So I knew that Andrew Carnegie was a millionaire tycoon at the turn of the century, I knew he was a “captain of industry” and big into railroads, iron and steel and I even knew he was an immigrant from Scotland, and the poster boy for the rags to riches story. What I didn’t know was that he was one of our countries greatest philanthropists (think Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey rolled into one), he gave away about $5 billion (adjusted to current figures) before he died in 1919 and left millions more after his death for foundations and charities. The biggest thing I didn’t know about Carnegie was that he was absolutely, positively, instrumental in helping build libraries across the US - 1,689, to be exact. He believed, from his own personal experiences, that the library had the power to “elevate” the spirit by offering knowledge and wisdom. He was confident in the common man’s ability to transform himself, as he had done, if only they had access to books and information. At his death in 1919 there were 3,500 libraries in America and almost half of them were funded by matching grants from Carnegie. He also helped build about a thousand libraries around the world - including in his first library in his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland, built in 1883. The Dunfermline Carnegie Library is located on Abbott Street and is still serving it’s community. Dunfermline is a former capital of Scotland and the ruins of it’s famous Abbey is a popular tourist attraction . In fact, the Abbott’s house, built in 1450, is now owned by the Dunfermline Carnegie Trust and has been converted to a heritage center. It sounds pretty cool but, you know me, I’m headed straight for the library.
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