Kotilainen, Literacy Skills as Local Intangible Capital - The History of a Rural Lending Library c. 1860 - 1920

This book studies the "grey area" of the success story of rural lending libraries in the Nordic countries through the activities of people's libraries in one area of Central Finland, in the parish of Kivijärvi and its neighbouring parishes. The study explores the influence of social, cultural, geographical and economic phenomena, such as the spread of revivalist movements, on the reading habits of the local population and reveals interesting reasons why the establishment of elementary schools...