Enoch Pratt Free Library
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The Enoch Pratt Free Library, located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, is one of the oldest free public libraries in the United States. Established in 1882 (first opened to the public in 1886) after a grant from philanthropist Enoch Pratt, the library now includes twenty branches in Baltimore, plus the Central Library. Pratt intended his gift to establish a library that "shall be for all, rich and poor without distinction of race or color, who, when properly accredited, can take out the books if they will handle them carefully and return them". The Central Library was designated the "State Library Resource Center for the State of Maryland" by the Maryland General Assembly in 1971.
The Central Library was renovated and expanded in 2003. The new wing contains the Maryland and African American Departments as well as Special Collections and the H. L. Mencken Collection, an extensive collection related to the life and work of H. L. Mencken, including personal correspondence and memorabilia, typescripts, presentation volumes, clipping books, and research materials used in writing The American Language.
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