<P> In 1731, Benjamin Franklin and the other members of the discussion club the Junto founded the Library Company of Philadelphia partly as a means to settle arguments and partly as a means to advance themselves through sharing information . Franklin's subscription library allowed members to buy "shares" and combined funds were used to buy more books; in return, members could borrow books and use the library . Today, the Library Company continues to exist as a nonprofit, independent research library . </P> <P> A town in Massachusetts named itself Franklin after the famous Pennsylvanian . For this honor, Franklin donated 116 books to the town in lieu of a requested church bell . Franklin's town meeting voted to lend the books to all Franklin inhabitants free of charge in 1790, and this small collection can therefore be considered the first public library in the United States . </P> <P> The first free public library supported by taxation in the world was the Peterborough, New Hampshire Town Library which was founded at town meeting on April 9, 1833 . Many sources claim to have been the first, such as Boston's Public Library, which was actually the second, established in 1852 . The first free continuous children's library in the United States was founded in 1835 in Arlington, Massachusetts . </P> <P> New York lawyer, governor and bibliophile Samuel J. Tilden bequeathed millions to build the New York Public Library . He believed Americans should have access to books and a free education if desired . In 1902, one account suggested "the village library is growing more and more an indispensable adjunct to American village life ." </P>

Who started the first public library in the united states