London Library

The London Library is the world's largest independent lending library. It was founded in 1841 by Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with the rules of the British Library. In order to improve the dissatisfactions of Carlyle, he had to authorize the library members the benefit of books at home.

The London Library receives no government funding, for this reason, it rises high membership fees ( £ 445 per year, as of June 2012).