List of Carnegie libraries in Europe

This is an incomplete list of Carnegie libraries in Europe.

Belgium

A Carnegie library was built in the 1920s for the University of Leuven to replace a building destroyed in the First World War.

Funding came from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which also built libraries in the war-damaged cities of Rheims and Belgrade. The architect of the Leuven library was Whitney Warren. Although the architect was American, he employed a Flemish style for this commission. His building in turn suffered severe damage in the Second World War, but has been restored. (For more details of this library, see Catholic University of Leuven.)

France The Carnegie library of Reims is the single Carnegie library in France. Reims was devastated in the First World War and the losses included library accommodation in the town-hall. The provision of a new library was conceived as a contribution to the city's reconstruction. Reims was one of three "front-line" cities to be given a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Belgrade.

The Art Deco building was finished in 1927, and opened the following year in the presence of Gaston Doumergue, the French President and Myron T. Herrick, the US ambassador. The building was restored at the beginning of the 21st century. The library stock includes some materials that survived World War I.

Ireland Carnegie libraries are to be found throughout Ireland. Libraries vary considerably in size, some of the rural ones being very small, but the smallest must be the cabinets used for the Carnegie Library Lighthouse Service. 80 were constructed originally and 62 survive in their current form as of 2020 although some no longer function as libraries.

A full list and description of Carnegie libraries in Ireland is in Irish Carnegie Libraries: a Catalogue & Architectural History.Irish Carnegie Libraries: a Catalogue & Architectural History by Brendan Grimes (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1998 The examples listed below are in the Republic of Ireland. +CountyLocation and streetImageNotesCorkAnglesea Streetfoundation stone laid 1903; destroyed in the Burning of CorkCorkAshe Street. YoughalAlso used as a Quaker meeting houseCorkMillstreetDublinBalbrigganBuilt c1905DublinBallsbridge(1929)DublinBlackrock, DublinDublinCabinteelyDublinClondalkinDublinDalkeyDublinCharleville Mall, North StrandDublinDundrum, Dublinstill in use as a libraryDublinDún LaoghaireDublinGarristown1912DublinGlencullen1907DublinKish Bank lighthouseDublinLusk, County Dublin(1908)DublinMalahideDublinPearse Street, Dublin City Public Libraries and ArchiveDublinRathmines(1913)DublinSandyfordDublinShankill(1912, R.M Butler)DublinSkerries, County DublinStrand street. 1911, still in use as a libraryDublinSwords, County DublinDublinWhitechurch, Dublin(1911)KerryCaherciveenKerryCastleislandKerryDingleKerryKenmareKerryKillorglin1909KerryListowelKerryTraleeKilkennyKilkenny city, John's Quay1910, still in use as a libraryLimerickAthea1917 LimerickAskeatonLimerickBallyhahillLimerickBallysteenLimerickBroadford, County LimerickLimerickClouncagh1917 LimerickCroaghLimerickFeenagh, County LimerickLimerickKilcolmanLimerickKildimoLimerickPery Square, Limerick City1906, Limerick City Gallery of ArtLimerickNewcastle WestLimerickPallaskenryLimerickRathkealeLimerickShanagolden, County LimerickLouthDroghedaWaterfordBallyduff, County WaterfordWaterfordCappoquinWaterfordLismore, County Waterford1910WaterfordTallow, County WaterfordWaterfordWaterford City Libraryfoundation stone laid 1903 – first Carnegie library in Ireland and still in useWicklowBray, County WicklowWicklowEnniskerryWicklowGreystones

Netherlands

The Peace Palace Library is a library in The Hague. A financial donation by Andrew Carnegie made the construction of the Peace Palace possible.

Serbia The Belgrade University Library, Serbia, is a Carnegie library. Much of Belgrade was destroyed in the First World War, and in the 1920s it became one of three "front-line" cities to receive a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Rheims.

United Kingdom The Dunfermline Carnegie Library was the first Carnegie library to be built in Scotland; it opened in Carnegie's birthplace in 1883. Carnegie libraries in England began to be built at the beginning of the 20th century. In his retirement, Carnegie divided his time between the US and Scotland, and opened some British libraries personally.

In Britain the process of applying for a Carnegie library was broadly similar to that in the US. It was adapted to British legislation, e.g. the Public Libraries Act, which permitted expenditure from the rates on local libraries. Carnegie assessed applications using criteria which favoured poorer towns, but applicants had to undertake to support their library, providing it with books etc. from the rates. While most towns were very grateful to receive a grant, Carnegie's project was not without controversy. For example, some people objected to the way in which he had made his money. In the case of Stratford-on-Avon there were objections to the proposed building for conservation reasons, and this resulted in a library which blends into the half-timbered neighbouring buildings.

Most Carnegie libraries served the general population of towns and cities, but he also provided some academic libraries in the UK. (This pattern of town and academic libraries was in line with his policy in the US where he provided a number of college libraries, for example at Tuskegee University.) In Stoke-on-Trent the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust funded a specialist ceramics library.The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust has deposited historic files in the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, where they are available to researchers The existence of special collections with catalogues gave scope for the development of interlibrary loans.

From 1913 applications were handled by the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, based in Carnegie's home town, Dunfermline. The trust continued to fund libraries after Carnegie's death in 1919, but its priorities shifted to other areas of its charitable work.

Current status of Carnegie libraries As at 2011 many of the UK's Carnegie libraries continue to be used for their original purpose. However, Carnegie libraries are being affected by local authority budget cuts which are reducing the number of public libraries across the country.

Some Carnegie libraries are unprotected by the listing system. Over the years some Carnegie libraries have been demolished, e.g. Grays (details in the list below) On the other hand, new uses have been found for other Carnegie libraries, e.g. Pontefract's Carnegie library is now a museum.

England

London Brentford Library 1903, brick and terracotta construction, designed by Nowell Parr, Grade II listed. Bromley 1908, designed by Evelyn Hellicar (1862–1929),The Bromley Record, June 1906, page 98 now demolished. Crofton Park 1905, brick and stone (community run by Eco Communities and Lewisham Borough). Cubitt Town 1905, brick and stone (Tower Hamlets Council) Custom House, 1905, brick and stone. Still in use as a public library. Deptford, 1914, brick and stone (closed 1991, now Lewisham Arthouse artists' studios, public gallery and workshop). Enfield, 1912, heavily extended to the rear in 2010. Enfield Highway, 1910. Extended in 1938. Erith 1906, Grade II listed in 1996. Partly occupied, following relocation of the library in 2009. Hanwell designed by T Gibbs Thomas in 1905/06 (run by London Borough of Ealing). Herne Hill 1906, Grade II listed (closed by London Borough of Lambeth 31 March 2016 due to budget cuts, reopened 2018). Homerton 1913, Grade II listed (Chats Palace Arts Centre since 1976) Islington, Grade II listed, North Library (1906) West Library (1907) Central Library (1907) South Library (construction finished: 1916, opening: 1921) King's College, London: The Carnegie Collection of British Music on loan to The Maughan Library. Kingston upon Thames 1903, Carnegie also funded the separate building for the Kingston Museum 1904. Lea Bridge Road, Leyton. Manor Park, 1905, brick and stone (library relocated 2012–2013). New Cross, 1911, brick and stone, designed by Gerald Warren & Stanley E Castle (now Music Room studios) Southall, 1905, closed down in 2014 and relocated services to Dominion Centre in The Green. Library building is now being used to house the Southall Christian Fellowship. Sydenham (run by London Borough of Lewisham). Teddington 1906, brick and stone construction. Thornton Heath. Twickenham 1906/7. Walthamstow 1907–09. West Greenwich 1907. Birmingham.The Fiftieth Annual Report of the Free Libraries Committee: April 1st, 1911, to March 31st, 1912 (City of Birmingham, Birmingham, 1912), pp. 9-10. Aston Cross, 1903. Bartley Green 1905. Birchfield, extension 1904. Erdington 1907. King's Heath 1905, Renaissance classical style with art nouveau features Grade II listed. King's Norton 1906. Northfield Library 1906, destroyed by fire in 1914, reputedly the work of suffragettes, rebuilt using original facade. Rednal 1909. Selly Oak Library 1906. Stirchley 1907. Coventry Earlsdon Library 1913. Foleshill Library 1913, extended 2008. Stoke Library 1913. Greater Manchester Ashton-in-Makerfield 1906, Grade II listed in 2009. Temporarily closed in 2024 for roof repairs. Castleton, Rochdale 1905 Chadderton 1904-05 Former civic library, Jacobean Revival, designed by J Lindsay Grant of Manchester for Chadderton UDC with funding from Andrew Carnegie.Building was vacated for a new 'Civic Hub' in 2010 and now privately owned. Listed as Grade II in 2011. Chorlton, Greater Manchester. Didsbury 1915. Eccles 1907. Farnworth, Bolton Metropolitan Borough, 1911. Levenshulme 1904. Milnrow, Greater Manchester. Pemberton 1907, Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, Grade II listed. Library now closed, used as office space. Royton 1907. Stockport 1913, brick and stone construction. In control of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, still in use as Central Library. Tyldesley 1909, brick and stone construction. Westhoughton 1906, situated at the rear of the Town Hall. Lancashire Accrington Library 1907 (run by Lancashire County Council). Burnley 1930 (run by Lancashire County Council). Clitheroe 1905, grade II listed Darwen 1908, Yorkshire stone. Haslingden (run by Lancashire County Council). Rawtenstall Oswaldtwistle 1915 (run by Lancashire County Council). St Annes-on-the-Sea (Lytham St Annes) 1906, brick and terracotta construction (run by Lancashire County Council). Merseyside Birkenhead, demolished. Crosby 1905, brick and stone, Grade II Listed (closed by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in December 2013 - currently a local charity Regenerus is working to develop it as a Carnegie-Crosby a 3rd space for the community). Garston, Liverpool. Newton-le-Willows 1909, built with a grant of £4,000 (run by St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council). Sefton Park, Liverpool 1911. Mock Tudor style building with a modern 1960s extension. Wallasey Central Library. Almondbury 1906 (Kirklees) Annfield Plain 1908 (run by Durham County Council). Arnold, Nottinghamshire, 1906, (demolished in the 1980s) Ashby (now part of Scunthorpe). Opened in Ashby High Street in April 1906. Built with a grant of £1,500.Lambourne, David. 'Lincolnshire's Carnegie Libraries', Lincolnshire Past and Present Vols. 85–90. Article can be accessed at the Internet Archive Barrow in Furness 1922 (run by Westmorland and Furness Council). Batley 1907. Bideford 1905. Blackheath, opened 15 November 1909, Grade II listed. Closed in 2011 and now a children's daycare centre. Blackpool 1911, Grade II listed. Brierley Hill, 1904, Designed by the borough surveyor to Brierley Hill, Lewis Harper and built by CA Horton.