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While Benjamin Franklin is famous for his experiments with electricity and his major contribution to the American Revolution, his role as the founder of the first public library is overlooked. This accomplishment, although not considered one of his greatest achievements, was truly a turning point in his life. Franklin the private citizen became Franklin the literary advocate and public figure with his idea to make books readily available to the common man.
Franklin’s creation of the first public library was initially fueled by his personal love of reading. H.W. Brands, in his book, The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, describes Franklin’s passion for reading from an early age: “Ben’s facility with the written word manifested itself early. ‘I do not remember when I could not read…’” (Brands 16) Franklin states in his autobiography, “From a child I was fond of reading, and all the little money that came into my hands was ever laid ou...