The American Antiquarian Society (AAS) is both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century Ameri ... can history and culture. Our mission is to collect, preserve, and make available for study the printed record of what is now the United States of America from first European settlement through the year 1876. As a learned society, we offer a wide variety of programs for diverse audiences including: professional scholars, pre-collegiate, undergraduate and graduate level students and educators, professional artists and writers, genealogists, and the general public. The library collections encompass three million books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, graphic arts materials and manuscripts housed on twenty-five miles of shelving. read more