Wonderful World of Colour Nov 2018 at Bangor Library

Bangor Carnegie Library in County Down, Northern Ireland, was originally built in 1909 as a joint Public Library and Technical School. The Library was funded through a Carnegie grant, hence it being given the Carnegie Library name.

What is a Carnegie Library?

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25th 1835, son of a handloom weaver. Though he received little formal education, his family had a deep belief in the importance of books and education. They moved to Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1848, when he was 13 where he started work in a factory earning $ 1.30 per week. While moving jobs, he applied himself to learning everything he could about the railroad industry and business. He discovered he had a talent for making shrewd investments, and by 1889 he owned the Carnegie Steel Corporation, which he sold a few years later for $ 200 million.

Retiring at the age of 65, he dedicated his time to expanding his philanthropic work, including his involvement in the Carnegie Libraries, which were all built to a formula. He would donate the money to actually build the library, but elected officials of each town needed to demonstrate the need for a public library; provide a building site; pay staff and maintain the library and to provide free service to all.

In this way, Carnegie believed that enlisting public support, thereby helping the community to help themselves, rather than making endowments. Thereby giving the public the impetus to take an invested interest and pride.

Curve Gallery Present Day

In 2009, Bangor Carnegie library underwent a major refurbishment of the old library building and a large modern extension was created. Exhibitions are held in the Curve Library. The enhanced building is one of the largest public libraries in Northern Ireland and since reopening the number of people using the library has increased. It is now the second most used library in Northern Ireland.