The Tabard Inn Library was founded in 1902 by Seymour Eaton. It was administered by the Booklovers Library, another Eaton enterprise. Eaton was a remarkable entrepreneur and promoter who was also an author, journalist, and educator. He was the author of the "Teddy Bear Books".
The Tabard Inn Library was a membership library with stations in the form of revolving bookcases located in drug stores and other commercial establishments throughout the United States. In an initial advertisement for the library, Eaton indicated that 10,000 of these bookcases would be manufactured at a rate of 25 and then 50 a day.
I found that site after finding one of the bookplates:
It was in a copy of "The Minx" by Mrs. Mannington Caffyn, published by Stokes, 1899.
-Click to enlarge photos-
That's really interesting - I didn't know membership libraries existed in the US. Kathy
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