On this day in 1901, Andrew Carnegie offered New York City $5.2 million for the construction of 65 branch libraries. Of the 56.5 million given by Carnegie for over 2500 libraries in a dozen countries, this was his largest single grant, part of a wider attempt to live up to his famous dictum: "The man who dies thus rich, dies disgraced." Though some of Carnegie's contemporaries were more interested in attacking the "Gospel of Wealth" whereby "Saint Andrew" amassed his money than in praising him for giving it away, not many librarians could have been among them. ... FULL STORY »
