A Carnegie library, opened in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, designed in Spanish Colonial style.

Carnegie libraries are libraries which were built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution Andrew Carnegie (properly kɑrˈneɪgi but commonly /ˈkɑrnɨgi/ or /kɑrˈnɛgi/ (25 November 1835 – 11 August 1919 was a Scottish -born American Industrialist More than 2,500 Carnegie libraries were built, including those belonging to public and university library systems. A public library (also called circulating library) is a Library which is accessible by the Public and is generally funded from public sources (such An academic library is a Library which serves an institution of higher learning such as a College or a University — libraries in secondary and primary Carnegie earned the nickname Patron Saint of Libraries.

Of the 2,509 libraries funded between 1883 and 1929, 1,689 were built in the United States, 660 in Britain and Ireland, 156 in Canada, and others in Australia, New Zealand, Serbia, the Caribbean, and Fiji. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Very few towns that requested a grant and agreed to his terms were refused. When the last grant was made in 1919, there were 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them paid for by Carnegie.

In the early 20th century, a Carnegie library was the most imposing structure in hundreds of small American communities from Maine to California. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Most of the library buildings were unique, displaying a number of different Beaux-Arts and other architectural styles, including Italian Renaissance, Baroque, Classical Revival and Spanish Colonial. Beaux Arts architecture denotes the academic classical Architectural style that was taught at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc Each style was chosen by the community and was typically simple and formal, welcoming patrons to enter through a prominent doorway, nearly always accessed via a staircase. The entry staircase symbolized a person's elevation by learning. Similarly, outside virtually every library was a lamppost or lantern to symbolize enlightenment.

The first of Carnegie's public libraries opened in his hometown, Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1883. Dunfermline (Scottish Gaelic Dùn Phàrlain is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. As with most of the others, Carnegie's name did not appear on the building. Rather, he had a motto -- "Let there be light" -- inscribed over the entrance. His first library in the United States was built in 1889 in Braddock, Pennsylvania, home to one of the Carnegie Steel Company's mills. Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County Pennsylvania, 10 miles (16 km upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The last public library funded through Carnegie's generosity was the Wyoming Branch, completed in 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə At 231 East Wyoming Avenue, it continues as an active branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. The Free Library of Philadelphia is the Public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ^[1]

Self-improvement through learning

Detail of the entrance to the Carnegie library pictured above

Books and libraries were always an important part of Carnegie's life, beginning with his childhood in Scotland. There he listened to readings and discussions of books from the Tradesman's Subscription Library which his father helped create. Later, in the United States, while working for the local telegraph company in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Carnegie borrowed books from the personal library of Colonel James Anderson, who opened the collection to his workers every Saturday. North Side (always stated as two words refers both to the region of Pittsburgh to the north of the Allegheny River and Ohio River and to a small neighborhood The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern In his autobiography, Carnegie credited Anderson with providing an opportunity for "working boys" (that some said should not be "entitled to books") to acquire the knowledge to improve themselves. ^[2]

Carnegie's personal experience as an immigrant, who with help from others worked his way into a position of wealth, reinforced his belief in a society based on merit, where anyone who worked hard could become successful. This conviction was a major element of his philosophy of giving in general, and of his libraries as its best known expression.

Carnegie Formula and fields for philanthropy

Levenshulme Library a 'Carnegie Library' in a small Manchester, UK suburb, was built in 1904

The Carnegie Library in Teddington, England was built in 1906

Carnegie believed in giving to the "industrious and ambitious; not those who need everything done for them, but those who, being most anxious and able to help themselves, deserve and will be benefited by help from others. Levenshulme is an Urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Teddington is in London, England on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland " ^[3] His other stated "best fields" for donating surplus wealth were universities, health care institutions, public parks, assembly halls, public swimming pools, and churches.

Nearly all of Carnegie's libraries were built according to "The Carnegie Formula", which required a kind of matching from the town that received the donation. It must:

• demonstrate the need for a public library;
• provide the building site; and
• annually provide ten percent of the cost of the library's construction to support its operation.

The amount of money donated to most communities was based on U.S. Census figures and averaged approximately $2 per person. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. While there were some communities that refused to seek a grant, as some people considered Carnegie's money to be tainted by his business practices or disdained the libraries as personal memorials, many communities were eager for the chance to build public institutions. James Bertram, Carnegie's personal secretary who ran the program, was never without requests.

The impact of Carnegie's library philanthropy was maximized by his timing. His offers came at a peak of town development and library expansion in the US. By 1890, many states had begun to take an active role in organizing public libraries, and the new buildings filled a tremendous need. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Interest in libraries was also heightened at a crucial time in their early development by Carnegie's high profile and his genuine belief in their importance. ^[4]

Self-service stacks

Carnegie library interior, with the typical centrally located librarian's desk and innovative open stacks

Design of the libraries was to encourage communication with the librarian, and also to create an opportunity for people to discover books on their own. "The Carnegie libraries were important because they had open stacks which encouraged people to browse. . . . People could choose for themselves what books they wanted to read," according to Walter E. Langsam, an architectural historian and teacher at the University of Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati is a Coeducational public Research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before Carnegie, patrons had to ask a clerk to retrieve books from closed stacks. ^[5]

Continuing legacy

While hundreds of the library buildings have been converted into museums, community centers, office buildings and residences—or demolished—more than half of those in the United States still serve their communities as libraries over a century after their construction, many in middle- to low-income neighborhoods. For example, Carnegie libraries still form the nucleus of the New York Public Library system in New York City, with 31 of the original 39 buildings still in operation. The New York Public Library ( NYPL) is one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of America's most significant Research libraries. The City of New York Also, the main library and seven branches of the Pittsburgh public library system are Carnegie libraries. The public library was named the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is the Public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In the late 1940s, the [Carnegie Corporation of New York] arranged for microfilming of the correspondence files relating to Andrew Carnegie's gifts and grants to communities for the public libraries and church organs. They then discarded the original materials. The microfilms are open for research as part of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Records collection, residing at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Unfortunately archivists did not microfilm photographs and blueprints of the Carnegie Libraries - these were simply discarded. The number and nature of documents within the correspondence files varies widely. Such documents may include correspondence, completed applications and questionnaires, newspaper clippings, illustrations, and building dedication programs.

Beginning in the 1930s, some libraries were meticulously measured, documented and photographed under the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) program of the National Park Service, and other documentation has been collected by local historical societies. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS Historic American Engineering Record (HAER and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS are programs of the The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation Many of the Carnegie libraries in the United States, whatever their current uses, have been recognized by listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of

Distribution of U. S. Carnegie libraries in 1920

First in the USA

The Carnegie Library in Ridge Farm, Illinois, opened in 1910, is in an Italianate Georgian style

See also

• Saint John Free Public Library

Notes

References

• Molly Skeen (March 5, 2004) "How America's Carnegie Libraries Adapt to Survive", Preservation Online. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
• December 10, 2002. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. "Yorkville Library Celebrates Centennial", The New York Public Library.
• Michael Lorenzen (1999). "Deconstructing the Carnegie Libraries: The Sociological Reasons Behind Carnegie's Millions to Public Libraries", Illinois Libraries. 81, no. 2: 75-78.
• Theodore Jones (1997). Carnegie Libraries Across America: A Public Legacy, John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14422-3
• George Bobinski (1969). Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development, American Library Association. ISBN 0-8389-0022-4
• Brendan Grimes (1998). Irish Carnegie Libraries: A catalogue and architectural history, Irish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7165-2618-2

External links

• Carnegie Corporation of New York Records
• "Carnegie Libraries: The Future Made Bright", National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER), Permanent Collection, American Memory from the Library of Congress
• History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries
• Carnegie Libraries of California
• Florida's Carnegie Libraries
• Carnegie Libraries of Michigan
• Carnegie Libraries of Scotland
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
• Carnegie Libraries in South Carolina
• Library Postcards: Civic Pride in a Lost America

• History of Biblioteca Carnegie in Puerto Rico (en Español)