문자의 유통 - 18, 19세기 독일의 대여도서관 제도를 중심으로 -

Abstract

The passion for reading that spread through Western Europe like a trend in the 18 th century brought about the advent of Lending Library Systems (ger, 'Leihbibliothek', eng. 'Circulating Library', fra. 'cabinet de lecture') in various western nations almost simultaneously. Among these, the lending libraries of Germany developed into more diversified varieties than those of England or France. The lending library system which lent people expensive books at a small price was a product of the age in which the demand for books jumped while its supply was limited. The spread of letters became so th popular to the German people that rate of illiteracy that was close to 90% in the mid 18 th century dropped to a mere 10% by the late 19 century. The fact that for about 150 years the distribution of letters amongst Germans was more active than any other time in history shows in these literacy improvement statistics. Although during this time, the methods of letter distribution and supply were more diverse than in any age, the lending library system provides the most substantial evidence in relation to the distribution of letters historically. Along with the distribution of letters, lending libraries also provide data that help investigate the users of letters. Although today it is difficult to exactly pinpoint the class of people who used letters, the checkout cards tell us that there is no denying the fact that there were almost no users in the agricultural or working classes. Additionally, it is possible to tell the genders and regional origins of the users; there were more women than men, and a lot more city people than country people used them. Research of the type of books is a field that is best shown through the research of lending libraries. In the early stages of literature, when ‘enlightenment’ was a common goal, the ratio of guide books and popular literature were proportional. However, lending libraries had no choice but to follow the preferences of their consumers for the sake of profit and thus had to change the type of books they had. Whether popular60 『人文科學』 第106輯 literature led lending libraries to their golden age or whether lending libraries give birth to the popular literature genre is a very ambiguous question, considering the fact that the system and literature both proportionately saw their peaks around the mid 19 th century. Unable to meet demands for popular literature with only domestic works, lending libraries turned to foreign literature and created a new form of demand through translated literature. The lending library was a system that had immense influence in the development of th popular literature, and made a life of literature possible in the 19 century. By sharing familiar works of literature, the users of lending libraries contributed to forming the psyche of the time, and furthermore, contributed to the formation of public opinion. Additionally, the acceptance of foreign literature through lending libraries is a trait unique to those in Germany, serving as a passageway in understanding the cultures of other European nations. th th The history of letter distribution from the mid 18 century to the late 19 century inextricably linked to commercial lending libraries. Lending libraries allowed popular th th literature of the 18 and 19 century to escape from the fences of traditional libraries and bookstores and spread far and wide. If lending libraries had not existed, fewer people would be reading a fewer amount of books, and many people would have had to give up any method of pleasure or learning through letters. Despite the many disadvantages the lending library system faced in the phase of distributing letters, the fact that this system made a crucial contribution to the spreading of letters in western civilization is something that cannot be underestimated.