雅思听力

🎧 Listening Transcript

Good morning. Today we're going to discuss the history of public libraries. In the 19th century, many industrial towns in Britain established libraries, but they were often funded by wealthy philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie. However, the real turning point came with the Public Libraries Act of 1850, which allowed local councils to levy a small tax for library services. Interestingly, the first library under this act opened in Manchester in 1852, not in London. It had a reading room with newspapers and reference books, but lending books was initially restricted to members who paid a subscription.