Carnegie & History of Scottish Libraries

Sharron McCall who works in the first Carnegie funded library in the world, talked on the History of Scottish Public Libraries and her view on Andrew Carnegie’s influence.  He believed that libraries could be a major benefit to local communities ‘a spring in a desert’, they were not just for the wealthy.  The 1853 Public Libraries Act enabled many libraries to be built.

In Britain between 1883 and 1914 the boom in library building coincided with donations from famous philanthropists. When Carnegie Steel was sold to JP Morgan for £480m, Carnegie’s personal share was £250m. 

Carnegie set out to provide funding for libraries in British Isles. The success of the first library in Dunfermline spurred him into funding libraries not just in Britain and America but throughout the world.

By the time of his death in 1919 there were 2500 Carnegie libraries. Edinburgh’s delay in adopting the Public Libraries Act meant it was the last to open.

All towns had to show an on-going commitment to developing their libraries. 

Andrew Carnegie was a trailblazing philanthropist and gathered good people around him to give away his money. He gave away $350m in his lifetime. In 1911 his largest donation went to the Carnegie Corporation of New York who among other things funded the introduction of insulin and Sesame Street.

Come in and learn, leave enlightened. Sharron closed saying libraries will never to be failing springs.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Vice President Brian Mitchell.