Carnegie Libraries in Minnesota

Andrew Carnegie’s interest in libraries was a very personal one. A self-made man who had to leave school at the age of 12, he believed that libraries were the key to making education accessible even to those who could not afford formal schooling. His support helped to build over 2,500 libraries in the U.S. and abroad. Between 1899 and 1917, he  provided nearly a million dollars to help create 65 public libraries in the state of Minnesota alone. Forty-eight of these libraries remain. With the support of a grant from the Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators (CRPLSA), Kevin Clemens has created a photo essay of each of these remaining libraries, including interior and exterior detail shots along with a main shot of the building and an image of a vintage postcard from when each building was new. A book of his photographs will be published in the spring of 2011.