring March 1995-March 1997 James R. Hobson March 1997-March
1998 Robert C. Reed March 1998-March 2000 Neil Horstman March 2000-March 2002 Carroll Johnson
March 2002-March 2003 Thomas C. Brown Jr.
February 1794-February 1796 Edward Stabler February 1796-February 1818 James Kennedy February
1818-August 1826 William Cranch August 1826-October 1829 W. Samuel Mark October 1829-March
1845 George Drinker March 1845-September 1845 James M. Eaches September 1845-September 1852
C.F. Stuart September 1852-April 1853 H. W. P. Junius September 1852-April 1853 L.? Hunter
November 1853 Office Abolished February 1854-October 1855 E. M.[Magruder?] Lowe October
1855-September 1858 Norval E. Foard September 1858-February 1859 S. Scott February
1859-September 1859 Edward R. Roxbury September 1859-February 1860 James A. Clarridge February
1860-April 1861 Charles R. Burgess (acting) April 1861-Unknown Edwin N. Wise March 1868 Wr.
Bushby April 1870-May 1871 August Henning July 1871-March 1872 W. F. Stansbury March
1872-August 1873 Emma J. Young October 1873-March 1876 Emily English March 1876 Position
Eliminated June 1879 R. Pendleton Bruin (unofficial? acting?) October 1900-October 1903 F. Olive
Lyons October 1903-April 1937 (continued part-time, mentioned up to 1946) Alice Green April
1937-December 1938 Miss Beatrice Workman January 1939-January 1941 Katherine Scoggin (later
Martyn) February 1941-June 1948 Bessie Watson July 1948-June 1969 (hired part-time October 1939,
letter of resignation later that month) Ellen C. Burke July 1969-October 1992 (librarian from 1958)
Jeanne G. Plitt
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Related Materials
The Alexandria Library Records (Ms 98) document the library as a separate institution from 1937
onward.
It particularly complements this collection in its early decades through its administrative correspondence,
board correspondence, minutes, annual reports, and organizational records, including contracts with the
Alexandria Library Society.
The minutes of the library's executive board (1938-1947) are included in the microfilm version of the
library minute books 1794-1947.
Transcripts of library company lectures 2-18 are available in the library.
Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #2 080 LEC 2 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #3 080 LEC
3 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #4 080 LEC 4 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #5 080
LEC 5 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #6 080 LEC 6 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #7
080 LEC 7 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #8 080 LEC 8 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series
#9 080 LEC 9 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #10 080 LEC 10 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture
Series #11 080 LEC 11 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #12 080 LEC 12 Alexandria Library Co.
Lecture Series #13 080 LEC 13 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #14 080 LEC 14 Alexandria
Library Co. Lecture Series #15 080 LEC 15 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #16 080 LEC 16
Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #17 080 LEC 17 Alexandria Library Co. Lecture Series #18 080
LEC 18
Processing Information
A reprocessing project begun in 2018 incorporated several boxes of previously unprocessed materials
dating from the 1960s to the 2000s, with the bulk dating from after 1980. They included many short,
overlapping sequences of correspondence, lecture, meeting, and member records which were merged into
continuations of established series including primarily correspondence and lectures but also meetings and
member correspondence. The "subject files" were added to the existing miscellaneous series.
Several other changes were also made. A re-examination of the catalog, subscription, and circulation
books was undertaken and most were renumbered, described, and relabeled based on primary source
research. The 1794-1861 minute book that had been donated back in 1922 was also discovered misfiled in
Ms 98 (which covers the library proper since 1937) and was returned to its original collection. Some
letters found in minute books were moved to the correspondence series, and their original locations were
bookmarked with acid free paper. Photocopies of catalogs were removed.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Alexandria Library Company Records, MS002, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special
Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.
Administrative Information
Publication Statement
Local History and Special Collections Branch, Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA, 22314
pwalker@alexlibraryva.org
http://alexlibraryva.org/lhsc
Controlled Access Headings
Associations, institutions, etc
Lectures and Lecturing
Libraries -- Subscription Libraries
Public libraries.
Collection Inventory
Series I: Organizational Records, 1794-2002, bulk 1944-2002
Scope and Contents
The organizational records series contains those records directly concerned with the library company
and its predecessors as organizations. It covers charters, by-laws, contracts, the legal definition of the
company, and its history. Charters and by-laws between 1794 and 1944 are generally documented in
the minutes and or reprinted in catalogs or the Alexandria Gazette.
1794 Charter (Photocopy), 1971
Box 1; Folder 1 (Text)
By-laws and Charter, 1944 - 2002
Box 1; Folder 2 (Text)
Tax Exemption, 1979 - 1983
Box 1; Folder 3 (Text)
1937 Quaker Contract with the Library (copy), Undated
Box 1; Folder 4 (Text)
Addition to the Library, 1952 - 1954
Box 1; Folder 5 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Histories of the Library Company, 1968 April
Box 1; Folder 6 (Text)
Series II: General Correspondence, 1854 - 2002
Scope and Contents
The general correspondence series covers a long period of the history of the Library Company and its
successors, with the bulk from the modern Library Company after 1954, when more documentation
was being produced and captured in a systematic way.
From the earlier period, one folder covers the old Library Company, including an account of the Civil
War and two folders cover the period of the Alexandria Library Association consisting primarily of
correspondence with Andrew Carnegie about his financial support. The material from the Alexandria
Library Society chiefly consists of copies of minutes. For library related inquiries after 1937 see the
extensive public library correspondence in Ms 98.
The post-1954 correspondence includes lecture arrangements, nomination and member
correspondence, announcements, and all manner of memoranda and external correspondence.
General Correspondence, 1858 - 1878
Box 1; Folder 7 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1899 - 1900
Box 1; Folder 8 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1917 September 15
Box 1; Folder 9 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1945 - 1946
Box 1; Folder 10 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1954 - 1969
Box 1; Folder 11 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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General Correspondence, 1970 - 1977
Box 1; Folder 12 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1978 - 1989
Box 1; Folder 13 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1990 - 1991
Box 1; Folder 14 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1992 - 1994
Box 1; Folder 15 (Text)
General Correspondence, 1995 - 2002
Box 1; Folder 16 (Text)
Series III: Financial Records, 1915 - 2002
Scope and Contents
The financial reports series includes monthly financial reports from the Alexandria Library
Association prior the establishment of the public library and annual reports of the Library Company
after 1953 along with a limited amount of additional correspondence on related issues.
There is also a file of annual reports which the Library Company was required to make to the state as
a corporation.
For records relating to the Alexandria Library Company's efforts to become tax-exempt in the 1980s,
see the Organizational Records series.
Treasurer's Reports and Financial Records, 1915 - 1920
Box 2; Folder 1 (Text)
Treasurer's Reports and Financial Records, 1953 - 1961
Box 2; Folder 2 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Treasurer's Reports and Financial Records, 1965 - 1985
Box 2; Folder 3 (Text)
Treasurer's Reports and Financial Records, 1987 - 2002
Box 2; Folder 4 (Text)
Annual Reports to the State Corporation Commission of Virginia, 1970 - 1982
Box 2; Folder 5 (Text)
Series IV: Meetings, 1794 - 2003
Scope and Contents
The meetings series consists chiefly of bound and unbound minutes from the Alexandria Library
Company and its successors.
The bound minutes cover the early Library Company from 1794 to its last meeting in 1879, the
Alexandria Library Association and Library Society from 1897 through its loss of control of the
library in the late 1947, and the Society and modern Library Company from 1948 to 1993.
After 1937, there are two minute books, one for the “executive board,” which ran the library, and the
other for the Library Society and later Library Company which appointed some of its members. The
1938-1947 executive board minutes are included in the microfilm copy of the older bound volumes,
but the original is located in Ms 98.
Bylaws, agreements, financial, and membership information often appear in the records, as do records
of elections. In some periods, annual reports are pasted into the minute books, which like a lot of
library business, was printed in the Gazette.
The unbound meeting records cover the modern period of the Library Company and contain minutes,
announcements of meetings, and notes, although for the earlier periods the minutes are merely
photocopies of the bound volumes as indicated by page numbers.
Annual and Special Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1945 - 1960
Box 2; Folder 6 (Text)
Annual and Special Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1961 - 1977
Box 2; Folder 7 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Annual and Special Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1978 - 1987
Box 2; Folder 8 (Text)
Annual and Special Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1990 - 2003
Box 2; Folder 9 (Text)
Board of Director's Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1951 September 18
Box 2; Folder 10 (Text)
Board of Director's Meetings, Minutes and Other Documents, 1991 - 2003
Box 2; Folder 11 (Text)
Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1794-1861
Box 2; Folder 12 (Books)
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Original
Ms 2-2
Microfilm Copy
Reel 00037, beginning of the reel.
Filming
Volume ended up with the Leadbeater family in the 1860s but was donated back in 1922. Was
moved at one point in Collection 98 (Library Records after 1937) but was moved back to the
Library Company Records in 2018.
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1868 - 1879
Box 3; Folder 1 (Books)
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Existence and Location of Originals
Ms 2-3
Microfilm Copy
Reel 00037, filmed after 1911-1930 volume but before the Executive minutes of 1938-1947.
Filming
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Language of English
Materials:
Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1897 - 1911
Box 3; Folder 2 (Books)
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Existence and Location of Originals
Ms 2-3
Microfilm Copy
Reel 00037 after 1794-1861 volume.
Filming
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1911 - 1930
Box 3; Folder 3 (Books)
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Existence and Location of Originals
Ms 2-3
Microfilm Copy
Reel 00037, following 1897-1911 volume.
Filming
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1931 - 1947
Box 3; Folder 4 (Books)
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Existence and Location of Originals
Ms 2-3
Microfilm Copies
Reel 00037 filmed after 1868-1879 minutes but before the 1938-1947 executive board minutes.
Filming
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Executive Board Minute Book, 1938-1947
Reel 00037 (Microform)
Filming
Filmed 5/1/1969 "Alexandria Library Minute Books - 6 Vols" University of Virginia Library
Photographic Service
Existence and Location of Originals
Box 98-2 Folder 16
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Meeting Minutes (Bound), 1948 - 1993
Box 3; Folder 5 (Books)
Series V: Member Records, 1942 - 1971
Scope and Contents
The members series contains records relating to the selection, participation, and retention of members
of the Library Company, with a focus on the modern period from the 1950s onward. It includes
records of the nominating committee, correspondence with and about current or prospective members,
and lists of members and guests attending the annual lectures. One of these lists is also available on a
3½ inch disk.
Nominating Committee Reports, 1967 - 2002
Box 4; Folder 1 (Text)
Biographical Information on Current and Prospective Members, 1954 - 1964
Box 4; Folder 2 (Text)
Members Correspondence, 1941 - 1978
Box 4; Folder 3 (Text)
Members Correspondence, 1990 - 2002
Box 4; Folder 4 (Text)
Member Rosters, 1942 - 1992
Box 4; Folder 5 (Text)
Bicentennial Guest Book, 1994
Box 4; Folder 6 (Books)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Member Rosters, 2000 - 2001
Box 4; Folder 7 (Text)
Corrected Guest List (word perfect 60) [3 1/2 Inch Floppy], 2000 February 23
Box 4; Folder 8 (Computer Disks)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Language of English
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Series VI: Subscription Records, 1794 - 1879
Scope and Contents
The subscription series consists of bound volumes of records documenting the subscribers of the
company while doubling as ledgers for many of the financial transactions of the pre-Lyceum period
(1794-1839), with gaps between volumes. Apart from the minutes, the volumes contain the only
information on the subscribers of the late 1790s, for which there is a gap in the circulation records.
There are also additional financial records from 1826-1839 and a list of subscribers, paid and not,
from 1854. These appear in the same volume (see historical note), along with the circulation records
for 1846-1848 in between.
The stubs of printed subscription certificates from 1874-1879 are also included in this series. Each
contains an identifying number, the name of a subscriber, and a dollar amount, accompanied in some
cases by dates or other notations. A few of the completed patron slips are also in this volume,
including dates and the signature of the treasurer.
Historical Note
The initial combination of financial and subscription records likely reflected the company’s initial
dependence on subscription fees, in contrast to the later subscription library in the city that relied
more on donors. This recordkeeping system appears to have been a casualty of the merger with the
Lyceum, which became official in early 1840.
As the physical volume in use at that time was still mostly blank, it was repeatedly repurposed, first
for additional circulation records (until these too lapsed) and later for a “list of Stockholders and the
amount due from each for the year commencing the 13th February 1854,” which likely relates to the
revitalization of the company after its agreement with the Young Men’s group. The agreement
required the men to find 100 subscribers, and the list was likely prepared for the annual meeting
originally scheduled for 20 February (a week after the date on the list), at which it was decided to void
the shares of individuals who had not paid.
Arrangement
The accounting records in the subscription books shifted back and forth between two systems, one
listing transactions chronologically and the other listing them under the names of individuals.
With the exception of the 1826-1854 book, all entries are characterized by double-entry bookkeeping,
with the left side page documenting money going out ("to"), and the right hand page documenting
money coming in ("by"), this can be confusing as bills for subscriptions seem at times to have been
listed in the outgoing section.
Most of the books begin with indexes of numbered names in no clear order. The same numbers appear
in columns toward the right of the accounts pages, just before the amounts, apparently signifying
people and groups with which the transactions were undertaken. These numbers should not be
confused with the columns on the left indicating the calendar day. They were dropped around 1826.
Payments under the names of individuals appear in the first part of the 1794-1799 volume, the latter
parts of the 1799-1809 and 1809-1819 volumes, and throughout the bulk of the two volumes covering
1820-1828.
Subscription Books and Ledgers, 1794 - 1799
Box 5; Folder 1 (Books)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Physical 15 Leaves (Book)
Description:
Language of English
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Physical 42 Leaves (Book)
Description:
Language of English
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Subscription Books and Ledgers, 1799 - 1809
Box 5; Folder 2 (Books)
Subscription Books and Ledgers, 1809 - 1819
Box 5; Folder 3 (Books)
Subscription Books and Ledgers, 1820 - 1826
Box 5; Folder 4 (Books)
Subscription Books and Ledgers, 1826 - 1828
Box 5; Folder 5 (Books)
Subscription Stubs, 1874 - 1879
Box 6; Folder 1 (Books)
Subscription and Circulation Ledger, 1826-1848, 1854
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Subscription Records, 1826 May-1839 July
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Circulation Records, 1846 September-1848 September
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Physical 3 Leaves (Book)
Description:
Subscription Records, 1852 February
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Series VII: Annual Lecture, 1860, 1957-2006
Scope and Contents
This series contains information on the annual lecture series, with the bulk covering the period after
its revival in 1957. The files for the early years include much of the correspondence arranging for the
lectures and information on the lecturers as well as in some cases printed copies of the prepared text.
For later years the files consist largely of lecture announcements, programs, and attendance lists.
Audio or video recordings were made of most lectures, but are not currently available.
Correspondence relating to the recordings can be found in the relevant subseries.
Correspondence is also available regarding the production of the printed programs and the selection of
speakers during the 1970s along with an undated seat plan.
Information on attendance and the financial aspects of the lectures can be found in other series.
Print transcriptions for certain lectures are available in the reading room.
Biographical / Historical
The 1980 lecture of Dr. William Dudley on "Captain Gordon and the Raid on Alexandria 1814" was
recorded but was left off the lists of annual lectures printed in later years. It marks the point at which
the sequential numbering of annual lectures was stopped. The reason for this is unknown.
Arrangement
Arrangement is by year of lecture under its title and orator apart from the seat plan and
correspondence on administrative issues. Those are arranged chronologically. Lectures in the modern
series were assigned numbers by the Library Company until 1980.
Processing Information
Records concerning individual lectures, such as programs and invitations, were foldered by individual
lecture unless part of a separate series. This permitted the titles of lectures and names of lecturers to
be better indexed and gaps in documentation to be made more obvious than would have been the case
with separate subseries for programs, transcripts, etc.
"The Decoration of the Capital," Professor B. Hallowell, 1860
Box 7; Folder 1 (Text)
"Jefferson, Then and Now," Dumas Malone, 1957
Box 7; Folder 2 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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"Robert E. Lee: A Figure for Drama," Paul Green, 1958
Box 7; Folder 3 (Text)
"William Bartram and Southern Natural History," Francis Harper, 1959
Box 7; Folder 4 (Text)
"Westward Ho!" Katherine Anne Porter, 1960
Box 7; Folder 5 (Text)
"The Growth of Southern Literature," Clifton Waller Barrett, 1961
Box 7; Folder 6 (Text)
"The Social Contribution of the Virginia Aristocracy in the Colonial Period," Lewis Wright, 1962
Box 7; Folder 7 (Text)
"Thomas Jefferson and the World of Today," John Dos Passos, 1963
Box 7; Folder 8 (Text)
"A Fiction Writer Faces Facts," Nancy Hale, 1964
Box 7; Folder 9 (Text)
"How Virginia Came to Accept the Constitution of the United States," David J. Mays, 1965
Box 7; Folder 10 (Text)
"Notes on the Music in the South Before 1800," Richard Bales, 1966
Box 7; Folder 11 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
- 20 -
Language of English
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"Poetae Meridionales: Very If Very Few," Dr. Allan Tate, 1967
Box 7; Folder 12 (Text)
"Meet Mr. Wirt: An Interim Report on a Quest for a Live Book About Dead People," Dr. Joseph
C. Robert, 1968
Box 7; Folder 13 (Text)
"Virginia and the Road to Independence," Joseph P. Cullen, 1969
Box 7; Folder 14 (Text)
"The Smithsonian in the New Decade," S. Dillon Ripley, 1970
Box 7; Folder 15 (Text)
"Masterpieces of Americana in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, Department of State" Clement
E. Conger, 1971
Box 7; Folder 16 (Text)
"Lee and Jackson: Model partners," Dr. Frank Vandiver, 1972
Box 7; Folder 17 (Text)
"The Spirit of the South in the Great Southern Novels," Rev. Joseph T. Durkin, 1973
Box 7; Folder 18 (Text)
"Prelude to Yorktown: The Revolution in the Carolinas," Dr. Charles E. Lee, 1974
Box 7; Folder 19 (Text)
"George Washington," James Thomas Flexner, 1975
Box 7; Folder 20 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
- 21 -
Language of English
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"Ideology and Politics in the American Revolution," David K. Fieldhouse, 1976
Box 7; Folder 21 (Text)
"Virginia Progenitors," Milton Rubicam, 1977
Box 7; Folder 22 (Text)
"Getting Ready for the Challenge of the 1980s," Guy Fridell, 1978
Box 7; Folder 23 (Text)
"Four Fiery Women," Brendan Gill, 1979
Box 7; Folder 24 (Text)
"The Gospel According to St. Andrew: Andrew Jackson," Robert V. Remini, 1981
Box 8; Folder 1 (Text)
"Stamp Act and Aftermath: The Crisis of the Old Order in Virginia," Thad W. Tate, 1982
Box 8; Folder 2 (Text)
"A Book-Reading President: The Exemplary James Madison," Dr. Robert Allen Rutland, 1983
Box 8; Folder 3 (Text)
"Thomas Jefferson and John Adams: The Best of Two Worlds," Wendell Garrett, 1984
Box 8; Folder 4 (Text)
"William Faulkner as a Southern Humorist," M. Thomas Inge, 1985
Box 8; Folder 5 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
- 22 -
Language of English
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"The South - Observations on Time and Place," Dr. Ernest Connally, 1986
Box 8; Folder 6 (Text)
"The G.I.'s South: the North-South Dialogue During World War II," Dr. Morton Sosna, 1987
Box 8; Folder 7 (Text)
"My South - Then and Now," William C. Havard, 1988
Box 8; Folder 8 (Text)
"Under a Southern Rose: Of a Time When 'CIA' Meant 'Confederate Intelligence Activities',"
David Winfrey Gaddy, 1989
Box 8; Folder 9 (Text)
"Tales of a Traveler: A Georgian Visits Washington in 1830," Robert Manson Myers, 1992
Box 8; Folder 10 (Text)
"John Wilkes Boothe and Lady Love," Dr. Terry Alford, 1993
Box 8; Folder 11 (Text)
"Readin', Writin' on the Road from Richmond," Roger Mudd, 1994
Box 8; Folder 12 (Text)
"Why the Civil War Still Lives, and How It Speaks to Us Today," Dr. James I. Robertson, Jr.,
1995
Box 8; Folder 13 (Text)
"The Lafayettes' Second Revolution," William Seale, 1996
Box 8; Folder 14 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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"Faulkner, Race and the South: A Study in Paradox," Edwin Yoder, Jr., 1997
Box 8; Folder 15 (Text)
"George Washington - The Man We Don't Know" Richard Brookhiser, 1998
Box 8; Folder 16 (Text)
"Thomas Jefferson: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" Daniel P. Jordan , 1999
Box 8; Folder 17 (Text)
"Martha Washington, 'The First First Lady,' " Sarah Booth Conroy, 2001-03
Box 8; Folder 18 (Text)
"Scandal on the Plantation," Alan Pell Crawford, 2002 March
Box 8; Folder 19 (Text)
"Memory and Sense of Place in the American South" Dr. William R. Ferris, 2006 March 26
Box 8; Folder 20 (Text)
Plan of Seating for the Alexandria Lecture Series, Undated
Box 8; Folder 21 (Text)
Printing Correspondence, 1993 - 1996
Box 8; Folder 22 (Text)
Suggested Topics and Speakers, 1972 - 1976
Box 8; Folder 23 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
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Tape Contracts, 1975 - 1984
Box 8; Folder 24 (Text)
Notes on Audio Recordings, 1974 - 1982
Box 8; Folder 25 (Text)
Series VIII: Miscellaneous, 1864, 1954-1982
Scope and Contents
The collection’s miscellany includes annual reports of the library, a survey of the old library company
books, seals, stationary, and printed matter including poems, fundraising pamphlets, and literature
about the library from the League of Women Voters.
1799 Stabler Seal, 1864 October 13
Box 8; Folder 26 (Text)
Printed Matter, 1954 - 1968
Box 8; Folder 27 (Text)
Annual Reports of the Alexandria Library, 1967 - 1982
Box 8; Folder 28 (Text)
Comments on the Books in the Alexandria Library, 1971 April 1
Box 8; Folder 29 (Text)
Stationary, Undated
Box 8; Folder 30 (Text)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Language of English
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Series IX: News Clippings, 1860, 1956-1976
Scope and Contents
The news clippings series consists chiefly of articles about the annual lectures or which report on the
annual meetings and the election of officers and members.
Clippings, 1860
Box 8; Folder 31 (Text)
Clippings, 1956 - 1976
Box 8; Folder 32 (Text)
Series X: Catalogs, 1801 - 1912
Scope and Contents
The catalogs provide listings of books showing what was available at the library during different time
periods and identifying books for some parts of the circulation records. Catalogs also frequently
included information on other topics, including the rules of the library, founding documents, library
histories, and the value of the books.
Titles were often abbreviated, especially in the working catalogs, and dates of publication were often
lacking. This can make identifying a work from the catalog difficult even when copies of it are extant
elsewhere.
Catalogs can be used reliably for most of the numerical listings in the circulation records for roughly
1801-1807, 1815-1848, 1856-1862, and 1874-1879. The 1815 catalog was not only bigger than the
1801, but had been renumbered. Because of this practice, the 1801 catalog cannot be relied upon for
records prior to its implementation nor after the point in 1807-1808 when its successor went into
effect. Since there is no way to know if the 1815 catalog was an extension of the 1808, it likewise
cannot be trusted prior to implementation. The 1815 and its supplement were used for a longer period
and the 1830-1848 used it as a base, although it altered its system of arrangement leaving around 30
or so numbers undefined for part of the 1830s. The 1856 printed and 1858-1860 working catalogs
cover much of the same material and are usable for records into the Civil War. The 1856 is available
online in a searchable format and organized to be browsed, while the working catalog is arranged by
number. The 1876 copy of the catalog implemented in July 1874 is missing the letters O-P, but is
otherwise usable for the last few years of circulation records.
See specific catalog notes for details.
Arrangement
Alexandria Library Company Records
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The printed 1801 and 1815 catalogs were arranged by subject and size, with the 1815 supplement
seemingly arranged in accession order.
The 1856 printed catalog was arranged alphabetically by author or title.
Working catalogs are arranged by number, except that the 1830-1848 switched to a subject system
sometime after 1834 and the 1876 is arranged alphabetically.
Catalogs from 1898 on use a version of the Dewey Decimal System. The old magazines are arranged
by title.
See individual arrangement notes for details.
Historical Note
No catalog was published under the first librarian, but four were published during the 1796-1818
tenure of his successor.
On 29 December 1796 he was directed to prepare a catalog of books "classed according to their size
and arranged in the order of the alphabet, with the number and cost or value of each,” although a
March 1797 entry suggests that it was still not complete four months later. No copy of this catalog has
survived, but there would have been between 200 and 400 titles at that time.
The growth of the collection was driven in part by the acceptance of books in place of subscription
fees and the purchase of private libraries. In May 1800 a committee was formed to examine its
acquisitions for books that were “useless, superfluous or of immoral tendency,” which decided in
September to postpone acting on them until it was time to print a new catalog. That time came on 2
November 1801 when a committee was appointed to assist the librarian in creating a new catalog.
On 1 February 1808 the board decided to print a new catalog at 50 cents a copy because “many
members were without any." On 2 May this catalog was reported to be largely complete. Another
meeting was planned shortly thereafter so that it could be printed “without delay.” That meeting is
undocumented, if indeed it took place. No copy of this catalog or any direct record of its publication is
currently known. But it must have existed since it was referenced in a later circulation book and the
librarian received a bonus for his work on it in March 1809.
On 2 May 1814, it was decided to create another new catalog. It would eventually have 1,027
numbers, which circulation records show the library had reached by July 1814. On 14 November
1814, the librarian reported the catalog “ready for the press.” He was instructed to obtain 150 copies
"with all convenient dispatch," a number raised to 200 the following month. In February 1815, he
reported the catalog “about half-finished” and presented a copy to the board, which set a price of 50
cents. In March he received compensation for "his additional trouble in preparing the new catalogue
for the press,” suggesting that the printing had been completed.
The 1815 catalog was later extended by a published supplement that added additional numbers.
Unlike other printed works, there is no mention of when the supplement was produced in the minutes.
It is, however, clear from circulation records that all its books had circulated by 14 August 1830.
According to the minutes, a meeting had been called for 10 May 1830 only to be quickly adjourned
"there appearing no business requiring the attention of the board," and quarterly meetings on 2 August
and 2 November were adjourned, lacking a quorum. The librarian at the time had replaced his
predecessor in October 1829 and been confirmed in the position the following March. It seems
plausible that he pushed to update the catalog after becoming librarian but that the question was either
not deemed important or could not be addressed due to the lack of quorum but that it was printed in
1830 anyway.
At the same time, a working catalog was created for use in the library itself. It is the earliest preserved
catalog of this type but was probably not the first. It contains a relisting of the contents of the 1815
catalog and supplement sorted by the first letter of the alphabet with pamphlets listed separately as
well as books added between April 1833 and the suspension of library operations after 1848 listed by
Alexandria Library Company Records
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subject. Although its initial form was compiled some time earlier, it does not appear to have come
into use until sometime after 1834 where there is a gap in the circulation records. The first 1,725
entries may have been added at the time of the 1815 supplement with the shift to a new method of
arrangement occurring later.
On 8 March 1856 a committee of the revived library company was assigned to rearrange and
renumber the books for publication. On 29 November 1856, the board voted for 300 copies of the
finished catalog to be produced.
On 18 June 1858 board president Andrew Jamison resigned. On 4 September Richard L. Carne, the
chairmen of the committee on the catalog and president pro-tem submitted “his amendment to the
catalog” and appointed Sylvester Scott as librarian to constitute a “committee of revisal.” A new
working catalog is preserved from this period continuing into the Civil War, although it does not
appear to have been published.
From the reestablishment of the library in the late 1860s to its failure at the close of the 1870s the lack
of a published catalog to advertise the available books was identified as a major issue. The last
version of the catalog prior to the Civil War had contained over 5,000 books, of which it was
estimated in 1871 that 1,000-1,500 had been lost.
Circulations records from the early 1870s feature book numbers around 1,000 that do not correspond
to any known listing, and numbers were abandoned entirely from May 1871 to January 1872. It was
decided on 2 October 1872 to create a new catalog, and the task was assigned to the new librarian,
Emma Young. The fact that the numbers of the circulating books changed to include some with
numbers over 5,000 after 4 December 1872 indicates that this work was completed, but it was never
published and there is no surviving catalog from that period.
The limited use of the catalog is evident from the prevalence of high numbered works among those in
circulation. The highest numbers indicated recent acquisitions, which often received announcements
in the Alexandria Gazette.
At the 20 February 1874 meeting, it was noted that "the last catalogue was published some years
previous to the war and had become, by reasons of subsequent losses and additions, very incomplete"
and the board decided to appoint Dr. Theo West “to catalogue and arrange the books." They planned
to print the catalog in time for the 1875 annual meeting, but printing was postponed indefinitely.
The new catalog went into effect on 10 July 1874 as seen in the shift in circulation records from a
system with numbers up to around 5,800 to a new catalog going to 4,314, but again they were unable
to publish it. Seven months later at the 19 February 1875 meeting, it was decided to arrange a printing
“as soon as possible," but this did not occur either.
On 10 March 1876 the board decided upon a different plan. The catalog was to be divided among the
directors so that copies might be made “for the librarian’s desk.” The published account of the 21
February 1877 annual meeting noted that "many persons have given as a reason for not becoming
subscribers the inaccessibility of the old library which was not catalogued. This plea no longer holds."
Doctor West's catalog “copied by members of the Board without expense, bound in good style, can
now always be found on the Librarian's desk." Operations ceased and the books went into storage a
few years later.
At the 8 January 1898 meeting of the newly formed Alexandria Library Association, it was moved
that the "the catalogue be printed at once" with the addition of blank pages between the leaves for
advertisements from city merchants.
This catalog was the first to use a version of the Dewey Decimal System, which had become popular
since its first publication in 1888, reaching its 5th edition in 1894. This was the first modern
classification system in the history of the Alexandria Library.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Subsequent to the publication of the 1898 catalog in January of that year, there are several mentions
of publishing “supplements” such as on 11 April 1899 and 11 July 1899 which may refer to the
practice of publishing notices with the titles of new additions in the Alexandria Gazette, such as those
of 6 July and 13 July 1899.
On 1 January 1902 there was a push for a "supplementary catalogue (being a catalogue of books up to
date) be printed" and the president appointed a committee for that purpose. It was postponed pending
the catalog’s completion. On 9 October 1906 the board voted to accept an offer from a Mr. White to
print 1000 copies in return for advertising space. According to the 8 January 1907 minutes, the library
was given half the copies of the 1906 catalog for free, of which it sold 200 and gave 300 away.
The 12 April 1910 minutes mention a decision to "again postpone the publication a supplementary
catalogue." On 23 January 1912 it was again put off until the 9 April meeting, where it was decided
for a new catalog to be printed and priced at five cents a copy and “to have the names of the old
magazines put into the new catalogue but not into the card catalogue.” On 12 June 1912 it was
reported that "the catalogue was in the hands of the printer and that Mrs. Monroe was reading the
proof” and the “new catalog” was deemed “ready for distribution” on 8 October 1912.
The annual report at that same meeting noted that “the year has also seen the completion of the
labelling, classifying, and cataloguing of all the old and valuable magazines which the Board has for
so long a time desired to put into shape for distribution," which a review of the supplement suggests
meant works in good condition available for circulation.
On 11 April 1933 Mrs. Newell “volunteered to catalogue old magazines in order that their value may
be ascertained.” On 9 May 1933 she presented a “typewritten list” of “old magazines” for appraisal as
part of their depression era fundraising efforts. On 10 October she reported them to be of “no value”
and suggested having them sent to the Salvation Army for use as old paper. On 8 January 1934 the
board approved this proposal for those magazines of “no value,” which do not appear to have
included many titles listed in this catalog.
No explicit reason for the abandonment of published catalogs after 1912 was given, but the allusion to
card catalogs suggests that it was a final step in the transition from numerical catalogs, which favored
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
bound volumes by allowing new titles to be added to the end of the sequence, to the Dewey Decimal
System, which required new titles to be inserted in the correct place in the existing list and was more
easily managed with cards which did not require leaving space for new titles as the 1876 catalog had.
Alexandria Library Company Records
- 30 -
Language of English
Materials:
Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1801
Reel 00038 (Microform)
Scope and Contents
The 1801 catalog corresponds to the title numbers 1-452 in the circulations records from around
1802-1808 and offers the number of volumes and value for each. It is hard to be precise since the
dates on which it came into and fell out of use at the library are unknown. The fact that books
were removed as well as added at the time of its adoption and its organization suggest that it may
not be reliable for the 1794-1796 circulation records, and possibly not even for books circulating
earlier in 1801 which were likely identified by an earlier catalog.
In addition to a listing of books, the catalog includes the revised act of incorporation dated
September 1799, the laws of the company passed on 2 November 1801 and an alphabetical
membership list. At the back is a list of book donations from largest to smallest, including the
name of the donor, the total number of volumes donated, and a list of title numbers, along with an
index to the catalog and some errata.
It was printed by Cottom and Stewart in Alexandria and sold for fifty cents a copy.
Arrangement
Arrangement of the 452 numbers is by subject and size. Within each size category the
arrangement is unclear. The categories are as follows:
Civil History, Voyages and Travels, Biography, Antiquities, Geography, and Maps etc.
(p.13)
Folios (1-9)
Quartos (10-24)
Octavos (25-109)
Duodecima and Infra (110-151)
Ecclesiastical History, Theology, Didactic Pieces, Moral Philosophy, and Metaphysics
(p.29)
Folios (152-154)
Quartos (155-156)
Octavos (157-188)
Duodecima and Infra (189-218)
Arts and Sciences, Natural History, Natural Philosophy, and Miscellaneous Literature (p.
35)
Folios (219-222)
Quartos (223-225)
Octavos (226-266)
Duodecima and Infra (267-293)
Law, Politics, Political Economy, Agriculture, Commerce, etc. (p.42)
Folios (294-295)
Quartos (296)
Octavos (297-326)
Duodecima and Infra (327-338)
Poetry, Plays, Belles Lettres, and Criticism etc. (p.47)
Octavos (339-353)
Duodecima and Infra (354-385)
Novels and Romances (p.52)
Octavos (386)
Duodecimas and Infra (387-427)
Appendix and Supplementary (428-452) (p.54)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Alexandria Library Company Records
- 32 -
Language of English
Materials:
Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1815
Reel 00039 (Microform)
Scope and Contents
This catalog of 1,027 titles includes the title number, number of volumes, and price, as well as a
note to indicate whether something was a donation. It is a reliable reference for the decades that
followed, but should be used with caution for earlier periods. Comparison with the 1801 catalog
shows that titles were inserted with very low numbers, and it is unclear how the 1808 catalog was
organized. Given the way the catalog was divided, there is no clear method by which accretions
could have been added to the working catalog other than accession order, whereas the 1815
catalog required them to be categorized.
It is therefore logical to assume that numbers added in between catalog issuances were later
changed, and that the 1815 catalog is probably not valid for the preceding period.
The full title of the catalog included the phrase “to which are prefixed, the Act of Incorporation;
the Laws of the Company, and the Names of the Members,” but our copy contains only pages
11-46 and does not contain front matter. It is unclear whether the first ten pages were removed, or
John A. Stewart’s edition was simply printed without them.
Arrangement
The 1,027 titles were assigned numbers according to the following classification system based on
size and subject. The title counts are taken from Evans, 1967.
Miscellaneous Folios (21 titles)
Miscellaneous Quarto (33 titles)
Civil History, Voyages and Travels, Geography, Antiquities, Biography, etc.
Octavos (223 titles)
Duodecima and Infra (95 titles)
Ecclesiastical History, Theology, Essays Moral and Religious, Moral Philosophy and
Metaphysics etc.
Octavos (54 titles)
Duodecima and Infra (47 titles)
Miscellaneous _______ General Science, The Arts, Domestic Economy, Natural
Philosophy, Periodical Essays, Magazines and Reviews, etc.
Octavo (72 titles)
Duodecima and Infra (43 titles)
Law, Politics, Political Economy, Agriculture, Commerce, etc.
Octavo (60 titles)
Duodecima and Infra (13 titles)
Poetry, the Drama, Belles Lettres, and Criticism
Octavo (39 titles)
Duodecima and Infra (13 titles)
Novels and Romances etc. (130 titles)
Appendix-Supplementary and Miscellaneous (30 titles)
Custodial History
A microfilm reproduction of a copy from the Library of Congress with an 1876 stamp donated as
a gift of Mr. Allen Reese 3/1/49.
Existence and Location of Copies
In 1967, Marjorie Darnell Evans completed a multi-year thesis project for Catholic University of
America publishing a reorganized 1815 catalog in alphabetical order by author, and a typed copy
of the original as an appendix, of which photocopies also exist.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Supplement to the 1815 Catalog, 1830
Reel 00039 (Microform)
Scope and Contents
This printed catalog supplement extends the 1815 catalog from #1,027 to #1,728 updating it to
August 1830. It was likely published around that time by William Greer, printer, and matches the
titles. It matches the numbers of a listing of books dated 1828 in one of the circulation books
suggesting that no rearrangement of newer books occurred prior to publication.
The supplement has most of the same information as the 1815, offering the number, title, volume,
and value of each title, but lacks its classification system by size and subject. Despite a short
cross-listing of periodical works, it has neither the subject classification nor even alphabetization
to make it a ready reference.
Arrangement
The catalog uses a numbering system in which the full number is given only every hundred and
but which otherwise provides only the last two digits, hence the sequence: 98, 99, 1100, 01, 02.
The main portion of the catalog appears to be in accession order. At the end of the numbers
#1,028-#1,728, a cross-listing of about 20 periodical works appears.
Processing Information
There is no mention of when the supplement was produced in the minutes, which is odd for a
printed pamphlet. As a result dating was attempted starting from the circulation records, which
showed the #1,728 was first checked out on 14 August 1830. According to the minutes, a meeting
had been called for 10 May 1830, only to be quickly adjourned "there appearing no business
requiring the attention of the board," and quarterly meetings on 2 August and 2 November
adjourned for lack of a quorum. The librarian at the time, George Drinker, had replaced his
predecessor in October 1829 and been confirmed in the position in March, so the working
hypothesis is that he pushed to update the catalog after becoming librarian but the question was
either not deemed important or could not be addressed due to the lack of a quorum and that it was
printing anyway sometime in 1830. That date may need to be updated in light of additional
evidence in the future (e.g. the Gazette becoming searchable for the 1830s).
The location of the original is unknown despite Library of Congress Classification number noted
by a previous processor resembling that of the original 1815 catalog.
The collection originally contained a photocopy which was removed. I had the image of a staple,
suggesting it was a copy of a copy. It was not correctly dated. A modern processor had written
“NOT used. The # sequence would conflict with 1815 catalogue complied by Evans” in reference
to the effort to reconstruct the 1815 arrangement made by Marjorie Darnell Evans, possibly the
only record that the individual had access to, and added an “1815” date in pen. This is all the more
perplexing as another hand had also added a “1” before the first number to highlight the fact that
the numbers were higher than the 1815 catalog, a fact that tendency to list only the last two digits
otherwise obscured.
Working Catalog, Circa 1830-1848
Box 9; Folder 1 (Books)
Scope and Contents
Alexandria Library Company Records
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This catalog contains a relisting of the contents of the 1815 catalog and supplement sorted by the
first letter of the alphabet with pamphlets listed separately as well as books added between April
1833 and the suspension of library operations after 1848 listed by subject. Although its initial
form was compiled by George Drinker some time earlier, it does not appear to gone into effect
until sometime after 1834 where there is a gap in circulation records. Because the numbering up
to 1,725 remained the same, earlier print catalogs can also be employed for those number for the
period from 1815-1848 even though this catalog alone can be used for the numbers 1,726-1,793
during that period.
Additions beyond 1,793 are only usable for the period 1841-1848, because they were relisted here
under a combined subject/numbering system after being originally cataloged differently up to
around 1,825. The later rearrangement left no record of how those 30 or so numbers should be
understood during the period before 1834.
These later additions occupy the latter sections which include materials published from the
late-1830s and early 1840s. Other indications of the ongoing nature of the listings include the
blank entry for #351 at the end of Novels and Romances and the blank page with the heading
“Biography” following the rest of that section.
The third, and final section, is the “List of Books from the Reading Room.” These are dated
1840-1841, and consist almost entirely of new additions to the periodicals with a few exceptions,
chiefly among the first few entries. This suggests that the page may not have been used for its
original purpose.
The title/subject organization of the latter part of the catalog is helpful in understanding
acquisition priorities during the late-1830s and the Lyceum period of the 1840s.
The inside cover contains a calendar for 1833 going through February 1834, with the Thursdays
closest to the middle of each month marked (none are the dates of official meetings). There is also
a 29 March 1830 inscription by Drinker, Treasurer, authorizing James Dunlap in financial matters
while he is librarian, which may predate the decision to use the book as a catalog. Drinker may
have done the first 1,725 entries at that time in preparation for the publication of the 1815
supplement.
Arrangement
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
The catalog contains three separate arrangements. The first divides books alphabetically by the
first letter of their title, with some further divided by the subheading “novels” at the end.
“Pamphlets” appears between “P” and “R.” There is no clear arrangement within each letter. They
may have been entered based on contemporary shelf locations.
These letter lists appear to include the contents of the 1815 catalog and the supplement with a
different arrangement, except that the supplement went only to #1,725, while this work extended
to #1,793. That number was first recorded as checked out on 10 April 1833, although the
circulation records up to 1834 extend into the #1,820s.
The second section lists books by subject, sometimes with their own numberings, and sometimes
simply by title.
These include the numerical listings:
History #1-122
-Ecclesiastical History
Biography #1-145
Voyages and Travels #1-213
Theology #1-113
Lexicography [crossed out] #1-6
Periodicals #1-31
Novels and Romances #1-350
As well as the unnumbered subjects:
Poetry, Belles Letters and the Drama
Lexicography, Statistics and Encyclopedia
Chemistry, Minerology, Surgery, and Materia Medica
Periodicals, Philosophy, and Miscellaneous and General Science
Law, Oratory of the Bar, and Military and Political Journals
Processing Information
This volume was difficult to date, for while an inscription makes clear that the book itself was in
possession of the library by the end of March 1830, it does not make clear that it was being
applied to its intended purpose. It contains a calendar suggesting 1833-1834, but books go until at
least 1841 and perhaps 1844, and publication date can differ greatly from acquisition date.
Circulation records also show that while created earlier, it was not yet the primary catalog by
1834, and due to gaps in the records we can only demonstrate that the subject system was in use
between 1841 and 1848. Although Drinker’s name is everywhere, his long service as librarian
prevents this information from being particularly useful. In light of all this, it was given a
recordkeeping date of 1830-1848, indicating that the collection was documented and it could have
been used by librarians during that period, new books were recorded there covering this period,
even though the period of active use may have begun at a later, unknown date.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1856
Box 9; Folder 2 (Text)
Reel 00039 (Microform)
Scope and Contents
As noted in its introduction, the 300 copies of the 1856 catalog were created not as “a model
catalog but such a one as would be practically useful to the readers of the library.” It serves as a
guide to the collection as contemporary subscribers would have known it, covering the first 4,473
volume numbers for this period. For looking up numbers from the circulation records, it is easier
to use the searchable catalog of surviving books or the online version. For later acquisitions, one
may use the manuscript catalog that was in use internally from 1858-1860 which is arranged by
number.
In addition to the aforementioned note on the catalog’s creation, the catalog also includes a
historical note on the early history of the library and a copy of the 1799 act of incorporation.
Arrangement
The catalog is arranged alphabetically, usually by author, but otherwise by title. Different volumes
bear different numbers. A certain amount of cross-listing is also evident, most obviously through
the appendix of Tours, Voyages, and Travels, containing works listed by country that also appear
in the main catalog by author. Multi-volume works have the number of volumes indicated
following their titles, their numbers end with hyphens to indicate an ascending number for each
successive volume.
There are some variations in how titles are counted. The “Edinburg Encyclopedia” for example is
listed as #1- with 21 volumes but under “Encyclopedia, Domestic” it is listed as “Edinburg” with
18 volumes and a separate 3 volume supplement at #19-.
Digitized Copy
On Archive.org https://archive.org/details/catalogueofalexa00alex/page/n5
Microfilm Copy
Reel 00039
Existence and Location of Originals
Ms 2-9
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Working Catalog, 1858 - 1862
Box 9; Folder 3 (Books)
Scope and Contents
This catalog was implemented sometime in the fall of 1858 as an “amendment” to the catalog of
1856 and was likely expanded on an ongoing basis up to the Civil War. Since the 1856 catalog
was presumably still in use by subscribers, the two contain largely the same information apart
from three key differences. Firstly, the 1858 added accretions to the book collection, extending
the book numbers from 4,473 to 5,063. The second difference is that it lists the books by number,
to assist the librarians in managing the books, rather than by author and title, which in the 1856
catalog assisted subscribers in finding them. Lastly, it should be noted that titles in both catalogs
are abbreviated in different ways.
Despite the overlap and differences of organization, a person looking up a number in the
circulation records between February 1857 and 17 September 1859 may still find it easier to
consult a searchable online version of the catalog and reserve use of the 1858 for its last 600
numbers. Starting on 27 September 1859, titles began to appear in the circulation records
alongside the numbers, making either catalog usable for numbers below 4,474, although due to
unpredictable title abbreviations numerical catalogs remained more reliable.
The catalog was signed by a number of librarians of the company inside the front and back covers,
sometimes more than once. This includes a listing made in 1871 which is notable for the presence
of names not associated with the title “librarian” by the minutes.
Arrangement
The catalog is arranged numerically from 1 to 5,063 following the model of the 1815 Supplement,
with numbers greater than 100 being listed in full only every 100 numbers and at the top of each
page, but otherwise by their last two digits (e.g. 98, 99, 3900, 1, 2).
Entries include the number, title, and volume of the work. The last three pages have volume
numbers and titles. Their sequence is unclear and some are periodicals.
Preservation Issues
The binding is almost completely broken and many leaves are loose.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Working Catalog, Circa 1876
Box 9; Folder 4 (Books)
Scope and Contents
The initial form of this catalog was compiled by Doctor Theo West and put into use on 10 July
1874, although there may have been additions by the time it was copied by the directors of the
library company into its current form. It was intended for publication, but was later advertised as
merely being available at the librarian’s desk. It was therefore organized with the aim of finding
books by title, like a printed catalog, rather than by number like the manuscript catalogs from
before the Civil War. It remained in use until the company shut down after 1880.
The book contains a detailed history of the library company including the text of the 1799 act of
incorporation written by “John Stewart, Keeper of the Rolls.” It is also the only extant catalog
with a book plate, albeit one with the shelf location and classification numbers left blank.
The listing of books is missing the letters O and P at a point where the binding is broken, either
because they were removed from this edition or never added in. Title information includes the title
and number of each book as well as a “case” number (presumably for shelving) and occasional
volume and date information. Space is left in many places for additional titles to be added,
although in some cases this was handled by inserted slips of paper. For details on the organization
of the title list see the arrangement note.
Arrangement
The arrangement of the catalog is alphabetical by title with a few additional sections by subject.
The alphabetical portion includes the letters A-N and Q-Y with the letters O and P missing. The
subject headings are “History” after “H,” “Letters” after “L,” “Memoirs” after “M,” and “British
Prose Writers” after “P.” A similar practice was used for the “Pamphlets” section of Drinker’s
catalog of the 1830-1848. Books are numbered up to 4,314.
Processing Information
A previous processor had dated this catalog “1799?” but the second page of titles lists an
“Address on the Life and actions of Gen. R. E. Lee delivered on the 12th of Oct. 1871 before the
Society of Confederate Soldiers and Sailors in Maryland” which seemed unlikely to predate the
Civil War by so many years, so a later date was sought. Although the initial catalog was
completed in 1874, it has been given the date of 1876 when this copy was physically created by
the directors.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Language of English
Materials:
Draft Catalog for Letters "R" and "S", Circa 1876
Box 9; Folder 5 (Text)
Scope and Contents
This listing of “R” titles is largely the same as that copied by the directors for the 1876 catalog,
but appears to be in a different hand (most noticeably the number 8). The listing for “S” appears
to be the same hand as “R.” Also included are two pieces of paper with additional titles, and notes
in blue asking that additional space be left for new titles to be added. That feature of the main
1876 catalog is absent here and may be the reason it was not included in a complete volume.
Arrangement
The main listing of titles is alphabetical by titles beginning with the letters “R” and “S.”
Processing Information
A copy of the “S” section of the 1876 catalog was found in the circulation book for the early
1840s, although it dated from decades later. It was moved to the same folder as the "R" section,
being from the same period and seemingly in the same hand. They were also given a date along
with the 1876 catalog.
Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1898
Box 9; Folder 6 (Text)
Scope and Contents
The 1898 catalog provides the earliest record of the library’s collection after its reestablishment
by the Alexandria Library Association, including numbers of volumes and publications dates for
each title. The subject classification allows a simple method of gauging the balance of the
collection between different areas, particularly in comparison with the publications of 1906 and
1912. Handwritten notes seem to indicate additions and shelf locations, although the date and
provenance of those notes is unclear.
Arrangement
Arrangement is by classification number and title based on a version of the Dewey Decimal
System, but differs from the fifth edition (1894) in some respects, such as listing 973 as “Egypt”
rather than the United States. (see the 1894 at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007477697)
Class headings and numbers are followed by subclass numbers, the first two letters of the author’s
name, and a number in case there are multiple books by that author. Volumes and publications
dates are appended to the end of the title.
Case numbers (shelf locations) have been written in by hand as well as additional titles written in
the margins.
Processing Information
A photocopy of the original was removed from the collection.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Language of English
Materials:
Language of English
Materials:
Catalogue of the Alexandria Library Company, 1906
Box 9; Folder 7 (Books)
Scope and Contents
A complete update to the 1898 catalog, the 1906 retained the same basic classification system
apart from the addition of 3 new sub-classes. It also includes a chart of subscription prices for the
library at the front giving lengths of time and numbers of books and a large number of
advertisements from local businesses.
For the new subclasses see arrangement note.
Arrangement
The classification is identical to the 1898 except for the added subheadings of Cuba, Japan, and
Korea. There is an alphabetical index of subjects.
Supplement to the 1906 Catalog (6 copies), 1912
Box 9; Folder 8 (Text)
Scope and Contents
The 1912 supplement to the catalog includes additions to the library collection since 1906 as well
as a listing of old magazines, which were not mentioned in the 1906 catalog. Most classification
numbers were therefore unneeded. The bulk of the entries appear to be fiction and old magazines.
Arrangement
The 1912 supplement to the catalog was arranged according the same version of the Dewey
Decimal System used in previous publications, with classification numbers for which no books
were added to the collection omitted. The two lists of magazines divided them into bound and
unbound collections, each arranged by title and date.
Catalogue of Old Magazines, 1933
Box 9; Folder 9 (Text)
Scope and Contents
This typescript contains a listing of “old magazines” by title and volume that were in the
collection in 1933. It also includes some notes on their condition, such as whether they were
bound and missing covers, pages, and volumes.
Arrangement
Alphabetical by title. Note that bound and unbound magazines are grouped together, rather than
separated as in the 1912 supplement list.
Processing Information
The catalog was previously dated to the 19th century, but has been dated to May 1933 based on
the minutes as described in the historical note. The specific reference to a typescript in connection
with the term “old magazines” in 1933 is difficult to ignore and the scattered notes on condition
fit with the goal of appraising the magazines being pursued at that time. I also found it unlikely
that the list was drawn up in 1912 as part of the catalog supplement for that year given the
differences in arrangement, like the supplement separating bound and unbound volumes, and the
differences in contents, like the absence of the Atheneum from the supplement.
Series XI: Circulation Records, 1794 - 1879
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Scope and Contents
The circulation records consist of bound volumes containing lists of books checked out. They
typically list the name of the subscriber, the date, and some method of identifying the work along with
various other details. For much of its history, the old library company identified books only by
number, although titles and combinations of numbers and titles began appearing around 1845, with
titles becoming commonplace after 1858.
The catalogs can be used reliably for only some of the numerical listings due to additions following
the publication of rapidly outdated catalogs and changes in numbering that preceded new ones. They
are relevant to some of the numbers for 1801-1807, 1815-1848, 1856-1862, and 1874-1879 (see
catalog series notes and below). Because of possible renumbering, the 1801 catalog cannot be relied
upon for records prior to its implementation nor after the point in 1807-1808 when its successor went
into effect. Since there is no way to know if the 1815 catalog was an extension of the 1808 or if it was
the first to change the numbering from the 1801, it likewise cannot be trusted prior to its
implementation.
The 1815 and its supplement were used for a longer period and the 1834-1848 catalog used it as a
base, despite altering its system of arrangement for later materials and leaving about 30 numbers
unclear due to renumbering. The 1856 printed and 1858-1860 working catalogs cover much of the
same material and are usable into the Civil War. Notably, the 1856 is available online in a searchable
format. It was arranged to be browsed, while the working catalog is arranged by number only. The
1876 copy of the catalog implemented in July 1874 is missing the letters O-P, but is otherwise usable
for the last few years of circulation records.
Even when numbers cannot be identified, useful information can be inferred from changes in the
numbering system and preferences for numbers from particular periods, such as for new acquisitions.
One can also use the records to quantify the level of patronage as a whole in various periods. There
are no circulation records at the book level from the Alexandria Library Association (1897-1937) and
later, although summary reports of circulation became common during the modern period and were
often noted in minutes and annual reports.
There are significant gaps in the circulation records, which nominally cover the period from
November 1794 to January 1880. These come in several different types. Some of them appear to
indicate missing volumes, including July 1795-June 1801, May 1811-February 1814, January
1835-Feburary 1841, September 1848-October 1858, and 1868-1870, but there are also gaps of a few
months between volumes in 1805, 1824, 1846, 1871, and 1874. Additionally, there is a month of
pages missing from the middle of 1831, and two pages are missing after October 1862, even though
returns were noted as late December, before resuming in April 1868 (on the Civil War see the
historical note for this series).
Title numbers began at around 200, gradually rising to over 5,000 before the Civil War. After the war,
numbers ran below 1,000 for the most part, before changing to numbers over 5,000 again on 4
December 1873 (p.279) and then dropping to lower numbers on 10 July 1874 (p.69), with some titles
in the 5000s being renumbered to the 3000s.
Many of volumes contain lists of books in their front or back matter, usually including both titles and
numbers. This is one of the only sources for matching that information for some periods of the
library’s history and includes the only reference to the 1808 catalog outside the minutes. They include
lists of missing books (the 1822-1824 volume), books sent to be bound (1824-1828 and 1828-1831)
and of the Waverly Novels (1822-1824).
Changes in the hand recording the information signal personnel changes, and many of the volumes
were inscribed with the names of librarians or members of the company, occasionally accompanied by
other kinds of scribbling as in 1814-1816, 1831-1834, and especially 1858-1868. There is also some
doodling, which appears inside the covers in a modest way in the 1814-1816 volume and far more
extensively in the 1841-1848 and 1858-1868 ones. The 1841-1848 also contains doodles among the
actual circulation records.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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For the columns and specific information that varied over time see the arrangement note for this
series.
Historical Note
The circulation records began with the original library company in 1794 and continued until its
collapse in 1880. Some of the gaps in the records reflect periods during which its activity was
disrupted.
During the War of 1812, British forces arrived in Alexandria on 29 August 1814 and remained there
until 2 September. The library normally closed on Sundays, and remained closed from Sunday 28
August through Tuesday 30 August. It opened from 31 August to 2 September, during which time
only four books circulated.
The library was also affected by the Civil War. Hostilities between the Union and Confederacy began
at Fort Sumter on 12 April 1861. A vote on Virginia secession was held on 17 April and ratified by a
referendum on 23 May. Alexandria was occupied by Union forces the following day. Confederate
forces had briefly made use of the Lyceum building housing the library, but it later served as a
hospital for the Union. Some books were moved out but others were not.
It is unclear were the library operated from in 1861 and 1862, but it did operate. There was a
significant reduction in circulation leading up to the war, dropping to a single entry for 22 April 1861.
Solitary patrons were recorded for 18th and 30th of May, and an individual withdrew a book every
day through 21-25 December, although the May and December entries are in a different hand and
initially broke with the format. In early June 1862 however, the library resumed semi-regular hours,
usually opening only Tuesday and Thursday but occasionally other days. Records continue into
mid-October, after which two pages are missing from the book before it resumes in 1868. Returns are
dated as late as December 1862, and it is unclear when the library ceased operations.
Attempts to preserve the library in the late 1870s were unsuccessful, and the number of pages per year
charts its decline and eventual failure over the second half of the decade.
Arrangement
The original circulation book of 1794-1795 contains two different systems for tracking loans and
borrowers. The columns of the initial system included, from left-to-right: patron name, the time the
book was out, book number, and book size. Each book size had its own column, which from
left-to-right were folio, “4-to” (quarto), “8-vo” (octavio), “12-mo” (duodecimo or twelvemo), and
“16-mo” (sextodecimo or sixteenmo).
This method was abandoned, and subsequently an attempt was made to record circulation by
subscriber. Each subscriber was assigned a number and accorded a set of pages bearing that number
instead of page numbers. An index of them appears at the back with some names crossed out. They
are not in alphabetical order on the whole, and may represent the order in which they become
subscribers. The left-hand pages list the books taken out and the right-hand pages represent returns.
As such, similar years and dates are repeated on both sides.
By the start of the 1801-1805 records, the library had switched to a chronological format, which was
flexible enough to accommodate increases in the number of subscribers and variations in their degree
of patronage but at the cost of making an individual’s activity more difficult to isolate. Columns
consisted of: patron, title number and volume number, date and day of the week, date returned, and
the number of days late and fine (if any).
This remained standard through 1834 with minor variations, like the addition of a date at the top of
the page in the 1814-1818 volume, which lasted into the 1830s, and a key for marks indicating returns
and renewals in the 1822-1824 volume.
The 1841-1848 volume introduced a new system which separated each set of records into daily
sections, with a heading for each day. The columns from left-to-right provided: title number, patron
name, returned date, and subject section; the latter being a feature of the working catalog in use at the
Alexandria Library Company Records
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time.
Abbreviated titles started to appear near the end of June 1845, with some of them being numbered and
others not. By July 1845, a majority of the entries were like that. This method disappeared and
reappeared over the years that followed.
Between September 1846 and September 1848 the circulation records were kept in the second part of
an account book (see notes for the subscription series). The subject system continued during this
period under a new organization of columns, consisting of: subject, number (within subject), patron
name (with volume number), and finally a column with either a note saying “return,” a date, or often a
blank field.
The 1857-1858 volume has alphabetical tabs on which patrons are recorded chronologically under the
first letter of their name. The columns are also different. From left-to-right they include: date, patron
name (including institutions), title number, and return date. The year is given at the top. In place of a
return note, some fields contain other notes like “mistake” or “transferred to Roxbury,” which are
open to interpretation. Titles resume appearing in place of numbers in mid-1858.
The volume covering 1862-1868 shows considerable variation. Initially it featured columns on the left
with headings for each day followed by the patron name, while on the right the columns showed the
title number and return date. Starting on September 27, 1859 (page 114), the left-hand column was
divided between patron name and title, while the columns for title number and return date on the right
remained in place. From March 1860 (page 127) to March 1861 (page 175) it returned to the earlier
format.
The 1870-1871 volume introduced the columns that would be standard for most of the remainder of
the series ending in 1880. They consisted of checkout date, patron name, book title, title number, and
return date. The exception was a period beginning in May 1871 and ending on 1 January 1872 of the
1871-1872 volume. During that period, the records provided sections by patron name, with columns
for checkout date, title, and return date. There were no title numbers during that period. The
arrangement of names was partially alphabetized, possibly reflecting the addition of new names to an
originally alphabetical arrangement.
Alexandria Library Company Records
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It can be difficult to tell what year it is in some of the later volumes. In the 1872-1874 volume year
breaks occur on pages 113 (1873) and 292 (1874). In the 1874-1880 volume they occur on pages 137
(1875), 275 (1876), 345 (1877), 375 (1878), 434 (1879), and 454 (1880).
Preservation Issues
Many of the books have damaged bindings or missing covers. The 1801-1805 volume has both
problems, while the 1809-1811 is missing a page and the front cover. The 1814-1816 is also missing
pages, as is the 1858-1868 volume for the crucial period of 1862-1863.
Circulation Day Book, 1794 November-1795 June
Box 10; Folder 1 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1801 June-1805 May
Box 10; Folder 2 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1805 August-1809 March
Box 10; Folder 3 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1809 March-1811 April
Box 10; Folder 4 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1814 March-1816 August
Box 11; Folder 1 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1816 August-1818 June
Box 11; Folder 2 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1818 June-1820 April
Box 11; Folder 3 (Books)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Language of English
Materials:
Physical 42 Leaves (Book)
Description:
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Circulation Day Book, 1820 April-1822 June
Box 11; Folder 4 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1822 June-1824 August
Box 12; Folder 1 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1824 November-1827 January
Box 12; Folder 2 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1828 January-1831 October
Box 12; Folder 3 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1831 October-1834 December
Box 13; Folder 1 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1841 March-1846 June
Box 13; Folder 2 (Books)
Processing Information
A copy of the “S” section of the 1876 catalog was found in this circulation book, although it
obviously dated from decades later than its period of active use. It was moved to the same folder
as the "R" section.
Subscription and Circulation Ledger, 1826-1848, 1854
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Subscription Records, 1826 May-1839 July
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Alexandria Library Company Records
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Description:
Circulation Records, 1846 September-1848 September
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Subscription Records, 1854 February
Box 6; Folder 2 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1857 February-1858 November
Box 13; Folder 3 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1858-1862, 1868
Box 13; Folder 4 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1870 April-1871 March
Oversize box 15 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1871 April-1872 June
Oversize box 15 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1872 June-1874 February
Oversize box 15 (Books)
Circulation Day Book, 1874 March-1880 January
Oversize box 15 (Books)

HISTORY OF ALEXANDRIA LIBRARY

THE BEGINNING
The Alexandria Library Company was founded on July 24, 1794, at John Wise's house. A week later the members met in Wise's long room -- upstairs in the smaller section of today's Gadsby's Tavern -- to elect officers. The Reverend James Muir was elected president, Samuel Craig, treasurer, and Edward Stabler, librarian.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
1794
The subscriber's annual fee was about $4.00 A non-subscriber could 'hire a book' upon payment of 'one shilling per week for a folio, nine pence for a quatro, and six pence for octavos and duodecimos.' Subscribers living in the country could borrow books for 'double the time of town residents, except in the case of new publications.'"

FIRST ADDRESS
1794
The Company's first address is thought to have been Mr. Stabler's Apothecary Shop on Fairfax Street. The Company's first acquisition was the American Encyclopedia.

INCORPORATED
JANUARY 9, 1799
On January 9, 1799, the Alexandria Library Company was chartered by the General Assembly of Virginia. First catalog published, which listed the holdings in the hundreds.

NEW LOCATION
1818
Collection moved to the New Market House, adjacent to City Hall. William G. Cranch apppointed librarian.

RARE BOOK COLLECTION
1822
Its rare book collection was begun in 1822 with Miller's The Gardener's Dictionary, which had been presented to Dr. Craik by General George Washington.

LIBRARY MOVES AGAIN
1840
Library housed in The Lyceum. The Lycem was built in 1839 from brick from the original St. Mary chapel, as a permanent home for the Alexandria Lyceum and the Alexandria Library. It later served as a hospital during the Civil War.

CIVIL WAR
1861
The City of Alexandria was occupied during the Civil War and the Lyceum used as Federal hospital. Books were housed in homes of Alexandria Library Company members.

FIRST FEMALE LIBRARIAN
1872
In 1872 the library hired its first woman librarian, Emma J. Young. She was paid $150 per year. She resigned in 1873 and was replaced by Miss Emily English. The Panic of 1873 hit Alexandria hard and in 1875 the library finances were so tight that they considered opening a billiard room adjacent to the Library to court public favor.

THE LIBRARY GETS ELECTRICITY
1903
In 1903 the Library Association moved to the second floor of 806 Prince Street. They rented the second floor room for $100 each year. Electric light was wired into old gas fixtures and this remained the library’s home for the next thirty four years.

PUBLIC LIBRARY BEGINS
1931
In 1931 the City Manager set aside $1,000 for the establishment of a free public library. On January 28, 1937 President of the Board Mary Powell Scott and Secretary Mary B. Smoot authorized to sign contract agreement between Dr. and Mrs. Robert Barrett, The Society of Friends, the Alexandria Library Association, and the City Council of the City of Alexandria for a library building.

PUBLIC LIBRARY OPENS
AUGUST 20, 1937
The first Alexandria Free Public Library opens at 717 Queen Street. Dr. Robert S. Barrett Library donates funds to erect the library in memory of his mother, Dr. Kate Waller Barrett, a humanitarian, social crusader, and political reformer. The Society of Friends grants a 99-year lease for use of its old Quaker Burial Ground on Queen Street as the site for the new building. The Library Company signs an agreement with the Alexandria City Council, turning over its collections to the city. In turn, the city agrees to include operating expenses for the public library in its budget. First year’s budget is $5,000. A Library Board is established, including three members of the Association (“The Company”), two members appointed by the Mayor, and two members of the City Council Beatrice Workman appointed transitional librarian.