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

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

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

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

Differences

[edit]

Private Libraries

[edit]

Unlike libraries at the time that required private membership, the Tabard Inn Library operated similarly to the public subscription libraries headed by Boots and W. H. Smiths.[13]

Circulating Libraries

[edit]

The shelves were regularly stocked with the latest publications, setting it apart from other circulating libraries of its day.[14]

Bookslovers Library

[edit]

The Tabard Inn Library and the Booklovers Library differed primarily in their membership structures and borrowing methods. The Booklovers Library operated with a limited membership, charging annual fees ranging from $5 to $25, and allowed members to request specific books for home delivery. In contrast, the Tabard Inn Library offered unlimited membership for a one-time fee that was significantly lower than the Booklovers Library’s rates. Rather than providing home delivery, the Tabard Inn Library functioned as a self-service system, resembling a modern-day Little Free Library. Members could return books at any station by placing them on a designated shelf, select another book from the collection, and deposit an exchange ticket into a slot within the bookcase. Both libraries offered access to the latest publications of their time.[15]

Bibliostats

[edit]

It was claimed that there were many thousands of exchange stations.[2] In 1905 the president claimed as having stations in over 2,000 cities and at least 40 on trains and steamships.[1] There were only 125 books to choose from when it was first introduced as the Tabard Inn Club Service, with an exchange fee of 25 cents.[16]

It boasted that it was "The Largest Circulating Library in the World".[4] Some advertisements claimed over a million books in circulation.[17]

Operation

[edit]

Central Library

[edit]

Establishing Stations: Wanted ads in newspapers would ask for individuals to canvass for and represent the Tabard Inn Library with up to $50 per week.[18] A District Manager would visit varying cities, shops, and advertise in papers during their stay in hopes to get enough people interested in managing the stations to setup distributing branches throughout the country.[19] Cities with populations of 2,000 or more were the target locations.[20] The service was primarily targeted to drug store owners.[21]

Distribution: Books were delivered using a combination of express companies via train and wagon, along with a fleet of horse-drawn wagons owned by the Booklovers' Library.[22] Books were delivered to the homes of members.[23]

Excess inventory: The sales department would sell the returned books no longer used at stations on a clearance list, as they had already earned a profit.[17]

Branches

[edit]

Establishing: Acting as a local representative, payments were collected from members and held in a bank until there were fifty (or seventy-five[24]) subscribers.[25] Once the threshold was met, the first delivery of books would arrive.[26]

In earlier years, storekeepers could purchase the library exchange station for $100 along with a fixed annual fee for Tabard Inn service. Books could be purchased for $1 each in lots of 25, 50, and 100 from a selection of 2,000 books. [27] Stations could hold up to 250 books, and collections rotated weekly[28] in larger cities[6] or once or twice a month based on location.[29] Operators of the stations would often advertise in the local newspapers when new books had arrived.[30] There were multiple library catalogs available, including one for French foreign literature, which listed books numbered 7001 through 7093.[31] Upon arrival, all books were already labeled and ready for selection. Each month, any number of books could be returned and exchanged. The rental also covered the transportation of the books, ensuring libraries stayed stocked with the latest titles. At the end of the service period, all books are returned.

When a storekeeper discontinued the Tabard Inn Library service, they were required to return all books and book checks, except those that had been issued to individual members, or pay the difference. Each member was permitted to retain either one book or one book check.[32]

Members

[edit]

Obtaining membership was open to the public. Anyone could purchase a book or book check/ticket at an exchange station, or through mail.[33] Some member agreements required a set number of exchanges each month.[34]. The system was setup to allow both annual and lifetime membership.[35] An annual membership was $1.50, but a life membership at $5 allowed an unlimited number of exchange tickets at 5 cents each.[36] Exchange tickets were available in packages of six for 25 cents or 25 for one dollar.[6] In December 1903, all memberships were treated as lifetime memberships at $1.50 and exchange tickets for extra books were no longer valid.[37]

Renewing membership fees were dropped by some vendors, and treated patrons as if they had a lifetime membership.[38]

Transferring Membership was as simple as handing a book to someone else.[10] However, there was also a transfer fee of twenty cents.[15]

Checking out a book was done either through the purchase of book (new membership), exchanging a book, or turning in a book check/ticket (reactivating membership).[39] The book came in a cloth case to both protect the book and distinguish it from other books.[33] The exchange operated as a self-service system, allowing members to rotate the bookcase to access a compartment on one side and deposit the five-cent exchange fee.[28]

Returning a book could be done without any identification other than possession of a Tabard Inn Library Book[6], at any Tabard Inn Library station regardless where the book originated from. The agent would charge an exchange fee and any overdue fines if they opted to impose them.[27] Members would pay 5 cents for every week that they had kept the book.[6] Afterwards, the member could choose a new book. Books could be exchanged more than once a day.[2]

Discontinuing membership: Members could temporarily discontinue membership by asking for an Out of Service ticket[15] when returning a book after settling the exchange fee and any overdue fines. They would no longer be required to exchange books throughout the month until they reactivated their membership.[40]

Reactivating membership Book checks could be provided in exchange for a book, without any fee.[40]

Lost Books were handled by purchasing a new membership (book).

Fines & Fees varied, and were often left up to each agent of an exchange station to set.

Requesting Books: Members could look through book catalogs provided by the individual managing the station, to have the books ordered with the next delivery.[41]

Pricing

[edit]

Pricing was for the most part left up to the operators of each Tabard Inn Library exchange station. However, the pricing model changed over time to impose overdue fees as members visited the stations less often, affecting the libraries ability to sustain itself.[42]

Pricing for Book Exchange Station Services
Service Description Common Price Price Range
Annual Membership Cost to purchase book or check/ticket $1.50 $1 – $5
Lifetime Membership No annual fee, checkout multiple books $1.50 $0.69 - $5
Transfer Membership Transfer to another family member or friend $0.20 [15]
Book Exchange Cost to exchange one book for another $0.05 $0.05 – $0.10
Book Renewal Cost to extend time to checked out book See book exchange
Late returns Charges for returning books past a week $0.05 per week $0.01 – $0.02 per day

$0.05 – $0.10 per week

Inconsistent usage fees Changes for failing to exchange books below a set threshold in a month Equivalent in Exchange fees
Temporary Suspension Cost for a book check to pause membership. none
Lost Book Cost for a lost book. New membership

Appearance

[edit]

Its namesake and appearance was based on The Tabard, an inn located in Southwark, South London, known for its reference in The Canterbury Tales[43][44][28] and illustrated on some of its bookplates.[45][46][47]

Exchange Stations

[edit]

It generally gives the appearance that it has a high quality book selection. For it's time, its appearance was described as old-fashioned by the manufacturer.[43] Its unique appearance (Tabard Inn design[2]) was a tall wooden revolving bookcase with a square hip roof including two link dormers. Some were made from mahogany or quartered oak.[43] It could hold 75, 125, 250, and 500 books.[2] It had a message at the top, just under the roof, wrapped around each side with the text: "The Best Reading Rooms In the United States Are the Homes of the American People". The earlier motto had a more worldly claim as "The Best Reading Rooms In the World Are The Homes of the People."[21] The rotating display stand, or spinner rack, could be turned by hand to see books available on each side.[48] The area below the roof has oak moulding with a Queen Anne profile. Shields and subjects are engraved on two opposite sides including Fiction, Politics, Mechanics, Biography, Poetry, Religion, History and the front door has a brass slot, and says "The Tabard Inn Library – Exchange Station". A door with a window also appears next to it. A plaque on one side is engraved with the motto "With all the Red Tape on the Box" in shaky arts & crafts lettering.[13]

Books

[edit]

The books were kept on the shelves in black cloth boxes with a strip of red tape around the bottom of each side, and a four digit number below the tape facing onlookers. Advertisements often had the company's motto: "With all the RED TAPE on the BOX."[49] Books had a bookplate inside the front cover, often listing the book number that matched the numbered box to which it belonged. Advertisements would claim "No red tape, except the little band of it on the black cloth cases holding the books."[21]

Promotions

[edit]

At its launch, Seymour Eaton sought to build a large membership base by offering 40 cash prizes totaling $2,500, with a maximum award of $1,000 per person, for lists of names and addresses of individuals interested in books and literature from towns and cities east of the Mississippi.[50][51]

Members who enrolled on the first day of the libraries' opening in March 1902 were eligible to receive a complimentary literary magazine subscription for one year.[21] On opening day, members who secured two or more subscribers, up to a maximum of six, were eligible to receive a monthly royalty payment on the tenth of each month for twelve months, ranging from $5 to $500.[52]

Often times, a news paper would attempt to increase its subscriber base by offering a subscription to a local Tabard Inn Library, sometimes listing the available four-digit call numbers, title, and author to be delivered once they signed up.[53]

New members would have exchange fees waived for two months.[54]

The lifetime membership was offered for 75 cents in November 1907.[55] Another location offered lifetime memberships at 69 cents in May 1910.[56]

As part of a promotional campaign, Harold L. Gillespie, a prescription druggist in Sayre, Pennsylvania, offered new Tabard Inn Library members a second book free of charge when beginning a subscription, valid for a 10-day period.[57]

Precursor to public libraries

[edit]

Many libraries today, when digging onto the history of their communities, will often find that their little town or city had a Tabard Inn Library prior to the establishment of a public library.

In Front Royal, Virginia, a Tabard Inn library had been setup in 1903 by Mrs. B. M. Cone with the initial plan of $1.50 for membership with exchange tickets (aka book checks) for 5 cents each, or six for 25 cents when a Library was not present in the rural mountain town. The town would receive 130 to 150 books each month, replacing books that were read.[58] Trout & Turner, a druggist on Main Street, often advertised membership for $1.35.[59]

In Marion County, Indiana membership was advertised at $5 for over 100,000 volumes. The Indianapolis Times newspaper purchased memberships and provided them to anyone subscribing to the paper for a year – so long as they paid a 50 cent registration fee once they received their membership certificate in 1903. They advertised access to 34 substations in the area.[60]

Locations

[edit]

See List of Tabard Inn Library locations

Benefits

[edit]

In an area were many large private libraries may be within the area, a Tabard Inn Library filled in the need where a public library was not available.[61]

The ability to exchange books alleviated the need to care for books after a book was read.[62]

No overdue fines: Some stations advertised that you could keep a book as long as you want without fines.[63]

Latest books: Popular books could be read within a month of being published.[63] Public libraries had the opportunity to review newly published books firsthand rather than relying solely on book reviews for ordering decisions, as any unwanted book could be returned the following week. Tasks such as accessioning, cataloging, classifying, labeling, stamping, and pocketing were already handled. Maintenance costs, including rebinding or replacing damaged books, were also covered by the Booklovers Library, further reducing cost in library operations.[64]

Any number replaced: Some Tabard Inn Libraries would choose to have half of their books replaced at once.[65]

Transferrable memberships allowed books to be gifted.[10]

Public libraries added the service to their existing collections to maintain a section of current books and multiple copies of recent titles for short-term use, helping to reduce costs associated with weeding when demand decreased.[11]

Local librarians observed that the introduction of a Tabard Inn Library helped alleviate the demand for popular fiction titles.[66] As many libraries possessed only a single copy of popular books and often faced long wait times to acquire additional copies, the Tabard Inn Library provided an alternative source for readers, reducing pressure on library collections.[66]

Unprofitable

[edit]

The return on investment did not justify the effort to manage stations.[67][37][68] C. J. Person stated that they paid $5 per month, but only brought in $2.50, and reminded subscribers that they were required to make at least two exchanges each month.[42] Stations needed to sign up with at least 50 members in order to start the service, and would need at least two exchanges per month from all members to break even.[69] Members caught on that they could exchange books amongst each other to bypass the five cent exchange fee at Tabard Inn Library stations, making it unviable for the stations to be self sufficient.[70] On November 10, 1908, The Banner Store started to require members to exchange books once a week, or have a one cent fine imposed per day past a week.[71] "Out of service" checks were issued for anyone who wanted to return books without exchanging them in order to avoid fines.[72] As stations shut down before completing their first year, it was believed that allowing annual members to keep the books in their possession was sufficient compensation.[73] One druggist discontinued the service and sold the remaining books at 10 cents each.[74]

Criticisms

[edit]

Worn Books: When ordering books, used books were often sent rather than new ones, which was an issue for actual libraries using the system concerned with quality. [75]

There was a preference for traveling libraries as they started becoming popular, especially those offered from the state without costs.[76]

Members sometimes took more books then they were entitled to.[77]

The service faced criticism for its membership fees and ongoing usage costs, especially when compared to free public libraries that offered services at no charge to patrons.[78] As the Tabard Inn Library approached the end of its heyday, some stores began replacing it with alternative services like the Readers' Club Library, which offered lower costs while accepting Tabard Inn books in exchange for a membership.[79]

Viewing In-Person Today

[edit]

Library of Congress (Washington, DC): The collection is part of the larger Jacob Blanck Collection. It includes a Library Exchange Station, an assortment of books preserved in their original black cloth boxes, and various related volumes and catalogs. The collection is located in the Thomas Jefferson Building, on the second floor within the Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room (LJ-239). It can be accessed using the call number Z664.T33 T33 1900 (Tabard Inn Library Collection).[3]

Elisha D. Smith Public Library (Menasha, Wisconsin): On display in the main atrium of the library. Patrons can check out books on display. Materials on shelves are old, but not original to Tabard Inn.[80] The exchange station had been lent out previously to Menasha Historical Society for a centennial event in February 2023.[81] The library had displayed various printed ephemera and artifacts of the 20th century lending library in 2010.[82]

Galleries

[edit]

Library Exchange Station

[edit]

The exchange station was illustrated in many newspaper ads across the country for both shop-keepers and potential members, often describing how the library system worked.

Ads & Illustrations
  • Bookcase Illustration
    Bookcase Illustration
  • Ad for patrons
    Ad for patrons
  • Ad for store keepers
    Ad for store keepers

Bookplates

[edit]

Bookplates were found inside the front endpaper displaying the address of the home offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Chester or Walnut Street. Some displayed a four digit call number matching the books box number. Others displayed information in how the library system operated, Seymour Eaton as the librarian, or an illustration of the The Tabard.

Bookplates
  • Bookplate No. 1328 with rules
    Bookplate No. 1328 with rules
  • Bookplate No. 4187 with rules
    Bookplate No. 4187 with rules
  • Bookplate of Rules (1908)
    Bookplate of Rules (1908)
  • Bookplate No. 2891
    Bookplate No. 2891
  • Bookplate No. 1395
    Bookplate No. 1395
  • Bookplate: drawn building
    Bookplate: drawn building
  • Dark Bookplate: building in color
    Dark Bookplate: building in color
  • Light bookplate: building in color
    Light bookplate: building in color

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Associated Press (March 28, 1905). "Receiver Named for Tabard Inn". The Times Dispatch. Vol. 1905, no. 16803. Richmond, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  2. ^ a b c d e "It Appears Today". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 14, no. 3670. Staunton, VA: Philadelphia Public Ledger. March 1, 1905. p. 8. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  3. ^ a b Blanck, Jacob (1906). "Tabard Inn Library Collection". Library of Congress Online Catalog. Tabard Inn Library. LCCN 93108751. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Largest circulating library in the world". The Literary Digest. Vol. 24, no. 16. 1902. pp. 534–535.
  5. ^ "Would You Like A $5.00 Membership In The Tabard Inn Library?". News Leader. Vol. 10, no. 54. Richmond and Manchester, VA: Philadelphia Public Ledger. December 5, 1903. p. 8. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Tabard Inn Library". The Columbian. Vol. 37, no. 32. Bloomsburg, PA. August 7, 1902. p. 4. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ Williams, Cynthia A. (October 9, 2017). Hidden History of Fort Myers. Arcadia Publishing. p. 77. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Tabard Inn Library advertisement". The American Magazine. 42 (6). October 1906. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  9. ^ Miller, Rhoads & Co. (April 27, 1904). "The Tabard Inn Library". Norfolk Dispatch. Vol. 15, no. 146. Norfolk, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  10. ^ a b c Cash Cigar Store (December 24, 1904). "Tabard Inn Books for Christmas presents at Cash Cigar Store". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 14, no. 3615. Staunton, VA. p. 8. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  11. ^ a b Mr. Ballard (November 1902). "Report from Pittsfield, Mass., Berkshire Athenaeum". The Library Journal. 7 (11): 971. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "Money in the Tabard Inn Library". Bookseller and Stationer. Vol. XXII. Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg: The Maclean Publishing Company. 1906. p. 17. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  13. ^ a b John Andrews (1981). "The Revolving Bookcase Mystery – A Tale of the Tabard Inn". The Best of Antique Collecting. England, Woodbridge, Suffolk: Baron Publishing. pp. 142–146. ISBN 0-907462-09-X. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  14. ^ "Library Membership Completed". The Daily Telegram. Vol. 3, no. 162. Clarksburg, WV. July 22, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  15. ^ a b c d "A New Library for Bellefonte". The Bellefonte Republican. Vol. 33, no. 40. Bellefonte, PA. October 30, 1902. p. 8. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ The Acme Book Store (June 23, 1902). "You Can Read All the Late $1.50 Books for 25c". Daily New Dominion. Vol. 10, no. 98. Morgantown, WV. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  17. ^ a b Sales Dept. (February 1908). "Bargain House for Books". The Library Journal. 33 (2). The Tabard Inn Library: xxxvi. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  18. ^ Smith, W. F. (April 30, 1902). "WANTED". The Wheeling Register. Vol. 40, no. 281. Wheeling, WV. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  19. ^ Mr. William E. Roach (July 24, 1902). "To Have Stations Here". The Times. Vol. 17, no. 143. Richmond, VA. p. 8. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  20. ^ Tabard Inn Library (April 15, 1902). "The Tabard Inn Library". Evening Star. No. 15330. Washington, DC. p. 12. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  21. ^ a b c d "The Best Reading Rooms In The World Are The Homes Of The People". New-York Daily Tribune. Vol. 61, no. 20200. New York, NY. March 7, 1902. p. 10. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  22. ^ Nix, Larry T. (October 25, 2008). "Seymour Eaton's Libraries". Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  23. ^ William E. Roach (July 25, 1902). "The Tabard Inn Library". The Richmond Dispatch. Vol. 1902, no. 16000. Richmond, VA. p. 4. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  24. ^ "Circulating Library". The Daily Telegram. Vol. 3, no. 156. Clarksburg, WV. July 15, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  25. ^ Mrs. C. W. Keyes (March 19, 1903). "The Tabard Inn Library". The Page Courier. Vol. 36, no. 46. Luray, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  26. ^ E. W. Sanford & Co., the druggist (March 13, 1903). "To Organize Library". The Blackstone Courier. Vol. 13, no. 20. Blackstone, VA. p. 2. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  27. ^ a b The Tabard Inn Library (October 1906). "Why not make money this way?". The American Magazine. 42 (6): 65. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  28. ^ a b c "It Might Work And It Might Not". The Seattle Star. Vol. 4, no. 13. Seattle, WA. March 11, 1902. p. 4. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  29. ^ Doodale, Grace (June 1903). Handbook of the Libraries of Cincinnati (PDF) (Master's thesis). University of Illinois. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  30. ^ County Mall Book Store (October 2, 1903). "Forty-four new books for the Tabard Inn Library at the County Mall book store arrived today". The Daily Telegram. Vol. 3, no. 220. Clarksburg, WV. p. 6. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  31. ^ Eaton, Seymour. "[Booklovers Reading Club] The Catalogue of Foreign Literature Part I: French". Kuenzig Books. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  32. ^ Davis, James D. (April 12, 1905). "Have You More than One Book out of the Tabard Inn Library Case?". The Forest Republican. Vol. 38, no. 5. Tionesta, PA. p. 3. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  33. ^ a b The Cohen Company (March 4, 1904). "Tabard Inn Library Membership Free". The News Leader. Vol. 10, no. 129. Richmond, VA. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  34. ^ Tabard Inn Library (1908). "Governing Rules Bookplate". The Tabard Inn Library. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  35. ^ E. W. Sanford Co. (February 26, 1904). "The New Books". The Blackstone Courier. Vol. 14, no. 17. Blackstone, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  36. ^ "The Tabard Inn Library". The Clarksburg Telegram. Vol. 42, no. 41. Clarksburg, WV. August 7, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  37. ^ a b "Tabard Inn Library At Shepherdstown". Shepherdstown Register. Vol. 39, no. 12. Shepherdstown, VA. February 11, 1904. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  38. ^ Stone, James H. (February 20, 1904). "Tabard Inn Library". The Virginia Gazette. Vol. 11, no. 39. Williamsburg, VA. p. 4. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  39. ^ William Donaldson & Company (September 9, 1904). "Tabard Inn Library Promotion for Patrons". The Minneapolis Journal: 5. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  40. ^ a b The Tabard Inn Library (c. 1904). "Tabard Inn Library Bookplate No. 4187: Rules Governing Tabard Inn Service". Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  41. ^ E. W. Sanford Co. (January 15, 1904). "The New Books". The Blackstone Courier. Vol. 14, no. 11. Blackstone, VA. p. 83. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  42. ^ a b "NOTICE! Subscribers of the Tabard Inn Library". Virginia Gazette. Vol. 13, no. 41. Williamsburg, WV. March 3, 1906. p. 4. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  43. ^ a b c "The Tabard Inn Library (Under the management of The Booklovers Library)". New-York Tribune. Vol. 61, no. 20198. New York, NY. March 5, 1902. p. 10. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  44. ^ "Meaning of Tabard Inn". The Chagrin Falls Exponent. Vol. XXIX, no. 50. Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. December 11, 1902. p. 4. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  45. ^ Tabard Inn Library. "Tabard Inn Library Bookplate (building in color dark background)". Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  46. ^ Tabard Inn Library. "Tabard Inn Library Bookplate (drawn building)". Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  47. ^ Tabard Inn Library. "Tabard Inn Library Bookplate (building in color light background)". Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  48. ^ Nix, Larry (2009). "The Tabard Inn Library". The Library History Buff. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  49. ^ Jocelyn Lewis (November 29, 2018). "The Tabard Inn Library". Indiana State Library. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  50. ^ Tabard Inn Library (April 16, 1902). "The Tabard Inn Library". New-York Tribune. Vol. 62, no. 20240. New York, NY. p. 10. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  51. ^ Eaton, Seymour (April 15, 1902). "The Tabard Inn Library". New-York Tribune. Vol. 62, no. 20239. New York, NY. p. 8. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  52. ^ "The Best Reading Rooms In The World Are The Homes Of The People". The Sun. Vol. 69, no. 188. New York, NY. March 7, 1902. p. 7. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  53. ^ "Must Reach 3,000 Mark". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 14, no. 3673. Staunton, VA: TheDispatch & News. March 4, 1905. p. 6. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  54. ^ "Exchanges Free". Vol. 58, no. 108. Norfolk, VA: Public Ledger. June 9, 1905. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  55. ^ Success Subscription Agency and Bookstore (November 13, 1907). "We have been able to obtain one week's extension on the Tabard Inn Library membership offer". Vol. 46, no. 14. Point Pleasant, VA: The Weekly Register. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  56. ^ Rich, C. F. (May 20, 1910). "The Tabard Inn Library". Vol. 75, no. 20. Middlebury, VT: Middlebury Register. p. 6. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  57. ^ "Tabard Inn Offer". The Valley Record. Vol. 1, no. 149. Sayre, PA. October 31, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  58. ^ Staff writer (February 27, 1903). "Tabard Inn Library Opens New Station". The Warren Sentinel. Virginia Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  59. ^ Trout & Turner (December 21, 1906). "Trout & Turner Tabard Inn Library ad". The Warren Sentinel. Virginia Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  60. ^ "Advertisement for Annual Subscription to The Indianapolis News and Tabard Inn Library". The Indianapolis News. Indiana Newspaper Archive. December 19, 1903. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  61. ^ "Warrenton Library Will Be Formally Opened on May 20". Warrenton Times. Vol. 45, no. 5. Warrenton, VA. May 15, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  62. ^ "The Tabard Inn". Daily New Dominion. Vol. 10, no. 141. Morgantown, WV. August 23, 1902. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  63. ^ a b "The Tabard Inn Library". The Free Lance. Vol. 19, no. 536. Fredericksburg, VA. April 21, 1903. p. 6. Retrieved February 19, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  64. ^ Downey, Mary E. (January 1904). "Renting of Books From Commercial Libraries for Public Library Use". Iowa Library Quarterly. 4 (1). Des Moines, Iowa: Iowa Library Commission: 11–12. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  65. ^ McCrum's (January 14, 1904). "A new lot of Tabbard Inn Books received yesterday". Rockbridge County News. Vol. 20, no. 9. Lexington, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  66. ^ a b "Danville's Many Readers". Montour American. Vol. 48, no. 16. Danville, PA. April 16, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive.
  67. ^ "The Tabard Inn Library which was located at the Opera House Drug Store has been removed". Sistersville Daily Review. Vol. 11, no. 134. Sistersville, WV. June 8, 1905. p. 4. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  68. ^ "The Tabard Inn Library, which was located at the Opera House Drug Store, has been removed from the city". Sistersville Daily Review. Vol. 11, no. 134. Sistersville, WV. June 8, 1905. p. 4. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  69. ^ Mrs. C. W. Keyes (March 19, 1903). "The Tabard Inn Library". The Page Courier. Vol. 36, no. 46. Luray, VA. p. 3. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  70. ^ Agnew's Drug Store (July 28, 1905). "To Members of Tabard Inn Library". Farmville Herald. Vol. 15, no. 43. Farmville, VA. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  71. ^ Gibson, Harold C. (November 3, 1908). "Notice to Tabard Inn Subscribers". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 18, no. 79. Staunton, VA. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  72. ^ Gibson, Harold C. (December 13, 1908). "To Tabard Inn Subscribers and the Reading Public". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 18, no. 113. Staunton, VA. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  73. ^ Reinhart's drug store (April 21, 1904). "The Tabard Inn Library, which has been located in Sheperdstown for the past year in Reinhart's drug store, was removed from town last week". Shepherdstown Register. Vol. 39, no. 22. Shepherdstown, WV. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  74. ^ Walling, R. O. (March 25, 1911). "Tabard Inn Library Books for Sale at R. O. Walling's Drugstore". Perth Amboy evening news. Perth Amboy, NH. p. 4. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  75. ^ Bowerman, George F. (November 1903). "Booklovers Library Books in Public Libraries – The Experience of One Library". Library Journal. 28. American Library Association: 772–773. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  76. ^ Shepperson, J. D. (November 18, 1907). "Town Library". Charlotte Gazette. Vol. 35, no. 30. Charlotte Court House, VA. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  77. ^ Cash Cigar Store (December 10, 1907). "Notice". Staunton Dispatch and News. Vol. 17, no. 108. Staunton, VA. p. 4. Retrieved February 21, 2025 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  78. ^ "The Tabard Inn Library in Philadelphia is liberal". The Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis, MN. March 29, 1902. p. 23. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  79. ^ "Books 2c a Day!". Newark Evening Star & Newark Advertiser. Newark, NJ. July 21, 1910. p. 5. Retrieved February 22, 2025 – via Chronicling America.
  80. ^ Menasha Public Library - Reference (February 18, 2025). "RE: Inquiry Regarding Tabard Inn Library – Research for Wikipedia Page". Menasha Public Library – via Email.
  81. ^ "Minutes of the Board of Trustees of Elisha D. Smith Library (February 28, 2023)". Menasha Public Library. Menasha, Wisconsin: Elisha D. Smith Public Library. February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  82. ^ Larry T. Nix (April 2, 2010). "A Tale of Two Libraries Exhibit in Menasha". Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
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