h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Carnegie Libraries - A87764610
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

This is the first time I've put something in the Writing Workshop.

A collaborative entry which would benefit from a nice, long gestation period to hopefully attract as many contributors as possible.

Do you know a Carnegie Library? Help this article out by telling me all about it.

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Nudge noted.

I've been intending to get around to cleaning up my contribution.
No promises about speed

Rod

... and here's a challenge:

Nudge-A-Week month?

OK, no need to act on that nudge-a-week after all.



My contribution, as cleaned-up and refined is below, for consideration.



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- - - - - - - -
Though he never visited New Zealand, Andrew Carnegie left a lasting impression. He was responsible for funding 18 library buildings in New Zealand. After his death in 1919 the Carnegie Corporation continued to contribute to the development of New Zealand's library service, most notably in the 1930s and 40s.
- -

“The Carnegie Formula” for funding libraries was a four-point one.
The applicant was to:
- Demonstrate the need for a public library;
- Provide the building site;
- Annually provide ten percent of the cost of the library's construction to support its operation; and,
- Provide free service to all.

Carnegie assigned the decisions to his assistant James Bertram. He created a "Schedule of Questions." The schedule included:
Name, status and population of town,
Does it have a library?
Where is it located and is it public or private?
How many books?
Is a town-owned site available?
- - - -


New Zealand

25 applications were entered for New Zealand and seven were turned down. The reason for at least one of them was that it was suggested that [the town] come up with ‘less elaborate plans’ - a suitable building should be able to be erected for ‘just half the sum’ they had requested.

So, 18 Carnegie Libraries were built in New Zealand.

{Alexandra, Balclutha, Cambridge, Dannevirke, Dunedin, Fairlie, Gore, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hokitika, Levin, Marton, Onehunga, New Plymouth, Thames, Timaru and Westport}

Dunedin (the "Edinburgh of the South") attracted the largest individual grant (£10,000 / about US$16,000 at 2012 rates).
Twelve of the buildings remain and there are two of them still operating as libraries - Balclutha and Marton.
It may be of interest to note that the two in New Zealand remaining as libraries make up some 11% of the originals, compared with the equivalent 3.5% of those in the USA.

Relative costs are not easy to assess but if we note that a more modest grant than Dunedin's was for Thames, at £2,000, then a very rough gauge is that a single-storey, 4-bedroom house (excluding land) would cost nothing less than £100,000 to build today – more likely upwards of £150,000.

Thanks Rod - have a read and let me know what you think.

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Hi Bluebottle,

. Typo: Under the list of libraries, open the quote - "The Carnegie Formula”

. natural break after list of nz towns... new para:
...
18 Westport
Dunedin, known as the Edinburgh of the South, attracted the largest individual grant (£10,000 / about US $16,000 at 2012 rates).
Twelve of the buildings remain and there are two of them still operating as libraries...

. Typo: 'any'
France

I had never heard of Carnegie libraries. I googled, and it seems there aren't any in Germany.



Pause here - other things calling

It's doing ok so far, eh?

Rod

Yes, doing okay. I'd still like to hear from more people about their local Carnegie library, though. Not about every library, but descriptions of a selection from all over the world, how people interacted with the libraries, not just a list of names of places that most of us haven't heard of. I’d like to be told that Researcher 1 often visited a library, and remembers it, I don't know, had a wonderful smell of dust and wood polish and whenever they smell polish they remember that library (an experience other readers could relate to) as well as lists stating that there were libraries in towns X Y and Z.

As with all things, it is important to find a balance, and I feel the balance should be stronger in favour of descriptions than lists. But we do have two descriptions of two New Zealand libraries – so thanks for that. Which are the two that still survive as libraries, if Thames is 'The Treasury'? And can you tell me more what 'The Treasury' is – is it a museum on gold prospecting? A pub/restaurant? An actual treasury?

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"The Treasury" seems to be a bit of whimsey but true enough withal. It's a repository for the history of the Coromandel - a museum. If you look here:
http://www.thetreasury.org.nz/
there's a bit more about it (and the proposed Archive "which would not impinge on the integrity of the Carnegie Building" ha!

Further down is a picture of the library and a statement that "It was one of only three remaining Carnegie Libraries in New Zealand when it last closed its doors in 1990."

- -

I am now uncertain of what actually does remain (buggers for consistency, these kiwis) but will see what I can find out.
No one yet, who I've spoken to, even recognised 'Carnegie Library'. I might have to call in to my local one (the Trevor Inch Memorial Library) and embarrass them, too...


I can see your difficulty - you certainly need a lot more input - with it being so top-heavy so far ('top-heavy', appropriate, non? for you lot down under)


Rod

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/interactive/carnegie-libraries
(contemporary?) photos of five of the libraries.
This looks like a 2005 entry. It says that Balclutha and Marton are the only two to continue to operate as libraries.

Balclutha:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7KP3_Carnegie_Library_Balclutha_New_Zealand

Marton - can't find a picture without more time than seems worth spending given the circumstances with your entry.



There's a lot of information coming out and not all of it is self-reinforcing.

I've noted it for future research, unless you specifically ask.


Rod

Based on a conversation here: F19585?thread=8294658

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Rod