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Bernadette A. Lear

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Education, Behavioral Sciences, and Social Sciences Librarian, Penn State

Pennsylvania played a vital role in the growth and spread of public libraries in America. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

September 15, 2026

How libraries in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania communities evolved from subscription clubs to vital public institutions

Bernadette A. Lear, Penn State

The nation’s first successful circulating library was established almost 300 years ago by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia.

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Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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Joined July 6, 2026