Founded as the Belfast Library and Society for Promoting Knowledge in 1788, The Linen Hall is an one and only institution. It is the ancient library in the city and remains the only subscription library in Ireland, continuing to generate a proportion of its earnings from membership. Over more than 200 years, The Linen Hall has retained its independence, maintaining the principle that its resources are owned by the community for the community, promoting the chase of knowledge and preserving one of the most renowned collections there in Ireland.