The spread of Coffee Culture and the rise of Coffee Library in Europe

"if someone has a heavy or tired day, where can he go to relieve his fatigue and cheer him up? Young people and ordinary citizens need an hour or two for recreation every night. What is safer and more beneficial than a cafe? As we all know, the reading effect in a coffee shop is much better than that in a bookstore; moreover, apart from the coffee shop, where is there a library that can provide research opportunities? " This is what an English scholar wrote in his diary in 1675. Yes, although the earliest coffee shop in Europe is not in London, the coffee library with the reputation of "mobile" is not only the earliest to appear in London, but also the most popular. The 19th century was the golden age of English literature. The stars in the society were not singers, movie stars, sports stars, but personable poets and writers with aristocratic temperament. At that time, the publishing industry was still in the "private workshop" stage, and there were neither copyright agents in publishing buildings nor book fairs in the book market. business was good or bad depending on the publisher's sense of smell, the scope of activities and the personal relationship between writers. Therefore, the coffee library is not only a gathering place for poets and writers, but also a "business place" for booksellers who rely solely on literati to make a fortune. At that time, publishers were not like contemporary booksellers who only needed to "talk about money in terms of money". They also had to cultivate a relationship with writers and even help their favorite writers in their lives. As a result, some bosses with literary taste and nimble minds began to collect books, provide reading, and act as "publishing agents" to recommend new people to publishers in order to attract and retain more literati. In order to attract more eager knowledge. Young people looking for opportunities.

Caput Cafe, located in Mary Lane in London, England, not only enjoys the reputation of "Coffee Library" for its large collection of books, but also the most famous "publishing business negotiation place". The owner of the coffee library is a businessman himself. A scholar. As a publishing agent and a librarian, he invests most of his profits in collecting books. At that time, there was no computer, but if he lost one of the books on the shelf, he could know at a glance; which book was written by whom and whose publisher was who? it's all in his head. At first, in order to avoid losing books, guests had to register to borrow books, but then there were too many guests and the books were changed too frequently, so the boss could only rely on personal self-consciousness. However, there are so many poor students who love reading that there is no precaution against stealing books. Fortunately, with the reputation of the coffee library, there are naturally more people who support it. Authors or publishers often do not have to pay for coffee and can exchange books for it. Generally speaking, there are more customers delivering books than those who steal them. Later, the scholar Cappbell once recalled that he described it like this: "when I walked into the Caput Coffee Library, it had an amazing collection of books and formed a small society of readers. I could get the right to read for a year for only one shilling. I can find all the books here!" This is the so-called European Coffee Library, a place where a person can relax when he is tired, a place that is safer and more beneficial than going anywhere.