Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist
September 8th is International Literacy Day, which highlights the importance of literacy to individuals, communities, and societies. Public libraries have long played a significant role in developing literacy in their communities, so to celebrate International Literacy Day, we feature a page from an early Harrison County library register with entries from 1839-1878. During this period, residents subscribed to the library for a set period of time or paid a small amount with each loan. The list of works loaned out ranged from popular novels to books on travel, science, nature, history, and politics. Some of the most popular items checked out of the library were:
- Waverly novels – a series of wildly popular novels by Sir Walter Scott published between 1814 and 1831.
- The Pickwick Papers – the first novel by Charles Dickens published in serial form between 1836 and 1837.
- Plutarch’s Lives – Biographies of famous Greek and Roman men by Greco-Roman philosopher and historian Plutarch at the beginning of the second century.
- Ferdinand and Isabella – a work about the young Spanish monarchs whose marriage in 1469 led to the unification of Spain.
- Various nature field guides and sketchbooks on plants, gardens, botany, etc., and various medical guides.
- Travel and adventure works about faraway places – Egypt, Yucatan, Poland, & Russia
View the complete Harrison County Library Register, 1839-1878
