Tabard Inn Library
| Tabard Inn Library | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Tabard Inn Library Exchange Station | |||
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
| Type | Circulating library | ||
| Established | March 1902 | ||
| Dissolved | c.1910 | ||
| Branches | 2,040+ stations | ||
| Collection | |||
| Items collected | Books, periodicals | ||
| Size | 100,000+ volumes | ||
| Access and use | |||
| Members | 1,000,000+ at peak | ||
| Other information | |||
| Director | Seymour Eaton | ||
| Parent organization | Booklovers' Library | ||
| |||
The Tabard Inn Library was a circulating subscription library with numerous exchange stations (also known as sub-stations) across the United States. It was founded in March 1902 by Seymour Eaton. The library operated as a commercial lending service, using distinctive revolving bookcases placed in various shops, each holding between 125 and 250 books. Borrowing required both a membership and an exchange ticket, which could be purchased from agents managing the exchange stations. The books were often referred to as "nickel books" due to the common exchange fee of five cents.
The Tabard Inn Library could be classified as a hidden library, as stations were located in stores, offices, and private homes. Membership provided access to all stations within the distributed network of libraries, with members taking ownership of borrowed books for any duration. Travelers could return and exchange books at any station. Memberships were transferrable, making the service popular for holiday gifts.
The Tabard Inn Library was an outgrowth of the Booklovers' Library but under the same management in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The libraries later became available in Canada operating out of Montreal in 1906.