Carnegie's Legacy Threatened, Along with Children's Library Services

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By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 10/14/2009

A piece of Andrew Carnegie’s legacy could fall into jeopardy if the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh follows through with closing four branches, and potentially curtailing children and teen services for local communities as well.

The Lawrenceville branch--an original Carnegie library--is slotted to close in February 2010.

Pittsburgh’s public library system must close four of its 19 branches, merge two, and relocate another to balance its dwindling budget in these tough economic times.

“It’s a perfect storm,” says Suzanne Thinnes, spokesperson for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. “Local funding is down, state budgets are down, and foundations are down. This was a very painful decision.”

Both the Lawrenceville branch, built in 1898, and the West End branch, built in 1899, are slated to close their doors in February 2010. In addition, 30 staff members will lose their positions—with some potentially stemming from these branches. Included are children’s librarians, which every branch in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has on staff, and some teen librarians, says Thinnes.

The decision wasn’t a quick one. The library system spent several years running studies, asking the public for its input, and even held town hall meetings before deciding last week to shut two of the original libraries built—and donated—by philanthropist and steel mogul Andrew Carnegie.

However, while doors may shut, the public library has put an outreach plan in place and will send librarians out to K–12 schools, child care centers, preschools and even Head Start programs in communities where their local branch may no longer be open.

While the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh does receive a stipend for running original Carnegie libraries in its

Reading at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

system—just .3 percent of its operating budget, or $40,000—the original amount promised by the city of Pittsburgh to Andrew Carnegie for building the first of eight libraries, he donated to the city.

The problem? The amount has never increased, and if it had grown with inflation, it would be nearly $1 million today, an amount that could definitely offset the financial hit the library system has taken over the past few years.

But the public library would have to look elsewhere for that amount of funding today to keep all the branches open, as Carnegie did not leave an endowment, says Thinnes. But searching for a long-term funding plan is one idea they haven’t shut the doors on just yet.

“There’s always hope,” says Thinnes. “We would entertain anyone who wants to develop a plan, but it would have to be for sustainable and long-term funding.”