FIRST LENDING LIBRARY IN LVOV AT THE END OF THE 18th CENTURY (Pierwsza wypozyczalnia ksiazek we Lwowie w koncu XVIII wieku)

The first lending library in Lvov was established in 1794, which is substantiated by a unique catalogue 'Vollstaendigeres Verzeichniss der Bücher, welche in der Pillerschen Buchhandlung am Dominikanerplatze gegen monatliche Verausbezahlung von 30 Kreuzer per Band, und verhältnissmässigen Einsatz, zum lesen ausgeliehen werden' (a copy from the Library of the Catholic University in Lublin, shelf-number P. XVIII. 566). The lending library was established by the Piller brothers, descendants of the printer from Vienna, Antoni Piller, a government-nominated printer in Lvov and the university bookseller. The library functioned at least from October 1794, as the discussed catalogue was published with this date, and catered mainly for the German-speaking public. The offer was quite wide (456 works in 972 volumes) and typical for the institutions of that time, including love stories, novels, theatrical plays, poetry, fables, moral, philosophical and historical literature, biographies, travel diaries, i.e. most frequently read texts of that time. The Pillers' enterprise introduced western-European patterns to Lvov