Quebec Library
Founded at Quebec in 1779. The first public library in
what is now Canada. On Jan. 7 of that year, the following advertisement
appeared in the Quebec Gazette: "A subscription has been commenced for
establishing a publick library for the city and district of Quebec. It
has met with the approbation of His Excellency the Governor and of the
Bishop, and it is hoped that the institution, so particularly useful in
this count
y, will be generally encouraged." The idea of the library
originated with Governor Haldimand, and the first lot of books was
purchased in England, under his instructions, by Richard Cumberland, the
dramatist. An Act of incorporation obtained in 1840. Five years later,
the library was absorbed by the Quebec Library Association, founded
1843; and in 1866 the Association dissolved and sold its books to the
Quebec Literary and Historical Society (q.v.). =Bib.=: A detailed
account of the Quebec Library, and the Quebec Library Association, will
be found in Wuertele's paper, in Quebec Lit. and Hist. Soc. Trans.,
1887-1889.