Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835, and he immigrated to the United States in 1848 settling in Alleghany, Pennsylvania. Carnegie is known for building a steel empire and becoming the richest man in the world. Additionally, Carnegie is renowned for the impact that his philanthropy had on the late 19th century, the 20Th century, and the present day. Through the various foundations affiliated with his name, his impact is felt in the medical field, political arena, and in education (Andrew Carnegie: Pioneer. Visionary. Innovator., 2015). In addition, Andrew Carnegie is best known for his charitable impact on public libraries across the United States and the world.
Andrew Carnegie decision to fund and to help build libraries across the United States was born from a passion to help others and the impact libraries could have on a community. Andrew Carnegie came from poverty; he later donated sixty million dollars to fund 1,689 public libraries across the United States (Stamberg, 2013). The belief that it was one’s responsibility to give back, and his belief that public libraries can be instrument of change were the reasons that Carnegie funded and built libraries. (Stamberg,
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Carnegie (1889) stated that he used to borrow books from a man named, Colonel Anderson; Colonel Anderson’s generosity for lending him books fostered his love for books and the idea to build free libraries. The Pratt Library in Baltimore, Maryland was an inspiration of Carnegie. The generosity of Enoch Pratt for presenting the library as a gift to the city of Baltimore and its residents, and Baltimore’s desire to maintain, develop, and grow the library inspired Carnegie to established his own library charitable endeavors (Carnegie, 1889, p.19). The success of the library, more than 430, 217 books distributed in 1888, was impressive to Carnegie (Carnegie, 1889, p.