There is one category of subscription to The Commons: A Friend of The Commons.Subscription is available to individuals only, and we ask that they be paid in directly by the subscribing person from his or her own pocket and not by any institution. The only exception to this is the special arrangements for students, whereby their initial subscription is set at ten dollars and can be paid by parents or friends.
Subscription is in two parts. The first is a one time payment of forty US dollars or its equivalent (roughly, or at least until someone tells us better, the equivalent of the forty Shillings that Benjamin Franklin and his friends decided was appropriate for their Library in Philadelphia two and a hald centuries ago. In addition, entering members are asked to send us a solemnly signed statement of their intention to guarantee payment of the annual membership fee of ten dollars for the next fifty years, a year at time. These funds will be used exclusively to maintain The Commons and the Library.
A bank account will shortly be opened in the name of The Commons (hopefully we will find a bank in Philadelphia and, while we're at it, perhaps even a Quaker bank in honor of Mr. Franklin). A current statement of membership, payments and accounts will be regularly posted on the site. (If you prefer that your subscription be anonymous, your decision will be respected and you will be identified merely as “Friend-xyz”. Of course if at some later date you are able to use your name openly, the appropriate adjustment will be made.)
Donations of books and art work are also welcomed, and in short order the Library can also be expected to house audio and video materials. Given the nature of our Library and our very spread out membership, these must of course be available electronically. Please contact the librarian for details on how this can be most easily done.
___Enter The Commons Here
