Hundreds of Carnegie Libraries to Receive $10,000 from Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Libraries across the United States started October 22 with incredible news—they will each receive a $10,000 gift to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence through a special initiative by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The libraries can use the funds—which are set to be delivered in January 2026—however they wish to celebrate the 250th, further their mission, and benefit their community. The $10,000 gifts anchor a $20 million special initiative created to celebrate next year’s 250th anniversary by supporting America’s civic institutions and organizations that foster civic participation and bring people together. 

“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who championed the free public library movement of the late 19th century, described libraries as ‘cradles of democracy’ that ‘strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man,’” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie and former head of the University of Oxford, in a statement. “We still believe this and are delighted to celebrate our connection to the libraries he founded.”

Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, funded the construction of 1,681 free public libraries in the United States between 1886 and 1917. As part of the Carnegie Libraries 250 special initiative, Carnegie Corporation of New York—his philanthropic foundation founded in 1911—reached out to each library and established that about 1,280 still operate and acknowledge their link to Carnegie, making them eligible for the gift. Approximately 750 of them continue to use their original buildings while others have moved to new locations.

“We haven’t been in contact with [these libraries],” Richardson told the New York Times, explaining that Carnegie Corporation of New York had largely focused on other projects since the 1920s. But Ricardson felt that this was the moment when she wanted to promote what libraries do.

“Libraries are intrinsically democratic institutions,” she noted before quoting Carnegie himself, who called libraries “cradles of democracy” that “strengthen the democratic idea.”

“This was part of the appeal to Carnegie,” she continued. “Whether you’re a president or a pauper, when you walk into a library, you have access to the same information.” Richardson acknowledged that “obviously the book banning has politicized them to some extent, but for the most part, libraries are not politicized.” They continue to be, she said, one of “the few trusted civic institutions we have in this polarized world.”

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At the American Library Association, we are here to protect libraries — today and for generations to come. What does your donation do? It helps a neighbor gain skills to start a business. It helps a child discover themselves through books and programs. And it helps keep libraries strong, open, and free for everyone.