AI tools

List of Carnegie libraries in Europe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of Carnegie libraries in Europe

This is an incomplete list of Carnegie libraries in Europe.

Bideford Library, Devon, England, built 1905

Belgium

Thumb
The University Library, Leuven, Belgium
Thumb
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

Summarize
Perspective

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 Thumb 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 Thumb Built c1905[8]
Dublin Ballsbridge (1929)[9]
Dublin Blackrock, Dublin Thumb [10]
Dublin Cabinteely [11][12]
Dublin Clondalkin [13]
Dublin Dalkey [14]
Dublin Charleville Mall, North Strand Thumb [15]
Dublin Dundrum, Dublin still in use as a library[16][17]
Dublin Dún Laoghaire [18][19]
Dublin Garristown Thumb 1912[20]
Dublin Glencullen 1907[21]
Dublin Kish Bank lighthouse Thumb [22]
Dublin Lusk, Dublin Thumb (1908)[23]
Dublin Malahide Thumb
Dublin Pearse Street, Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive Thumb
Dublin Rathmines (1913)[24]
Dublin Sandyford Thumb [25]
Dublin Shankill (1912, R.M Butler)[26]
Dublin Skerries, Dublin Thumb Strand street. 1911, still in use as a library[27][28]
Dublin Swords, Dublin Thumb
Dublin Whitechurch, Dublin Thumb (1911)[29][30]
Kerry Caherciveen [31]
Kerry Castleisland [32]
Kerry Dingle Thumb [33][34]
Kerry Kenmare Thumb [35]
Kerry Killorglin 1909[36]
Kerry Listowel [37][38]
Kerry Tralee
Kilkenny Kilkenny city, John's Quay Thumb 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 Thumb 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 Thumb 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

Thumb
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

Summarize
Perspective

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

Thumb
Herne Hill Library was built in 1906 and now Grade II listed.
Thumb
Levenshulme Library, a Carnegie library in a small Manchester suburb, was built in 1904.
Thumb
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.
Thumb
Former Carnegie library in Sevenoaks
Thumb
Southend-on-Sea Public Library (1905), in use since 1981 as the town's museum
Thumb
Westhoughton Library and Museum (1906)

Swinton Carnegie Library opened in 1906. Was sold off in the early 80s and is currently a short term rental building where guests can still enjoy the original features of the building.

  • Taunton, Opened 1905, closed in 1996 and is now a wine bar.[109]
  • Tinsley Carnegie Library, opened in June 1905, a few months before Sheffield's more well known Carnegie library at Walkley, and seven years before Tinsley became part of Sheffield. It served as the branch library until 1985 when the service moved to a new building.[110]
  • Tividale, opened 15 November 1909, closed 1966.
  • Tuebrook, Liverpool. Closed in 2006 due to health and safety concerns. Now being redeveloped as a community hub by local charity Lister Steps.[111]
  • Tyldesley 1909, brick and stone construction.
  • Walkley, Sheffield 1905, Grade II listed.
  • Wallasey Central Library.
  • Walsall Central Library, of red brick and stone. Opened 24 July 1906 at a cost of £8,000.[112]
  • Drury Lane Library, Wakefield 1905, stone. Library now closed, replaced by a new library and museum within the Wakefield One civic office building which opened to the public on Monday 29 October 2012, with the lending library on the upper ground floor and local studies section and museum on the lower ground floor.[113] The building was converted by The Art House in 2014 into 34 artists' studios.[114]
  • Wednesbury 1908, red brick and limestone at a cost of £5,000.
  • West Bromwich 1907, Ruabon facing bricks with Portland stone and terracotta detailing.[115]
  • Westhoughton 1906, situated at the rear of the Town Hall.[116]
  • Workington 1904, built as a library and lecture hall. In use as the Carnegie theatre & arts centre since 1973.[117]
  • Worthing[118] 1908. Built by Worthing Corporation, the building survives as Worthing Museum & Art Gallery.[119] Today's library[120] was built next door, opened in 1975 and is run by West Sussex County Council.[120]
Thumb
The first Carnegie library to open in Andrew Carnegie's home town of Dunfermline in Scotland

Scotland

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

In Scotland the Carnegie libraries were typically built of stone.[121] 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.[122]

Wales

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

Thumb
Cathays Library, in Cardiff, opened 1906

Northern Ireland

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.