Located on West Union Street, near Howard and Main, in the heart of historic West Tampa, this landmark library continues to serve a thriving community. Originally founded as an independent municipality in 1895, West Tampa was home to the area's burgeoning cigar industry, which reached its zenith between 1900 and 1920. Annexed by the City of Tampa in 1925, West Tampa remains distinctive for its Latin and African American roots and history.
The library, which is a City of Tampa Historic Structure, is also part of the National Historic Register. Built in 1913 as one of eleven Carnegie funded libraries in Florida, the original building retains its Neo-Classical Revival style and was refurbished in 2004. An additional 5,000 square foot wing, completed in 2003, gives the library much-needed space as well as accessibility to persons with disabilities.
Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a steel magnate who immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland before amassing his fortune, considered it his personal mission to bring libraries to communities nationwide. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie earmarked ninety percent of his money to fund educational projects and libraries, constructing 1,697 public and 108 academic libraries. This included eleven Florida libraries. Of these, seven buildings remain in use, but only two continue as libraries today.
Carnegie's donations funded buildings. It was up to each community to secure the land, collect library materials and raise ten percent of the land grant annually for staff and upkeep. The land upon which West Tampa's library was built was donated by cigar factory owner, Angel Cuesta. His partner, Pellegrino Rey, also served as the mayor of West Tampa.
Those of us fortunate enough to have Carnegie buildings in our communities share in a legacy of devotion to education, literacy, community betterment, access to information and service that remain the hallmarks of libraries and the library profession.
While it often seems that these values are fast disappearing from our society and the communities we inhabit, each of us carries the obligation to do as we are able--whether reading to a child, donating our used books for sales by our public or academic libraries, paying nominal dues to support the projects undertaken by Friends of the Library or at the very least, understanding the resources our libraries represent and funding them. Thanking our librarians is a good start in that direction.
What do you think?
30 comments:
Hi e. I think this is a remarkable history lesson. I'd learned about Carnegie's philanthropic ways, back in high school but I was not fully aware of the actual scope. The mini history lesson is appreciated, here. And glad at least this library is kept up :)
nice pic. used to live in Valrico, so nice to get the refresher.
I think I'm glad you outlined Carnegie's contributions so succinctly. And I agree that all of us need to participate in the life of the library in our communities. I do. Many homeless use the downtown library as a refuge from the heat of summer and cold of winter, btw, thereby adding another function to the library.
Greetings,
Blogger just ate my comments to you all, so here they are once more:
Subtorp: Happy you liked the history lesson. I hope you are doing well. Here's another: Many of the wealthy cigar factory owners would hire lectores or readers to read newspapers, books or magazines to the workers on the floor, another way they extended help and knowledge in their communities.
Brian: Thanks for stopping by!
Tut: Homeless persons are also seen in academic libraries here as well since anyone off the street can use any library they wander into, although the borrowing policies are different. It is sad and often problematic that libraries end up as shelters--a sad commentary on our nation.
What a beautiful architectural landmark! And the fact that it's a library, as well, makes it extra special. Nice post.
Carnegie's influence was felt north of the border. There were 10 Carnegie libraries in Toronto including the one at the end of my street. Here's a link. http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/abo_his_car_index.jsp#High
Interesting post. I did not think that I travel that much when I start my blog. Always nice to learn the history around a building. Thanks !
I think it was excellent!
I've always wanted to go to a Carnegie library. I used to think that the old library in my hometown was one, but it was just an old building.
Mmm, maybe...maybe that could be a road trip! Visiting Carnegie libraries!
I've always thought well of Mr. Carnegie. You know, he's just like us.
Thanks for the history lesson.
I am blessed to live in an area that still values libraries and despite major economic woes of the region continues to support the libraries.
thank goodness for carnegie's commitment and bringing libraries to communities in so many places - over 2,500 carneige libraries to be exact if we include the libraries he established in countries other than our own. now here's someone who was a real world citizen and didn't just talk the talk!
thanks for introducing us to the tampa library!
I have enjoyed being a card carrying 'friend of the library' of many libraries in many towns and cities over the year.... thanks for encouraging that to in this post...it's a little thing that each of us can do and it speaks volumes
Thanks for this interesting history lesson. I knew something about Carnegie libraries, but not much. We don't have any up here, but I think that's only because New England has such a strong history of support for public libraries going back to colonial times that Carnegie didn't need to worry that we had a lack of free books to read up here.
e, thanks. I'm doing quite a bit better. I knew about the "reading to the workers" part. Since a lot of folks back then couldn't read, that was the next best thing. I've never known when I couldn't read :)
Thanks everyone for your enjoyment of my posting.
Clever pup: Thanks for the link to Canada! Very informative.
Kim--The West Tampa library is but a branch in a very large library system.
Roy-85 Carnegie libraries were built in New England. See http://www.necarnegies.com for more information.
It would be great to take a road trip to visit Carnegie Libraries.
My favorite Carnegie Library is in Northern Ireland-- it's in Belfast on the Falls Road. I've been lucky to visit it many times and hope to go back. The children's room was once destroyed by a protestant paramilitary group's bomb --but the building was very carefully restored . No one was badly injured as the bomb went off minutes before the library was to open for the day (starting with a toddler's breakfast group) It was a close call for both the kids and the library building. The children of the Falls road use the Library as a learning center, a head start program meeting center, and they have a deep love of books. It's a large building and very welcoming, with a wonderful staff.
Quite interesting and educational (for me) post!
thanks :-)
take care
peace and love
xoxo
P.S.
thank you to all of the Librarians ( in my past and present--and future! )
Good post, and i always thank my librarian, even when i pay my fines. Also, i love Florida's trees, nothing quite like them this far north.
Enjoyed this post very much. I too did not know much detail about Carnegie other than "he was a philanthropist" so this is a cool little bit of history.
Kudos and thanks!
Since my dad was born in Pittsburgh (he left at age 16) we knew a lot about Andrew Carnegie. My sister did a term paper on him in High School. A few years ago I looked at a website that showed where Carnegie libraries were located -- there is one in Fiji -- !
We are fortunate to has some of the rich be philanthropic over the years.
Carnegie deserves a medal.
I agree that we all need to do our bit- and it starts at home- right, that's it boys, TV off! (chorus of 'aww mum')
We have a Carnegie museum here in Hobart to. He certainly spread it about!
Hi E,
a heartfelt thank you to all librarians and thanks to Mr. Carnegie as well. I forgot to post my library tote until just now. please stop by if you're interested in being in the tote raffle.
i like libraries ...
yorkshire? i've traveled there 4 times now, so the photos span all trips. why? well .... because, i met someone? and they invited me to visit? ...
xox
I enjoyed the history lesson and then reading the other comments with even more info.
That looks like a nice library to visit. Wonderful picture. Thank you for the great post.
i think
i ought to start using my local library again...
Greetings Everyone,
Thanks for visiting and contributing to a lively discussion. In case you are interested since several of you noted the history on Carnegie, much of it came from a project I did for a graduate class in Library Science. There is an interesting bit of biographical information on Andrew Carnegie here: http://www.carnegie.org/sub/about/
biography.html.
I'll be taking a break for a few days, but feel free to post a comment if you like.
Until Next Time!
e - The virtual book club blog is up and ready to go, but I need your email address so that I can invite you to join?
email me at theonlymeganATgmail.com
e mail me for book bag mailing!
eddiewilbury@yahoo.com
squirrel
e, yes let Megan know please. Would love to have you on in the book club :)
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