Beloit Public Library will receive a $10,000 gift from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie. The award is part of Carnegie Libraries 250, a special initiative celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and honoring the roughly 1,280 Carnegie Libraries still serving their communities across the United States.
Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 1,681 free public libraries nationwide between 1886 and 1917. Approximately 750 of them continue to use their original buildings, while others have moved to new locations. A Carnegie gift of $25,000 in 1901 funded the construction of Beloit Public Library, which is one of 61 Carnegie Libraries in Wisconsin built through this historic program. The construction of the Beloit College library was also funded by Carnegie – making Beloit, Wisconsin, the only city outside of New York to have two Carnegie libraries at its time.
“Beloit has long benefited from its Carnegie libraries—places our collections and our community can proudly call home,” said Beloit Public Library Director Nick Dimassis. “This most recent gift gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves and our community of Mr. Carnegie’s enduring legacy and generosity, while planning meaningful ways for Beloit Public Library to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary with the community we serve.”
“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who championed the free public library movement of the late 19th century, described libraries as ‘cradles of democracy’ that ‘strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man,’” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie and former head of the University of Oxford. “We still believe this and are delighted to celebrate our connection to the libraries he founded.”
Beloit Public Library will receive the gift in January 2026 and may use the funds however it wishes to celebrate the 250th anniversary, further the library’s mission, and benefit the community.
Patrons are invited to share their BPL photos, stories, and community celebrations at carnegielibraries.org.
Carnegie Corporation’s News Release: https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/hundreds-of-carnegie-libraries-to-receive-10000-gifts-in-celebration-of-united-states-250th-anniversary/
