Carnegie Libraries

Carnegie Libraries in Wisconsin

Chris Claremont, a Brit by birth, is an American comic book writer and novelist, who worked for Marvel Comics. He once wrote, “The more stories I told, the more I found I wanted to tell. There was always something left unsaid. I got hooked by my own impulse of 'Well, what's gonna happen next?’”

That’s the way I feel about highlighting stuff about Wisconsin for you that cannot be left unsaid.

Claremont expresses my feeling perfectly: “What excites me, what attracts me, what gets me up in the morning is telling the next story and getting it out in front of readers and hoping they'll love it too.”

There is no end to the stories I could tell. I hope you enjoy these.

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Andrew Carnegie, 1913, Photo: Marceau, NYC

Andrew Carnegie, born in 1835 in Scotland, “earned his spurs” by developing the Carnegie Steel Corporation into the largest steel manufacturing company in the world. But he didn’t just step into that role. First, he was a bobbin boy in a cotton mill, became a superintendent with the Pennsylvania Railroad, became a voracious reader of books, invested in various companies, and got involved in ironworks, steamers, railroads, and oil wells. He ultimately built the Carnegie Corporation of New York, an innovative philanthropic foundation.

The Wisconsin Library Association tells us this about Carnegie libraries in Wisconsin,

“Andrew Carnegie was often referred to as the ‘Patron Saint of Libraries’. He donated $56,162,622 for the construction of 2509 library buildings throughout the English-speaking parts of the world. He donated $40,000,000 for the construction of 1679 public library buildings in the United States. Sixty Wisconsin communities were the recipients of 63 public library grants from Andrew Carnegie. In addition, two academic institutions also received Carnegie Library grants. Fifteen of these Carnegie buildings have been razed, thirty have been repurposed or are no longer used as libraries, but 20 are still being used as public libraries.”

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Carnegie had a great love of books. He boasted that he was from humble beginnings. He talked about Colonel James Anderson, a veteran of the War of 1812 from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and a successful businessman.

Carnegie has written about Anderson,

“My dear friend, Tom Miller, one of the inner circle, lived near Colonel Anderson and introduced me to him, and in this way the windows were opened in the walls of my dungeon through which the light of knowledge streamed in. Every day's toil and even the long hours of night service were lightened by the book which I carried about with me and read in the intervals that could be snatched from duty. And the future was made bright by the thought that when Saturday came a new volume could be obtained.”

Colonel Anderson opened his library of some 400 volumes to boys and young men so they could take a book out every Saturday afternoon and return it the next Saturday. Carnegie wrote,

“It was from my own early experience that I decided there was no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as the founding of a public library in a community which is willing to support it as a municipal institution.”

The Pittsburg Post-Gazette published an article about Colonel Anderson, saying he was “the first philanthropist to establish a free library west of the (Pennsylvania) mountains … He established the ‘James Anderson Library and Institute of Allegheny City in 1827.” Carnegie built a monument to Anderson, which “stands in front of the North Side Carnegie Library.”

Carnegie had his libraries built according to “the Carnegie formula.” The town receiving the donation had to maintain and operate the library primarily because he wanted the library to have public support. He hired James Bertram to design the libraries, first with a closed stack policy evolving to an open-shelf or self-service policy. Bertram placed the circulation desk, one spanning nearly the width of the lobby, inside the front door to check theft. The self-service policy encouraged people to browse and decide which ones to take out.

The Central Library of the Superior Public Library Carnegie Libraries in Wisconsin is the first Carnegie building, erected in 1901. Wisconsin. I believe Tomah was the last, built in 1915.

There is an online list of libraries. Look for them, visit and browse around. Have fun.

Bayfield

Eau Claire

Built in 1903, one of the oldest public libraries in Wisconsin. The libvrary boasts, “The mission of the Bayfield Carnegie LIbrary is to be a compass for curious minds.”

The library has over 20,000 items available for checkout. It has five public computer work stations with high speed internet.

37 North Broad Street, Bayfield

Built in 1903, the Eau Claire Public Library was

the fourth public library in Wisconsin. It was converted into a municipal building in 1976 and moved down the street. It was completely renovated in 2022. The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is redefining the role of a public library in the community. It provides an impressive array of enhanced services for the community.

400 Eau Claire Street

Ripon

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Built in 1905, the building now houses offices for Ripon College. The library began in 1885 with 500 volumes in Phelps Drug Store. Carnegie donated $10,000 to build a new library, which opened in 1905. A new library was built on Jefferson St. in 1972. Doris Riggs Miller donated $1.2 million for an expansion, which was completed in 1999.

401 Watson Street, Ripon