NATION, A CITY, AND ITS FIRST LIBRARY: AMERICANA AS A WAY OF LIFE AT THE ST. LOUIS MERCANTILE LIBRARY FOR 175 YEARS.|A

large 4to. cloth, dust jacket. xxii, 23-256, (1) pages. First edition limited to 500 copies. This copy is inscribed by the author to an unknown person on the title page dated June 9, 2021. A fine copy in fine jacket. A scarce book. From the front flap: "A Nation, a City, and its First Library: Americana as a Way of Life at the St. Louis Mercantile Library for 175 Years marks an important anniversary for the oldest library founded west of the Mississippi River in 1846, and for the oldest cultural institution of any kind in the historic city of St. Louis. This catalogue and its accompanying exhibition look at the events, the men and women, and the collections of the Mercantile in a cohesive way; often national events, Library leaders and patrons, and the collections preserved here are closely linked. the depth and extreme breadth of the Americana collections at the Mercantile are legendary and extraordinary. Founded at a crucial time for the nation and the city of St. Louis, the Library witnessed events and preserved collections from its beginning in an enthusiastic way - a tradition which has been passed down to the present day among dedicated curators and librarians who continue to make the Mercantile a vital place for readers and researchers across the world. Today, the Library thrives on the urban campus at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, building new, diverse collections in the historic times in which Americans live, just as the Mercantile did when it was founded. This is the story of how Americana became forged at the core and in the heart of a great institution." From the reference library of Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts with their bookplate included.…