CANADIAN VICTORIAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES BEFORE 1900
The common characteristics of free public libraries that were legislated in Ontario (1882), the City of Saint John (1883), and British Columbia (1891) served as a guide for public library development towards the end of the nineteenth century. In this version, the 'free public library' or 'free library' was a municipal institution governed by a board of management and funded primarily by local taxes. These libraries were accessible to all community residents who were not charged at the point of entry. Local decisions, based on provincial legislation, mostly determined the establishment and governance of libraries. Community members participated on a voluntary basis and the nature and extent of services varied from one community to another. Types of Public Libraries However, widespread acceptance of this model developed slowly, in part because other views identified the 'public library' as one that was accessible to all residents of a community, but not general...