Carnegie-Era Libraries

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Historical information

In Iowa, between 1900 and 1919, library buildings were also erected in communities that were not funded by Andrew Carnegie.  In several instances, these buildings, designated on this site as ‘Carnegie-Era’ libraries, were built through the commitment of the entire community.  In other towns, the library building was primarily the gift of a local donor, who then often served on the library board of trustees.  Interestingly, these latter were the situations that were initially touted as the ideal scenario by Alice S. Tyler, the Secretary of the Iowa Library Commission until 1913.  In the early editions of the Iowa Library Quarterly, several of these libraries were featured as the model for future libraries in the state.  Despite Tyler’s enthusiasm for this other model of a local donor, the vast majority of the library buildings built in Iowa during this period were funded instead by Carnegie.  As our understanding of the roles Iowa’s libraries played in their communities is expanded, the Carnegie-Era communities provide a valuable counterpoint to the Carnegie-funded libraries.

                                                                                                                                                                               Text by SLS

 

In addition to the nine communities listed above, the following seventy-one communities and seven academic institutions were also building and developing their public and academic libraries. The documents below are short articles from Iowa Library Quarterly (ILQ) documenting news from these Carnegie-Era libraries in smaller communities throughout Iowa.

– Emily Schartz

Public Libraries

Adel | Alta | Anita | AnkenyAnthon | Aurelia | Avoca | Belle Plaine | Callendar | Castana | Central City | Clarion | Clearfield | Coon Rapids | Corning | Creston | Decorah | Dow City | Eddyville | Exira | Farmington | Fonda | Forest City | Fort Madison | Galva | Garden Grove | Greene | Grand Junction | Hartley | Hawkeye | Holstein | Ida Grove | Independence | Keokuk | KeotaKiron | Lamoni | Lansing | Lenox | Letts | Lewis | Lyons | Maxwell | Mediapolis | Mitchell | Mitchellville | Monroe | Morning Sun | New Sharon | Norwalk | Orange CityOcheydean | Oxford Junction | Parkersburg | Paton | Paullina | Primghar | Redfield | Rockford | Rock Rapids | Rock Valley | Scranton | Seymour | Sutherland | Toledo | Washington | Waukon | Wellman | West Branch | What Cheer | Whiting

 

Academic Libraries

Amity College | Highland Park College | Leander Clark College | Lenox College | Morningside College | Iowa State University | University of Iowa

 

General Information about Libraries in Iowa

 

Adel

Alta

Amity College

Anita

Ankeny

Anthon

Aurelia

Avoca

Belle Plaine

Callendar

Castana

Central City

Clarion

Clearfield

Coon Rapids

Corning

Creston

Decorah

Dow City

Eddyville

Exira

Farmington

Fonda

Forest City

Fort Madison

Galva

Garden Grove

Greene

Grand Junction

Hartley

Hawkeye

Highland Park College

Holstein

Ida Grove

Independence

Iowa State University

Keokuk

Keota

Kiron

Lamoni

Lansing

Leander Clark College

Lenox

Lenox College

Letts

Lewis

Lyons

Maxwell

Mediapolis

Mitchell

Mitchellville

Monroe

Morningside College

Morning Sun

New Sharon

Norwalk

Ocheydean

Orange City

Oxford Junction

Parkersburg

Paton

Paullina

Primghar

Redfield

Rockford

Rock Rapids

Rock Valley

Scranton

Seymour

Sutherland

Toledo

University of Iowa

Washington

Waukon

Wellman

West Branch

What Cheer

Whiting