The Philanthropist Who Built Libraries

Carnegie Libraries hold a special place in American history and in the hearts of generations of Americans. Building them was the mission of Scottish immigrant, American steel magnate, and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919). His foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, produced a definitive study of the library program in 1963, and today, that historical data is available through the Carnegie Libraries Mapping Project — an interactive map that captures Andrew Carnegie’s unprecedented philanthropic achievement, which brought hundreds of libraries to American communities across the country.

The first Carnegie Library constructed in Brooklyn, New York, opened in 1904 and is known as the <strong>Pacific Library</strong>. (Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) — The first Carnegie Library constructed in Brooklyn, New York, opened in 1904 and is known as the **Pacific Library**. (Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

By the Numbers

Starting in 1881 with a gift of a library to his birthplace of Dunfermline, Scotland, Carnegie — and later his foundation — gave some $56 million to build 2,509 public libraries. Of these Carnegie Libraries (less than one-third of which bore the Carnegie name), 1,681 were built in the United States. The rest were located in other parts of the English-speaking world, ranging from Great Britain to New Zealand, and from South Africa to the West Indies. In addition to gifts for public libraries, Carnegie funded 108 library buildings on college campuses in the United States, which are also included in this project.

Andrew Carnegie attended the opening of Washington D.C.’s <strong>Central Public Library</strong> in 1903. The Beaux-Arts style building was later acquired and restored by Apple and opened as a store in 2019. (Credit: Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images) — Andrew Carnegie attended the opening of Washington D.C.’s **Central Public Library** in 1903. The Beaux-Arts style building was later acquired and restored by Apple and opened as a store in 2019. (Credit: Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

‘Ladder of Opportunity’

Carnegie believed that libraries serve as essential resources for a community, especially for immigrants like him. Having immigrated to Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1848, from Scotland, Carnegie often recalled the life-changing experience of having access, as a 12-year-old working as a bobbin boy in a textile mill, to the private library of a Colonel Anderson, who offered to lend books to workers every Saturday. “He only had about 400 volumes in his library, but they were valuable books, and I shall never forget the enjoyment and the instruction I gained from them when I was too poor to buy books myself,” Carnegie told the New York Times in 1899. “Is it any wonder that I decided then and there that if ever I had any surplus wealth I would use it in lending books to others?”

Carnegie funded 108 libraries on college campuses including <strong>Oberlin College’s main library</strong>, which is now home to classrooms, labs, and offices. (Credit: Douglas Sacha/Getty Images) — Carnegie funded 108 libraries on college campuses including **Oberlin College’s main library**, which is now home to classrooms, labs, and offices. (Credit: Douglas Sacha/Getty Images)

The Carnegie Libraries Mapping Project

Use this tool to locate and learn about the nearly 1,700 Carnegie Libraries built in the United States. Note that some of the original buildings no longer exist or have been repurposed in various ways. We’d love to know more about the current use of the Carnegie Library in your neighborhood. Send us your photos and stories.

In 1903, Carnegie provided $10,000 to fund the construction of the <strong>San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library</strong> in California. Granite and sandstone from local quarries add to the architectural features. (Credit: NNehring/Getty Images) — In 1903, Carnegie provided $10,000 to fund the construction of the **San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library** in California. Granite and sandstone from local quarries add to the architectural features. (Credit: NNehring/Getty Images)

About the Primary Source for this Project

The primary source for this project, Library Program 1911–1961, was a study written by Florence Anderson, the then-secretary of Carnegie Corporation of New York, and was published by the foundation in 1963. The study uses primary sources and archival records to compile facts and figures on all Carnegie grants for library purposes during the foundation’s first 50 years.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York, one of America’s oldest grantmaking foundations, was established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie, the founder of modern philanthropy, to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today, the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. Learn more about how our foundation continues to support libraries today.