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Public libraries in the US were primarily created due to funding from Andrew Carnegie, after he got filthy rich off steel. Whether out of pure altruism, or to a
by caymanjim 5y ago
Public libraries in the US were primarily created due to funding from Andrew Carnegie, after he got filthy rich off steel. Whether out of pure altruism, or to assuage his guilt at getting so rich through cutthroat business dealings, or as a PR campaign, it was capitalism that created the modern library system. Just like what our contemporary billionaires do once they're filthy rich (Gates, Zuckerberg, etc.).
- acdha 5y agoYou could say that Carnegie substantially expanded the number of public libraries but it sounds odd to say “created” about something with centuries of precedent just in North America. The key thing about the Carnegie libraries was that they were donations of the buildings but the local governments committed to maintenance, staffing, and operations. It’s true that the initial money came from a wealthy capitalist but that didn’t come with continued control or the expectation that the service be run at a profit, which seems relatively significant as a difference compared to a for-profit company operating library services.
- caymanjim 5y agoI'm not arguing in favor of privatizing libraries. Carnegie really is the single most important source of the US public library system, funding thousands of them across the country, with the modern equivalent of billions of dollars. He didn't invent the concept of public libraries, but it's not a stretch to say that he founded the modern US public library system. Edit: I'm countering GP's claim that capitalism would prevent libraries from appearing today. There are plenty of privately-funded public-benefit institutions now, like the Gates Foundation and others, doing things that governments arguably ought to be doing but aren't.