Welcome!

The New York Society Library’s records from 1789-1805 span the borrowing histories of America’s Founding Fathers. Including such names as the famous Aaron Burr and George Washington, as well as the lesser known Robert Livingston and William Samuel Johnson, the library ledgers in the New York Society Library’s digital City Readers archival collections bring to light some of the many interesting connections present between the Founding Fathers and their reading habits.

Curious about some of these connections? Visit our Data page or choose among five separate data visualizations in the Data drop-down menu!

Interested in the intentions and scholarship behind this project? Click on What We’re About to learn more about the background of this website and Who We Are to read about our team!

Still intrigued by the Founding Fathers, their borrowing records, and the New York Society Library? Check out Credits for access to the original sources of our data on the City Readers website, or contact us with any questions!