Step 1: Request a Grant
Milford, Illinois Library
The first step in Carnegie’s process – requesting a grant – was initiated by the people who wished to receive a library. Anybody could request a grant – librarians, library board members, teachers, ministers, club representatives, and prominent community leaders all wrote to Carnegie asking for a library (Bobinski, 1696). In these letters, it was common for the writer to provide information about the town or city and why they needed a library, flatteringly appeal to Carnegie’s munificence, and claim ties – occasionally very tenuous ones – to the industries that interested Carnegie or his Scottish heritage (Jeffrey, 2009). Other, more colorful, reasons were sometimes given as to why the town needed a library – for example, the mayor of Berlin, Wisconsin wrote to Carnegie asking for a library so the young men of the town would have a place to spend time that was not one of the town’s 20-plus saloons; meanwhile, the town of Bloomfield, Iowa, wrote to Carnegie saying that they had not had any saloons in their town for 30 years and suggested that they be rewarded with a library (Bobinski). Others wrote asking for libraries that would also house restaurants, game rooms, gymnasiums and even bowling alleys – these requests were denied (Bobinski). These correspondences were usually directed to Carnegie’s personal secretary, James Bertram, who replied to grant appeals and collected in-depth information by mail on the communities requesting a library. As communities sometimes tried to increase their grant size, which was typically $2.00-$3.00 per citizen, by falsely inflating their population size, Bertram came to rely on the U.S. Census to verify the information given (Jones, 1997) This part of the process could take several years while Bertram collected information and a decision was made as to whether or not a grant would be given (Jeffrey).
Step 2: Provide a Site & Building Plans
Cincinnati, Ohio Library
The second step of receiving a grant – providing a site and building designs for the library – was a common stumbling block that affected one out of three library grants offers (Bobinski, 1969). While Carnegie did not directly dictate how a library should look, or what style the building the building must be, his secretary, James Bertram, did write extensive notes on the subject, starting his pamphlet in 1911 and further elaborating it in later years. This pamphlet was given to communities that were planning a library with Carnegie’s grants, and focused on how to build a library that would stay within the budget of the grant; it strongly encouraged practicality and convenience in design (Van Slyck, 1995). Apparently, there had been problems with communities looking to show off their new library by designing and constructing extravagant buildings that went over the budget allotted, and left them stranded with an incomplete library and asking for more money. In 1904 Bertram started reviewing proposed library plans and in 1908 his approval was required on all proposed plans (Van Slyck); however, this was more out of his concern for budgetary issues than a desire to influence the look of Carnegie libraries. In fact, the decision on any library’s style was typically made by a library committee or by polling the entire community (Jones, 1997). The only stipulations Carnegie made as to the site was that it should be ‘satisfactory’ to the community, publically owned, and large enough to allow for expansion if needed (Bobinski). Any difficulties regarding choosing a site needed to be worked out among the community – Carnegie and Bertram refused to referee location disputes – and if they could not be resolved the community ultimately would not receive the grant they had requested (Bobinski).
Step 3: Institute Taxation
Petaluma, California Library
The final part of the process – instituting a system of taxation equal to 10% a year of the original grant to be used for library maintenance – is one that Carnegie felt strongly about, given his views about the danger of indiscriminate charity. Maurizi (2001) said:
If a community wanted one of his grants, it would have to show a real commitment. It would have to show that it valued a library every bit as much highly as any other community service and demonstrate it by reaching into its own pocketbook” (p. 347 )
This was the step that the most problematic for many communities. Taxation for libraries was unheard of at this point, and not all communities liked the idea (Maurizi, 2001). Some town’s laws made instituting such a taxation system illegal, so they could not meet Carnegie’s terms or accept a library (Jones, 1997), while some communities just chose not to accept additional taxes and were therefore refused a grant(Maurizi).
If a community wanted one of his grants, it would have to show a real commitment. It would have to show that it valued a library every bit as much highly as any other community service and demonstrate it by reaching into its own pocketbook” (p. 347 )
This was the step that the most problematic for many communities. Taxation for libraries was unheard of at this point, and not all communities liked the idea (Maurizi, 2001). Some town’s laws made instituting such a taxation system illegal, so they could not meet Carnegie’s terms or accept a library (Jones, 1997), while some communities just chose not to accept additional taxes and were therefore refused a grant(Maurizi).