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Mercantile Library

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36-956: Mercantile Library may refer to: New York Mercantile Library (1820), former name of the Center for Fiction, New York City, New York Mercantile Library Association (Boston, Massachusetts) (1820) Mercantile Library of Cincinnati (1835), Cincinnati, Ohio, also known as Young Men's Mercantile Library St. Louis Mercantile Library (1846), University of Missouri–St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri Mercantile Library Association of San Francisco (1852), San Francisco, California, absorbed by San Francisco Mechanics' Institute in 1906 Saint Paul Public Library (1857), Saint Paul, Minnesota Brooklyn Public Library (1857), Brooklyn Public Library Business Library, New York Philadelphia Mercantile Library (1866), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania See also [ edit ] Mercantile Library Topics referred to by

72-664: A Reading Room, operates a curated independent bookstore primarily featuring works of fiction, rents space to writers at low cost, and presents literary programs to the public. The organization also awards the annual Center for Fiction First Novel Prize . The foundation of the Mercantile Library Association was instigated by the New York Chamber of Commerce , which placed newspaper advertisements in November 1820 asking merchant clerks to meet at

108-483: A board of directors or executive council to set policy for the chamber. The board or council then hires a president, CEO , or executive director, plus staffing appropriate to size, to run the organization. A chamber of commerce may be a voluntary or a mandatory association of business firms belonging to different trades and industries. They serve as spokespeople and representatives of a business community. They differ from country to country. The first chamber of commerce

144-677: A city or town up to an international chamber of commerce. In the United States , chambers do not operate in the same manner as the Better Business Bureau in that, while the BBB has the authority to bind its members under a formal operation doctrine (and, thus, can remove them if complaints arise regarding their services), the local chamber membership is either voluntary or required by law. Some chambers are partially funded by local government, others are non-profit, and some are

180-726: A combination of the two. Some chambers have joined state, national (such as the United States Chamber of Commerce and the British Chambers of Commerce ) and even international bodies (such as Eurochambres , the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and Worldchambers). Chambers of commerce in the United States can be considered community, city, regional, state, or nationwide ( United States Chamber of Commerce ). City Chambers work on

216-653: A local coffee house to discuss forming an organization based on the Mercantile Library in Boston , which had been created earlier that year. The purpose of the new organization was to provide the city's growing population of clerks with an alternative to what were considered to be immoral entertainments and other vices of the city. The association's first subscription circulating library, which had 700 volumes in rented rooms at 49 Fulton Street in Manhattan ,

252-545: A long history of anti-union lobbying and union busting in the United States at the local and federal level. Membership in an individual chamber can range from a few dozen to well over 800,000, as is the case with the Paris Île-de-France Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry . Some chamber organizations in China report even larger membership numbers. Chambers of commerce can range in scope from individual neighborhoods within

288-492: A member library with a Members Lounge and Reading Room, classrooms, a writers studio, an auditorium for 160 people, a bookstore and a cafe/bar. The Center is a home for readers and writers that serves as a gathering place for the literary community. The three-story building will be co-owned with the Mark Morris Dance Group and a real estate company, which will have their own spaces there. The Center for Fiction

324-526: A result of the Astor Place riot of 1849, and the building was sold for $ 140,000 to the association, which renamed it "Clinton Hall" and moved the library there as a place which was more convenient to its members. At its new location, the association offered classes and public lectures, including by Frederick Douglass , William Thackeray , and Mark Twain , and functioned as a cultural center. Membership during this period reached at least 12,000, while

360-608: A seminal tax protest: The Boston Tea Party . In 2005 there were 2,800 chambers of commerce in the United States and 102 chambers representing U.S. businesses overseas. According to the Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), there are approximately 3,000 chambers of commerce with at least one staff person and "thousands more established as strictly volunteer entities". State chambers of commerce are much different from local and regional chambers of commerce, as they work on state and sometimes federal issues impacting

396-456: A time when its membership was only 375 people. The association subsequently reorganized and reopened, with a new focus on fiction and literature. In 1998, the ground floor of the building was renovated by Beyer Blinder Belle . The library – colloquially known as "The Merc" – had considered moving to a new location in 2008, but subsequently decided to remain at its historic Midtown Manhattan location. Since 2005 known as The Center for Fiction,

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432-695: A very low fee (like memberships to other associations such as the NRA). Under the compulsory or public law model, enterprises of certain sizes, types, or sectors are obliged to become members of the chamber. This model is common in European Union countries (e.g. France, Germany, Italy , Spain, Austria), as well as Japan and Indonesia. The main tasks of the chambers are foreign trade promotion, vocational training, regional economic development, and general services to their members. The chambers were given responsibilities of public administration in various fields by

468-448: A voice and resource to a particular industry, state chambers are looked to as a respected voice, representing the entire business community to enhance and advocate for a better business environment. Addressing the national or international need for information is the key service that these chambers of commerce provide. These services are in most cases at no fee or cost to their members; some of them offer personal and/or business services at

504-870: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages New York Mercantile Library The Center for Fiction , originally called the New York Mercantile Library , is a not-for-profit organization in New York City , with offices at 15 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn . Prior to their move in early 2018, The Center for Fiction was located at 17 East 47th Street , between Madison and Fifth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan . The center works to promote fiction and literature and to give support to writers. It originated in 1820 as

540-656: The (New York) Mercantile Library and in 2005 changed its name to the Mercantile Library Center for Fiction , although it presents itself as simply "The Center for Fiction". The center, which is one of 17 remaining membership libraries in the United States, three of which are in New York City, maintains a large circulating library of 20th and 21st century fiction, in addition to many stored volumes of 19th century fiction. It also stocks non-fiction volumes on subjects related to literature. It maintains

576-569: The 1850s the association owned "a cabinet of minerals and shells, a collection of revolutionary medals, miscellaneous coins, various paintings, statue of the 'Dancing Girl Reposing', Minerva , and a bust of Philip Stone. By 1853, the association had over 4,000 members and over 30,000 volumes, and in 1854, the library moved again, this time uptown to the Astor Opera House building on Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 8th Street . The opera house had closed its doors as

612-504: The UK and later spread to in the US, becoming city chambers of commerce as communities developed and became larger. Community chambers of commerce are smaller and most have a limit on numbers of members. City chambers of commerce have a long history in the US. The Charleston Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest, dating back to colonial 1773. That same year, Boston's Chamber of Commerce organized

648-468: The United Kingdom's oldest, followed by those of Leeds and of Belfast in present-day Northern Ireland . As a non-governmental institution, a chamber of commerce has no direct role in the writing and passage of laws and regulations that affect businesses. It can, however, lobby in an attempt to get laws passed that are favorable to businesses. The United States Chamber of Commerce has

684-484: The business community. Just as the local chamber is critical to the local business community, state chambers serve a unique function, serving as a third-party voice on important business legislation that impacts the business community and is critical in shaping legislation in their respective state. State Chambers work with their Governor, state representatives, state senators, US congressional leaders, and US Senators. In comparison with state trade associations, which serve as

720-414: The chambers are often contacted given their local influence and membership numbers. A multilateral chamber is formed of companies and sometimes individuals from different countries with a common business interest towards or in a specific country. It can further be active in representing the interests of local and foreign investors in that specific country, achieved through promotion and proactivity regarding

756-446: The course of a year. Notes Bibliography Further reading Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce , or board of trade , is a form of business network . For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community . Local businesses are members, and they elect

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792-399: The general business environment. Multilateral chambers of commerce are independent entities strengthening business relations and interactions between all economic players, and their members may benefit from a broad range of activities that enhance the visibility and reputation of their business. In many countries, Chambers of Commerce are a source of private-sector information. The information

828-454: The inspectorate of the state ministry of economy. Enterprises are members by law according to the chamber act ( IHK-Gesetz ) of 1956. Because of this, such chambers are much bigger than chambers under private law. IHK Munich, the biggest German chamber of commerce, has 350,000 member companies. Germany also has compulsory chambers for "free occupations" such as architects, dentists, engineers, lawyers, notaries, physicians, and pharmacists. Under

864-400: The library declined through the following decades, and the library sold off parts of its collection in the 1970s. "In 1971 the theological collection was sold, in 1977 the foreign language collection was sold." It also attempted a merger with Pace College , but this did not occur. By 1987 the library was in financial distress, and closed for the summer of 1987, and then indefinitely in 1989, at

900-439: The library itself amassed 120,000 volumes, making it the largest circulating library in the United States at the time. By 1872 the library contained works of biography; history, geography and travels; literature; mathematics; medical science; mental and moral science; natural sciences; political science; the arts; and theology. However, because the library did not stay open late at night, its services were not generally available to

936-503: The library moved to a new building designed by architect Seth Geer, called Clinton Hall, at Nassau and Beekman Streets, which the Clinton Hall Association, made up of prominent members of the Mercantile Library Association, had raised funds to construct. Frequent lectures were presented by the library, including by Ralph Waldo Emerson   and Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. In addition to reading materials, as of

972-542: The local level to bring the business community together to develop strong local networks, which can result in a business-to-business exchange. In most cases, city Chambers work with their local government, such as their mayor, their city council, and local representatives to develop pro-business initiatives. There are also bilateral chambers of commerce that link the business environments of two countries (e.g. Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce , Moldovan–American Chamber of Commerce). Community chambers of commerce started in

1008-436: The organization presents a diverse program of free or low-cost public events, featuring over 100 authors, translators, and critics each year. The Center also offers reading groups and writing workshops. In May 2018, the organization announced that it would be moving its headquarters to a new building in Fort Greene, Brooklyn called Caesura and designed by Dattner Architects. The 17,500-square-foot (1,630 m ) space includes

1044-505: The private model, which exists in English-speaking countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, companies are not obligated to become chamber members. However, companies often become members to develop their business contacts and, regarding the local chambers (the most common level of organization), to demonstrate a commitment to the local economy. Though governments are not required to consult chambers on proposed laws,

1080-433: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Mercantile Library . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercantile_Library&oldid=1110637037 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

1116-418: The state which they exercise in order management. The chambers also have a consultative function; this means the chambers must be consulted whenever a new law related to industry or commerce is proposed. In Germany , the chambers of commerce and industry ( IHK - Industrie- und Handelskammer ) and the chambers of skilled crafts ( HwK - Handwerkskammer ) are public statutory bodies with self-administration under

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1152-485: The working class, a deficit which was remedied when the Cooper Union opened a block east on Astor Place: its reading room was open until 10 p.m. In 1891, requiring more space, the association tore down the opera house and replaced it with an 11-story building designed by George E. Harney , which it also named "Clinton Hall". The new building featured a reading room on the top floor that was two stories high, and

1188-476: Was designed by Julie Nelson, Partner at BKSK Architects LLP and opened in 2019. The Center for Fiction bestows a number of awards annually: Additionally, The Center for Fiction/Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowships grant 9 New York City early-career writers with a $ 5,000 stipend, editorial mentorship and networking opportunities with publishing professionals, membership to The Center's Writers Studio, two public readings, publication in an anthology, and more over

1224-583: Was founded in 1599 in Marseille , France, as the "Chambre de Commerce". The Royal Barcelona Board of Trade was established in 1758. The world's oldest English-speaking chamber of commerce and oldest chamber of commerce in North America is the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1750. The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1783. However, Hull Chamber of Commerce is

1260-465: Was open to most of the general public, but only merchant clerks were allowed to vote for and be officers in the association. By the year 1826, the financial "prospects brightened to the extent that the officers hired a suite of rooms in the Harpers building on Cliff Street, and starting the reading room, which has continued to be an important part of the institution in all its successive homes." In 1830,

1296-476: Was to remain the headquarters for its library operations, which included 7 branches, until 1920, when it relocated to rented space. However, in 1932, the library once again had its own building, at 17 East 47th Street , designed by Henry Otis Chapman. Here, the association maintained its 230,000 volumes to serve 3,000 subscribers. The library at this time still had branches at 149 Broadway at Liberty Street and 598 Madison Avenue at 57th Street . Membership in

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