Philip Ward, then an eighteen year old student librarian, founded The Private Libraries Association in May 1956, after writing a letter to The Observer suggesting the formation of a society for ‘private librarians’. The response was considerable, and the opening meeting was held soon afterwards, on 8th June 1956, at the St Ermin’s Hotel, Westminster. An book-exchange scheme was started that same year and the twelve-page PLA Quarterly was published in 1957 (its name changed to The Private Library in 1958).

 

Today the Private Libraries Association has hundreds of individual and institutional members. Most, not surprisingly, are in the UK, but there are also members in the USA, Canada, Australia and across Europe.

Members’ collecting interests are most diverse, and include private presses, illustration, binding and restoration, book history, bibliography and much more. Members’ specific interests are analysed in ten double-column pages in the Members’ Handbook – ranging from A. E. (G. W. Russell) to Zapf, Herman and covering every other possible subject that one can possibly imagine. If there's a book on it, our members collect it!