Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 2,509 libraries around the world, including 125 in Canada, between 1883 and 1929. He believed that everyone should be able to improve their lives through reading and learning. To receive funding, local cities or towns had to agree to provide land, purchase books, and pay for the librarians, while Carnegie covered the cost of constructing the building itself. His libraries enabled many small towns to have their first public library, giving people free access to books and knowledge.

I had the chance to visit several Carnegie libraries, although I didn’t realize at the time that they were Carnegie libraries. Carnegie’s impact goes far beyond the 2,509 libraries he funded. His passion fostered the belief that every community should have a public library.