Carnegie Libraries: An Investigation on the Impact of the Presence of the Libraries on Literacy Rates across the United States between 1890 and 1930

In the early 1900’s, Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest steel tycoons, funded the construction of 1,689 libraries in the United States. Carnegie’s donations often gave small towns their first publically accessible... [ view full abstract ]

In the early 1900’s, Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest steel tycoons, funded the construction of 1,689 libraries in the United States. Carnegie’s donations often gave small towns their first publically accessible building and also promoted the role of education and politics in the early 1900’s. By 1919, there were around 3,500 libraries, with nearly half of them being solely Carnegie Libraries. While there have been studies on the importance and influence of libraries on their communities, I will specifically analyze the Carnegie Libraries since they were a conscious effort of promoting education on Carnegie’s behalf. The program itself created a shock in the accessibility of resources, I intend on exploring the effect that the influx of libraries across the country led to changes in literacy rates. Specifically I would like to explore the intersectional effect that the libraries had on different communities and their varying residents. Furthermore, I intend on dissecting the influence the libraries had on the literacy gap between black and white people at the time of their inception what role the libraries played on shrinking (or expanding) the literacy gap between men and women in the 1900’s.