This is a chronological overview of the Carnegie Libraries constructed in Nebraska with background information about the requirements for these grants (yes, there were local requirements) and comments about the architecture and history of these structures. The "Bad" is the downside of the Carnegie donations, including the building designs and expectation of outside funding for library capitol projects. Speaker: Laureen Riedesel, Director, Beatrice Public Library. NCompass Live - December 19, 2012. http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/

1. Carnegie Libraries
the Good, the Bad, and
the Beautiful

3. Andrew Carnegie

6. Requirements
for receiving
Carnegie Funds for a
Public Library

7. A Public Library Board
organized according to
State Law was the
recipient of the funds.

8. Community must provide
a site with convenient
access, natural light around
the building and room to
expand for the future.

9. Tentative building plans
had to be approved by
Carnegie.

10. The funding source
had to be public and
agree to a basic funding
level that would be
maintained by them.

11. The public entity
had to agree to continue
the continuous existence
of the Public Library in
the community.

12. Lincoln Main 1901

13. Fremont 1903

14. Beatrice 1904

15. Beatrice Foyer

16. Hastings 1904

17. Grand Island 1905

18. Kearney 1905

19. Adult Reading Room (Kearney)

20. Children’s Reading Room (Kearney)

21. Havelock (Lincoln) 1907

22. Pawnee City 1907

23. Tecumseh 1907

24. Albion 1908

25. Albion Interior

26. McCook 1908

27. McCook Front View

28. Fairbury 1909

29. Northeast Branch (Lincoln) 1909

30. Superior 1909

31. Superior Interior

32. Sutton 1910

33. Alma 1911

34. Ashland 1911

35. Aurora 1911

36. Chadron 1911

37. Neligh 1911

38. Norfolk 1911

39. Schuyler 1911

40. Alliance 1912

41. Geneva 1912

42. North Bend 1912

43. North Platte 1912

44. North Platte Interior

45. O’Neill 1912

46. Pierce 1912

47. Ponca 1912

48. Ponca (Later View)

49. Gibbon 1913

50. Madison 1913

51. Wayne 1913

52. Wayne (Later)

53. Burwell 1914

54. Fairfield 1914

55. Seward 1914

56. Shelton 1914

57. Columbus 1915

58. Crete 1915

59. Franklin 1915

60. Stanton 1915

61. Bloomfield 1916

62. Broken Bow 1916

63. Broken Bow (Newspaper Clipping)

64. College View (Lincoln) 1916

65. Gothenburg 1916

66. Hartington 1916

67. Harvard 1916

68. Plainview 1916

69. Tekamah 1916

70. University Place (Lincoln) 1916

71. Arcadia 1917 (Newspaper Clipping)

72. Blair 1917

73. Loup City 1917 (Newspaper Clipping)

74. Sidney 1917

75. Spencer 1917

76. Ravenna 1918

77. Clarks 1919 (photo taken 1978)

78. David City 1919

79. Wymore 1919
(photo of renovated building in 2002)

80. Scottsbluff 1921

81. West Nebraska Art Center
(formerly Scottsbluff Carnegie Library)

82. Cozad 1922 (Newspaper Clipping)

83. -Bobinski, George S. CARNEGIE LIBRARIES: Their history and
impact on American Public Library development. Chicago: ALA,
c. 1969
- CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE. A
Manual of the public benefactions of Andrew Carnegie. Washington,
1919.
- Jones, Theodore. CARNEGIE LIBRARIES ACROSS AMERICA.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, c. 1997.
- Pollak, Oliver. A STATE OF READERS: Nebraska’s Carnegie
Libraries. J & L Lee Co., c. 2005.
- http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/docs/nlcarchives/Carnegie/carnegiephotos