Musings - Carnegie Libraries, What's the Big Deal?

 

Carnegie libraries are special, but few people even know what their significance is and why they were so important.  

What is a Carnegie Library?

From 1886 to 1919, wealthy American industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated more than $40 million (roughly $1,455,671,430 today--thats $1.4 billion) that paid for 1,679 new library buildings in communities large and small across America.  For many small or modest sized towns this was their only library and changed the future of those town's children let alone bolstered the nation as a whole.  He built libraries elsewhere in the world, but the majority were in America.

Nearly all of Carnegie's libraries were built according to "the Carnegie formula", which required financial commitments for maintenance and operation from the town that received the donation. Carnegie required public support rather than making endowments.

Carnegie required the local government to:

• demonstrate the need for a public library;
• provide the building site;
• pay staff and maintain the library;
• draw from public funds to run the library—not use only private donations;
• annually provide ten percent of the cost of the library's construction to support its operation; and,
• provide free service to all (at the time free lending libraries weren't around much).

As Carnegie's library building funding continued and word spread, most of the towns that requested a grant and agreed to his terms for operation and maintenance were approved for the grant. 

The last grant was made in 1919 (the year he died), and at that time there were 3,500 libraries total in the United States and nearly half of them were Carnegie libraries.  That is a substantial contribution to communities and the nation as a whole.  This was still in the era of segragation and Carnegie funds were also spent on "black only" libraries, while not the ideal solution they did make a powerful impact for POC as well.

A little about Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was born in Dunfermline, Scotland and emigrated to Pittsburgh, United States with his parents in 1848 at age 12. 

Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads and shipping), John D. Rockefeller (shipping, railroads, and oil), Andrew Carnegie (steel production), J.P. Morgan (banking), and Henry Ford (automobiles) were the top businessmen in America at the time and each were jockying to be the richest, which spurred the U.S. innovative spirit and expansion and thrust the nation to being a superpower.  

Carnegie made his fortune in the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history and a testament to immigrant's contributions to making the nation great.  He was not a saint nor perfect by any stretch, but he changed America with steel to build skyscrapers, cars, ships, bridges, and so much more. 

In his later years he became a leading philanthropist (an individual who sponsors initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life) in the United States, but also Great Britain, and the British Empire.  Many criticized his charity with claims he was seeking redemption for his business tactics while others would have preferred he paid his vast employees more.  I believe he wanted to give back in a lasting way to the nation that he benefitted so much from.

Why Libraries?

Since the largest and significant Library of Alexandria in Egypt with a reported half-a-million books, libraries have been recognized as centers for knowlege, learning, and research.

As a teen, Andrew Carnegie knew that knowledge would lift him out of poverty and he strove to find access to books that were free so he could improve his life.

During the last 18 years of his life, Carnegie gave away almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations, and universities including funding library buildings. "His 1889 article proclaiming "The Gospel of Wealth" called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy." Wikipedia  

Carnegie felt all personal wealth beyond that required to supply the needs of one's family should be regarded as a trust fund to be administered for the benefit of the community.  I wish we saw more of that these days.  He and Dolly Parton would probably have gotten along well in that regard. 

His philanthropic interests centered around the goals of education and world peace.  He clearly believed that funding library buildings was a long term and lasting means to improving the nation as a whole and perhaps promote some world harmony.  

Any Carnegie libraries left?

Of the approximately 1,700 libraries that Carnegie helped fund in American towns and cities, about 800 are still in use as public libraries.  

Support your local library!

Here is a short video on Carnegie and his interest in libraries: