Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh facts for kids
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a big public library system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its main building is in a neighborhood called Oakland. There are also 19 other library spots all around the city! A long time ago, a rich businessman named Andrew Carnegie helped pay for the main library and many of its branches. He helped build hundreds of libraries like this one all over the world. The first ones in the United States were right here in the Pittsburgh area.
The library also keeps a special collection called the Pittsburgh Photographic Library. It has over 50,000 old pictures and negatives that show the history of Pittsburgh.
Quick facts for kids Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh |
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| Interior view of the main branch in the Oakland neighborhood | |
| Established | February 6, 1890 |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°26′34″N 79°57′03″W / 40.442728°N 79.950787°W |
| Collection | |
| Size | 5,230,200 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 3,529,379 |
| Population served | 2.6 million |
| Members | 294,733 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $26,879,454 |
| Website | |
How the Library Started
Pittsburgh once had eight Carnegie libraries built around the year 1900. In 1881, Andrew Carnegie offered the city $250,000 to build a public library. He said the city needed to provide the land and money each year to keep it running.
At first, the city said no. They worried that using public tax money for a library wasn't allowed by the state. But after a few years, the state government approved the idea. So, the city changed its mind and decided to accept Carnegie's generous offer.
In 1890, the City of Pittsburgh accepted an even bigger gift of $1 million from Andrew Carnegie. This money was for building the main library in Oakland. It also paid for five branch libraries in different neighborhoods. These neighborhoods were Lawrenceville, West End, Wylie Avenue (Hill District), Mount Washington, and Hazelwood.
Later, the city received three more Carnegie libraries. These were in the East Liberty, South Side, and Homewood neighborhoods. The main library was finished in 1895. The other branch libraries were built over the next fifteen years. The last one, the Homewood branch, was completed in 1910.
Today, six of the original Carnegie branch locations are still public libraries. They are in Lawrenceville, West End, Mount Washington, Hazelwood, South Side, and Homewood. The East Liberty branch was taken down in the 1960s. The Wylie Avenue branch moved to a new spot in 1982.
Library Locations
- Allegheny
- Beechview
- Brookline
- Carrick
- Downtown and Business
- East Liberty
- Hazelwood
- Hill District
- Homewood
- Knoxville
- Lawrenceville
- Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (Bloomfield)
- Main (Oakland)
- Mt. Washington
- Sheraden
- South Side
- Squirrel Hill
- West End
- Woods Run
Working Together
For many years, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has worked with libraries in nearby towns. In 2014, they started talking about new ways to share some services. This helps all the libraries work better together.
Helping Our Library Grow
"Our Library, Our Future" was a special effort to get more money for the library. The library and its supporters asked city voters to approve a small increase in local property taxes. This extra money would help the library.
On November 4, 2011, the people of Pittsburgh voted on this idea. A large majority, 72%, voted yes! This tax increase gives the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh about three million dollars more each year. This money helps the library offer more books, programs, and services for everyone.
