List of Carnegie libraries in Europe

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This is an incomplete list of Carnegie libraries in Europe.

Bideford Library, Devon, England, built 1905

Belgium

The University Library, Leuven, Belgium
The University Library, Leuven, after fire damage in the First World War

A Carnegie library was built in the 1920s for the University of Leuven to replace a building destroyed in the First World War.

Funding came from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which also built libraries in the war-damaged cities of Rheims and Belgrade. The architect of the Leuven library was Whitney Warren. Although the architect was American, he employed a Flemish style for this commission. His building in turn suffered severe damage in the Second World War, but has been restored. (For more details of this library, see Catholic University of Leuven.)

France

The Carnegie library of Reims is the single Carnegie library in France. Reims was devastated in the First World War and the losses included library accommodation in the town-hall. The provision of a new library was conceived as a contribution to the city's reconstruction. Reims was one of three "front-line" cities to be given a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Belgrade.

The Art Deco building was finished in 1927, and opened the following year in the presence of Gaston Doumergue, the French President and Myron T. Herrick, the US ambassador. The building was restored at the beginning of the 21st century. The library stock includes some materials that survived World War I.[1]

Ireland

Carnegie libraries are to be found throughout Ireland.[2][3] Libraries vary considerably in size, some of the rural ones being very small, but the smallest must be the cabinets used for the Carnegie Library Lighthouse Service. 80 were constructed originally and 62 survive in their current form as of 2020 although some no longer function as libraries.[4]

A full list and description of Carnegie libraries in Ireland is in Irish Carnegie Libraries: a Catalogue & Architectural History.[5] The examples listed below are in the Republic of Ireland.

More information County, Location and street ...
County Location and street Image Notes
Cork Anglesea Street foundation stone laid 1903; destroyed in the Burning of Cork[6]
Cork Ashe Street. Youghal Also used as a Quaker meeting house[7]
Cork Millstreet
Dublin Balbriggan Built c1905[8]
Dublin Ballsbridge (1929)[9]
Dublin Blackrock, Dublin [10]
Dublin Cabinteely [11][12]
Dublin Clondalkin [13]
Dublin Dalkey [14]
Dublin Charleville Mall, North Strand [15]
Dublin Dundrum, Dublin still in use as a library[16][17]
Dublin Dún Laoghaire [18][19]
Dublin Garristown 1912[20]
Dublin Glencullen 1907[21]
Dublin Kish Bank lighthouse [22]
Dublin Lusk, County Dublin (1908)[23]
Dublin Malahide
Dublin Pearse Street, Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive
Dublin Rathmines (1913)[24]
Dublin Sandyford [25]
Dublin Shankill (1912, R.M Butler)[26]
Dublin Skerries, County Dublin Strand street. 1911, still in use as a library[27][28]
Dublin Swords, County Dublin
Dublin Whitechurch, Dublin (1911)[29][30]
Kerry Caherciveen [31]
Kerry Castleisland [32]
Kerry Dingle [33][34]
Kerry Kenmare [35]
Kerry Killorglin 1909[36]
Kerry Listowel [37][38]
Kerry Tralee
Kilkenny Kilkenny city, John's Quay 1910, still in use as a library[39]
Limerick Athea 1917[40]
Limerick Askeaton [41]
Limerick Ballyhahill [42]
Limerick Ballysteen [43]
Limerick Broadford, County Limerick [44]
Limerick Clouncagh 1917[45]
Limerick Croagh [46]
Limerick Feenagh, County Limerick [47]
Limerick Kilcolman [48]
Limerick Kildimo [49]
Limerick Pery Square, Limerick City 1906, Limerick City Gallery of Art[50]
Limerick Newcastle West [51][52]
Limerick Pallaskenry [53]
Limerick Rathkeale [43]
Limerick Shanagolden, County Limerick [54]
Louth Drogheda [55]
Waterford Ballyduff, County Waterford [56]
Waterford Cappoquin [57]
Waterford Lismore, County Waterford 1910[58]
Waterford Tallow, County Waterford [59]
Waterford Waterford City Library foundation stone laid 1903 – first Carnegie library in Ireland and still in use[60]
Wicklow Bray, County Wicklow [61]
Wicklow Enniskerry [62]
Wicklow Greystones [63][64]
Close

Netherlands

Peace Palace, The Hague, The Netherlands (2007)

The Peace Palace Library is a library in The Hague. A financial donation by Andrew Carnegie made the construction of the Peace Palace possible.

Serbia

The Belgrade University Library, Serbia, is a Carnegie library.[65] Much of Belgrade was destroyed in the First World War, and in the 1920s it became one of three "front-line" cities to receive a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Rheims.

United Kingdom

The Dunfermline Carnegie Library was the first Carnegie library to be built in Scotland; it opened in Carnegie's birthplace in 1883. Carnegie libraries in England began to be built at the beginning of the 20th century. In his retirement, Carnegie divided his time between the US and Scotland, and opened some British libraries personally.

In Britain the process of applying for a Carnegie library was broadly similar to that in the US. It was adapted to British legislation, e.g. the Public Libraries Act, which permitted expenditure from the rates on local libraries. Carnegie assessed applications using criteria which favoured poorer towns, but applicants had to undertake to support their library, providing it with books etc. from the rates. While most towns were very grateful to receive a grant, Carnegie's project was not without controversy. For example, some people objected to the way in which he had made his money. In the case of Stratford-on-Avon there were objections to the proposed building for conservation reasons, and this resulted in a library which blends into the half-timbered neighbouring buildings.[66]

Most Carnegie libraries served the general population of towns and cities, but he also provided some academic libraries in the UK. (This pattern of town and academic libraries was in line with his policy in the US where he provided a number of college libraries, for example at Tuskegee University.[67]) In Stoke-on-Trent the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust funded a specialist ceramics library.[68] The existence of special collections with catalogues gave scope for the development of interlibrary loans.

From 1913 applications were handled by the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust,[69] based in Carnegie's home town, Dunfermline. The trust continued to fund libraries after Carnegie's death in 1919, but its priorities shifted to other areas of its charitable work.

Current status of Carnegie libraries

As at 2011 many of the UK's Carnegie libraries continue to be used for their original purpose. However, Carnegie libraries are being affected by local authority budget cuts which are reducing the number of public libraries across the country.[70]

Some Carnegie libraries are unprotected by the listing system. Over the years some Carnegie libraries have been demolished, e.g. Grays (details in the list below) On the other hand, new uses have been found for other Carnegie libraries, e.g. Pontefract's Carnegie library is now a museum.

England

Herne Hill Library was built in 1906 and now Grade II listed.
Levenshulme Library, a Carnegie library in a small Manchester suburb, was built in 1904.
The technical college, Stoke-on-Trent, housed the Solon Carnegie Library. Unusually, this building of 1914 was provided from public funds and the books themselves by Carnegie.
Former Carnegie library in Sevenoaks
Southend-on-Sea Public Library (1905), in use since 1981 as the town's museum
Westhoughton Library and Museum (1906)
The first Carnegie library to open in Andrew Carnegie's home town of Dunfermline in Scotland

Scotland

Govanhill & Crosshill District Library, Scotland, built in 1906 by architect James Robert Rhind
Plaque in Arthurstone Library, Dundee, Scotland acknowledging donation by Andrew Carnegie

In Scotland the Carnegie libraries were typically built of stone.[122] In the rest of the British Isles there was much more use of brick. The drawings of the Carnegie libraries designed by architect James Robert Rhind are in the Strathclyde Archives, Glasgow.[123]

Wales

Main article: Carnegie libraries in Wales

Carnegie's libraries were not exclusively for English-speakers. The Bangor library was called Llyfrgell Rydd ("Free Library" in Welsh).

Cathays Library, in Cardiff, opened 1906

Northern Ireland

References

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