Irish Reading Societies and Circulating Libraries founded before 1825

Useful knowledge and agreeable entertainment

Keith Manley

'This book is an important contribution not just to library history but to the history of the book and its readers. Manley has skilfully woven the results of his scouring of sources into a comprehensive narrative, supported by a useful appendix listing all the societies and libraries that he has been able to trace', The Library (June 2019).