“Let there be light”. Andrew Carnegie e le biblioteche pubbliche

Abstract

The impact of cultural patronage for local development has so far not been adequately emphasized in comparative studies on public library history. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), the famous entrepreneur of Scottish origins who, as a young man, emigrated to the United States (Pennsylvania), where the fortunes of his steel industry quickly made him an extremely wealthy man, can rightly be regarded as the most extraordinary patron of public libraries in the English-speaking countries between the 19th and 20th centuries. Later, mindful of the great value of free libraries for his self-training in his youth, Carnegie devoted several million dollars for the establishment of over 2,500 new public library buildings over a few decades. He also carried out many other generous donations in the cultural field. The principles of subsidiarity and complementarity with the action of the relevant public authorities can certainly be counted among the main elements that characterized Carnegie's donations to the library services. The agreements for the provision of a grant to the erection of the library building required the recipient local bodies to impose a tax levy for site maintenance and staff, as well as for ensuring an adequate and constant development of library collections over time. Of great interest is also the process of requesting and negotiating the contribution between the local authorities and the Carnegie Corporation. The city that would benefit from the donation had to accept precise standards concerning the size and architectural structure of the library building. In these respects, the decisive contribution of the Carnegie secretariat is noted, and especially of James Bertram (1872-1934), who was directly involved in the approval process of architectural plans.