Initially, 80 members joined in 1877 and paid an annual membership of 10 guilders, with the library also relying on donations.

Speakers included the religious educator Emilie Knappert, the feminist translator, Margaretha Meijboom, the writer, Augusta de Wit, and the actress Marie Kalff.

She was eventually permitted to become the only women to join the original, male-dominated reading museum, although this caused some problems.

[1][3] The Leesmuseum did not initially function as a lending library, it being intended that the women would read the books and magazines on the premises.

In addition to novels and classical literature, the Leesmuseum also offered newspapers, popular science books and magazines.

[1][3] The First World War and its aftermath left their mark on the Leesmuseum, as did the collapse of the women's movement after obtaining the right to vote in 1919.

A board member and a wealthy artist, Riet van Blaaderen-Hoogendijk, bought the house and rented it to the library.

Other documentation, consisting of handwritten board minutes, annual reports, minutes of annual general meetings, some official documents, such as statutes, rental and employment contracts, catalogues and newspaper and magazine clippings, went to the Amsterdam City Archives.