The database tracks the borrowing habits of mostly working-class Australians between 1861 and 1928, and contains circulation records from six mechanics institute libraries, pre-dating most Australian public libraries. The project was first established by Curtin University professor Tim Dolin in 2008 before being acquired by ANU in 2013. While male borrowers far outweigh women, Lamond she does not believe this is a reflection of literacy but rather the origins of the institutes themselves. “People’s reading was very diverse, much more diverse than I think most of our reading is now,” Lamond said. “This was a period before there were widespread public libraries in Australia,” Lamond said.

Source: The Guardian June 18, 2019 04:41 UTC