World’s first Carnegie library to shed light on its founder

The world’s first Carnegie library is celebrating its birthday in style.

When Fife philanthropist Andrew Carnegie sold his steel corporation in 1901 he went on to fund ambitious feats in civil engineering and countless public libraries across the world.

The first of these libraries was built in his home town of Dunfermline. On August 29 2017 it will have been open for 134 years. To commemorate, resident Carnegie authority Sharron McColl will shed light on his story on Sunday August 27.

Let There Be Light, the latest in the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries Sunday Seminars, will look at Carnegie’s fascination with the power of the written word.

He said: “I chose free libraries as the best agencies for helping improve the masses of the people, because they only help those who help themselves. “They never pauperise people.” The illustrated talk will cover some of Carnegie’s libraries in the UK, and the figures who influenced and supported his work.

Sharron said: “It was thanks in part to a £1 million grant from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust that the DCL&G project came to fruition.

“I think that Andrew would have been delighted to know that, having funded his first public library here 134 years ago, a trust he set up has helped contribute to building the new museum facility his original library is now attached to.”

To reserve a place visit onfife.com/whats-on/detail/let-there-belight.

Sharron McColl is the resident authority on Andrew Carnegie.