Excerpt from Henry S. Nourse’s “History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893,” written in 1894.

Reverend Peter Whitney, writing of Harvard in the year 1793, says that a library association had recently been formed there which had acquired about 100 volumes. This was the first social library of the town. It was founded through the exertions of Reverend William Emerson, who served as librarian, keeping the books in his own house.

Its history after the departure of Mr. Emerson in 1799, is lost, unless, as is highly probable, the Social Library of Harvard organized in 1808 under the leadership of Edmund Foster, a merchant on the public square, may be considered its direct heir.

There seem to have been 78 share certificates issued, proprietorship in the society being attained by the payment of two dollars. There was no restriction as to the residence of members, but the books were required to be kept within half a mile of the Congregational meeting-house in Harvard. Only one volume could be borrowed at a time by any family, and books could be kept 60 days. If kept over that time a fine of three cents a day was imposed. This gives some indication of the leisurely way of reading in vogue with the book lovers of that day. They read, with a view to digest, a few good books.

The social library was not managed to cater for the book taster, the dilettante, or the gluttonous devourer of fiction. In fact the only works to be found in the early catalogue that can be classed with romance, are: “Robinson Crusoe,” “Pilgrim’s Progress,” and the “Vicar of Wakefield.”

In 1824 there were 205 volumes, and it was voted to “cover them with good paper.” There had been no increase for 10 years, more books having been lost or sold than were added by purchases.

There was a growing lack of interest in the library made evident by the non-payment of assessments and fines. The question of selling the library and abandoning the organization was sometimes discussed, and in 1845 a committee was appointed to report upon the causes of the indifference of the members, and suggest a remedy.

The report made by Dr. Eliakim A. Holman was an admirable one, and much of it well applies to the library management of today. He said:

“. . .The spirit of the times, and the wants of the community demand that new books should annually be added to the library; then and not till then will the Company be benefited as it may and ought to be; then instead of selling their shares at half cost, they will reckon these small outlays among their most profitable investments, and sufficient annual payment to keep the library up where an enlightened and reading community shall demand, will be paid cheerfully and not drawn from the pockets like pulling eye teeth, with grudges, distortion of countenance, and worse distortion of mind. . .”

The next year a more lengthy and radical report was made by a committee of two. It contains the following suggestions relative to the selection of books:

“. . .Books that will lead the mind to think, reason and judge correctly, filled with interesting facts and the results of experience, that pertain to the duties and business of life, and such as will give the mind an eager longing to grasp and hold whatever is true, just and holy, and whatever will give a relish for all that is beautiful in nature and art, should be selected for the library. Harvard is an agricultural town, yet there is not a single treatise on husbandry in the library. This is hardly a pardonable deficiency.

“We have political duties yearly to perform, and of great interest, and we have no lights on legislation and political economy, and only one valuable book that relates to politics, and this treats exclusively of the Federal Constitution, its powers and duties. We have no records to show what has been done by our federal legislature and the principles on which action was had; we have to seek for principles in partizan newspapers that are guided by passion and the self-interest of a few whose principles change with the change of circumstances, so that honest people march and countermarch by blind and uncertain dictation. These are evils, and the committee recommend such books as will counteract them.”

Under such wise direction the library began a career of greater usefulness.

275 Years of a Town:  In June 1732, the town of Harvard incorporated within the colony, after nearly 100 years of settlement in the area and several years of petitions, objections, and re-petitions to the legislature. To celebrate this milestone, the Press is running extracts from Henry S. Nourse’s History of the Town of Harvard Massachusetts 1732–1893.