Rural Libraries in England

Parish libraries became ubiquitous, and several handbooks debated how to manage them, as well as their purpose. Numerous local philanthropists, such as Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice in Wiltshire and the Verneys in Middle Claydon, eagerly provided the wherewithal for many libraries, while the libraries of Holy Island and Combe, Oxfordshire, provide relevant case studies. The distribution of book boxes is considered as an alternative option.