{"date":"April 17","id":"04-17","intro":["In 1731 there were not many books in America. Franklin saw the need for more books and by house-to-house canvassing persuaded Philadelphians to aid him in founding a public library which to-day stands as a lasting memorial to Franklin."],"minutes":26,"readings":[{"author":"Benjamin Franklin","end":77,"start":66,"volume":1,"work":"Autobiography"}],"slug":"april-17","status":"proofread","title":"Benjamin Franklin—Book Salesman","url":"/harvard-classics/april-17/","words":5211}