FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2023-62 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (April 3, 2023) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps from Steve Kovacs, we learn about a different tax levy that made a difference in resources.

SHHH

Shhh, here is a secret.  Libraries continue to thrive and remain relevant to the communities they serve.  Most have adjusted to the digital age by offering large amounts of digital books, music and the like while paper copy book lending has declined over the years.  Children’s programs at branches remain super popular.   There are over nine thousand public library systems in the US and 109 thousand school and academic libraries. 

Seed funding for one of the oldest US public libraries, the Boston Public Library, was established via a tax levy passed on April 3, 1848.  

It remains one of the premier libraries in the US.  It has an annual circulation of about 4.5 million items, with digital material being the largest portion.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in contrast circulated over 21 million items in 2019.  It is the second largest library system in the US, surpassed in circulation only by the New York Public Library.

In case you wonder, the oldest public library in the world is in Fez, Morocco, which opened in 859 AD.

This map of Boston was created by Walling in 1860.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.