Andrew Carnegie’s decision to compliment library construction developed from his very own experience. Born in 1835, he spent his first 12 years with the coastal town of Dunfermline, Scotland. There he listened to men read aloud and discuss books borrowed on the Tradesmen’s Subscription Library that his father, a weaver, had helped create. Carnegie began his formal education at age eight, but had to stop after only three years. The rapid industrialization for the textile trade forced small businessmen like Carnegie’s father away from business. As a consequence, the family sold their belongings and immigrated to Allegheny, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Andrew Carnegie’s decision to compliment library construction developed from his very own experience. Born in 1835, he spent his first 12 years with the coastal town of Dunfermline, Scotland. There he listened to men read aloud and discuss books borrowed on the Tradesmen’s Subscription Library that his father, a weaver, had helped create.over here Carnegie began his formal education at age eight, but had to stop after only three years. The rapid industrialization for the textile trade forced small businessmen like Carnegie’s father away from business. As a consequence, the family sold their belongings and immigrated to Allegheny, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Although these new circumstances required the young Carnegie to travel to work, his learning did not end. After the year at a textile factory, he became a messenger boy for any local telegraph company. A part of his fellow messengers introduced him to Col. James Anderson of Allegheny, who every Saturday opened his personal library to your young worker who wished to borrow a novel. Carnegie later said the colonel opened the windows through which the light of knowledge streamed. In 1853, when the colonel’s representatives tried to restrict the library’s use, Carnegie wrote a letter to your editor with the Pittsburgh Dispatch defending the correct coming from all working boys to relish the pleasures in the library. More vital, he resolved that, should he ever be wealthy, he makes similar opportunities accessible to other poor workers.

Throughout the next half-century Carnegie accumulated the fortune that may enable him to fulfill that pledge. Throughout his years like a messenger, Carnegie had taught himself the art of telegraphy. This skill helped him make contacts while using the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he visited just work at age 18. Throughout his 12-year railroad association he rose quickly, ultimately becoming superintendent on the Pennsylvania’s Pittsburgh division. He simultaneously invested in a variety of other businesses, including railroad locomotives, oil, and iron and steel. In 1865, Carnegie left the railroad to deal with the Keystone Bridge Company, that was successfully replacing wooden railroad bridges with iron ones. By way of the 1870s he was focusing on steel manufacturing, ultimately creating the Carnegie Steel Company. In 1901 he sold that business for $250 million.

Carnegie then retired and devoted the remainder of his life to philanthropy. Just before selling Carnegie Steel he had started to consider what to do with his immense fortune. In 1889 he wrote a famous essay entitled The Gospel of Wealth, wherein he stated that wealthy men should live without extravagance, provide moderately with regard to dependents, and distribute the rest of their riches to help the welfare and happiness on the common man–while using the consideration to assist you to only those who would help themselves. The Right Fields for Philanthropy, his second essay, listed seven fields to which the wealthy should donate: universities, libraries, medical centers, public parks, meeting and concert halls, public baths, and churches. He later expanded this list to incorporate gifts that promoted scientific research, the actual spread of information, plus the promotion of world peace. Many of those organizations continue to this very day: the Carnegie Corporation in Nyc, as an example ,, helps support Sesame Street.

Resulting from his background, Carnegie was particularly considering public libraries. At one point he stated a library was the perfect gift for a community, given it gave people the opportunity to improve themselves. His confidence was in accordance with the results of similar gifts from earlier philanthropists. In Baltimore, as an example, a library provided by Enoch Pratt was basically utilised by 37,000 folks one year. Carnegie thought that the relatively small number of public library patrons were of more value to the community as opposed to masses who chose not to take pleasure in the library.

Carnegie divided his donations to libraries to the retail and wholesale periods. While in the retail period, 1886 to 1896, he gave $1,860,869 for 14 endowed buildings in six communities in north america. These buildings were actually community centers, containing recreational facilities for example swimming pools as well as libraries. Within the years after 1896, named the wholesale period, Carnegie not necessarily supported urban multipurpose buildings. Instead he gave $39,172,981 to smaller communities who had limited access to cultural institutions. His gifts provided 1,406 towns with buildings devoted exclusively to libraries. Over half his grants were cheaper than $10,000. Although almost all the towns receiving gifts were in the Midwest, as a whole 46 states took advantage of Carnegie’s plan.

Andrew Carnegie stopped making gifts for library construction using a report built to him by Dr. Alvin Johnson, an economics professor. In 1916 Dr. Johnson visited 100 from the existing Carnegie libraries and studied their social significance, physical aspects, effectiveness, and financial condition. His final report figured that being really effective, the libraries needed trained personnel. Buildings had been provided, but this time it was time to staff all of them with professionals who would stimulate active, efficient libraries into their communities. Libraries already promised continued to become built until 1923, but after 1919 all financial support was turned into library education.

When Andrew Carnegie died in 1919 at age 84, he had given nearly one-fourth of his life to causes wherein he believed. His gifts to varied charities totalled nearly $350 million, almost 90 % of his fortune. Carnegie regarded all education as an approach to better people’s lives, and libraries provided an example of his main tools to help Americans make a brighter future. Questions for Reading 1 1. How did progress and industrialization affect Carnegie, both as he was young, and later in life? 2. Exactly how much formal education did Carnegie have? What factors led to his involvement in books and reading? 3. What did Carnegie believe wealthy people ought to do making use of their money? Why did he are convinced that? Will you agree? 4. How did supporting libraries match Carnegie’s past along with his beliefs? Reading 1 was compiled from George S. Bobinski, Carnegie Libraries (Chicago: American Library Association, 1969); Andrew Carnegie, Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, reprint (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1920 1986); Barry Sears, Around the Trail of Carnegie Libraries, Antiques and Collecting (February 1994); Gerald R. Shields, Recycling Buildings for Libraries, Public Libraries (March/April 1994).