The Carnegie Libraries
Ask any New Yorker the best way to get to Carnegie Hall, and chances are good they will say, “Practice!” That vintage joke is as well known to Big Apple denizens as the prestigious concert hall itself. And yet, I’d wager most Americans could not tell you much more about Andrew Carnegie. As far as I was concerned, Carnegie played second fiddle to the Rockefellers. As a kid growing up in Queens, the majestic concert hall at 57th Street could hardly compete with Rockefeller Center, the Christmas Tree, and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
I was well into my twenties before I understood the significance of both men on the legacy of America. Known as the Titans of American Industry, they along with J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Henry Ford are credited with building the American middle class and thereby creating the wealthiest, most productive country the world has ever known.
In his lifetime, Carnegie built a reputation as a shrewd and brilliant businessman and a generous philanthropist. By the time he retired in 1901 at age 65, Carnegie was the richest American, having sold his Carnegie Steel Company to J.P. Morgan for $480 million. That is roughly the equivalent of $10 billion today.
Carnegie believed no man should die rich, and that a man’s fortune should be given away during his lifetime. Further, he believed that a free public library was the best gift a community could receive. He ultimately used his fortune to build some 2,509 libraries in all, with 1,689 built in the United States alone.
I was surprised to learn that Carnegie was responsible for the immense Beaux Arts public library sprawling a full city block at 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan. It stunned me to think how often I hurried to work passing Patience and Fortitude, the iconic marble lions flanking the steps to the library, blithely unaware that Carnegie built this magnificent architectural structure. To Carnegie, libraries were essential community institutions, agents of change, and temples of learning and ambition for towns and cities throughout the United States. A community library was a way for his fellow citizens to better themselves.
Carnegie libraries were funded, not built. Applications were available to everyone, and almost all who applied received funding provided they committed to his terms for operation and maintenance. The community needed to prove they were willing to stock and maintain it. In an innovative and cost saving measure, Carnegie revolutionized the library’s operation. He replaced the closed stack policy, commonly used at that time, with an open-shelf, self-service policy. This allowed patrons to access the shelves on their own rather than a librarian fetching the book. For the first time, patrons were encouraged to browse the stacks and choose books for themselves.
Today, his libraries serve communities throughout the country. For example, Carnegie Libraries are the foundation of the New York Public Library system in New York City, with thirty-one of the original thirty-nine buildings still in operation. The same is true in Pittsburgh, where the library system is named the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
These libraries were built architecturally, simply and formal, with a prominent entrance and staircase. Because they represent a variety of styles including Beaux-Arts, Italian Renaissance, and Classical Revival, Carnegie libraries are often listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On a recent visit to my daughter, I made a point of locating a Carnegie Library, finding one less than ten miles away. Architecturally stunning and beautifully maintained, the building was a point of pride for the community. On a cold, blustery Saturday afternoon, it bustled with young and old patrons alike.
Andrew Carnegie gave our country an enduring gift of knowledge and a means of advancement regardless of class or status. On your next trip, find a Carnegie Library as a point of interest and take advantage of this historic endowment. We are the future generations that Carnegie hoped would visit his libraries to better educate ourselves. We are the citizens he hoped would prosper and share our wealth for the better good of our country and the world.
Bit by bit, that’s all she wrote…
The link below can help you locate a Carnegie Library anywhere in this country. Better yet, find the closest one to you and plan a visit. Andrew Carnegie would be proud.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Carnegie_libraries_in_the_United_States
The link below provides the conditions required for funding a Carnegie Library