Page "Andrew Carnegie" Paragraph 40

As VanSlyck ( 1991 ) showed, the last years of the 19th century saw acceptance of the idea that free libraries should be available to the American public.

But the design of the idealized free library was the subject of prolonged and heated debate.

On one hand, the library profession called for designs that supported efficiency in administration and operation ; on the other, wealthy philanthropists favored buildings that reinforced the paternalistic metaphor and enhanced civic pride.

Between 1886 and 1917, Carnegie reformed both library philanthropy and library design, encouraging a closer correspondence between the two.