Carnegie Library Celebrates 120 years
The Andrew Carnegie Library on Steubenville Avenue holds many great memories since it has been around for 120 years. But did you know that Cambridge had previous libraries?
Today’s library was preceded in 1832 by the Guernsey County Library and Reading Room. There were fifty charter members, all men, who felt a library gave evidence that the residents were people of intelligence.
In 1899, Cambridge Library Association held their first meeting. Col. Joseph Taylor, a prominent citizen, gave the upstairs of one of his buildings on Wheeling Avenue as space for the library. His wife organized the library effort.
Library cards cost $5 annually but only one book could be borrowed at a time for a period of two weeks. Overdue books were charged three cents a day. By 1901, all interested residents were given a free card to the library.
That same year, a committee from Guernsey County met with Andrew Carnegie in New York City. This was unusual as business with Carnegie was normally conducted by mail. Carnegie felt a library was the most important thing a community could have to benefit its people.
He remarked, “It was from my own early experience that I decided there was no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to girls and boys, who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as the founding of a public library.”
On Jan. 22, 1902, the Carnegie Corporation sent a letter saying they would furnish $18,000 to erect a free library building at 800 Steubenville Ave since all the requirements had been met. Frank Packard became the architect with C.W. Dowling being the builder.
Once it was finished, the committee needed more funds to finish the interior and landscape the outside. Mr. Carnegie again provided those funds.
Books were very important to Carnegie from his childhood in Scotland and his teen years in Pennsylvania. Andrew Carnegie built 1,689 libraries throughout the United States and a total of more than 2,500 throughout the world.
When the Carnegie Library opened in Cambridge emphasis was placed on religious and moral content. They initially purchased 1,334 volumes at $1300 with more books being donated by local families. The Women’s Book Club donated 208 books.
The second floor was to be used for community activities. Probably the first events held there were lectures. One series contained seven lectures about birds, while another was on boys’ temptations. During WWI, the Red Cross made bandages there. For about thirty years, the Cambridge City Band used it for their practice room.
In 1907, the first children’s furniture was purchased for the library since over half of the new borrowers were children. Story hours were developed for the children and Christmas parties with Santa were established.
Howard Finley donated his collection of historic books to the library with the stipulation that the collection bear his name. He also donated $6,227 for the library to use. The genealogy room is named in his honor today.
By 1947, the library had expanded to serve the surrounding community. There were several branches and 49 deposit stations, most of them being at schools. Every six weeks, the library would take a box of 50 books to the area schools for students to read.
There were branches at Byesville, Cumberland, East Cambridge, Southside, Quaker City, Madison, and Senecaville . They existed until the library purchased their first bookmobile in 1956.
Friends of the Library was formed at a time when there was a need for more room at the library. Over the next thirty years, the Carnegie Library added a large addition, a new library was built in Byesville,and Crossroads Library became the relocation for administrative offices and technical services.
By 1910, there were 2,200 people using the library of 6,332 books. By 1922, there were 2,745 using 9,123 books. In 2024, the Guernsey County Library has over 70,000 books plus many other resources.
Michael Limer, present director, expresses well the connection with today’s library and the community. “I am really proud of all work the staff has done to help the library become an integral part of the community. Besides all the great things you would expect at a public library, I feel the staff has strived to excel in engaging with the public. From great programs and new services to our work with our many community partners, I am thrilled with how we reach out to serve the public, both within our walls and throughout the county. “
Libraries have been an important part of our community for many years and continue to be a place to find free reading materials, movies, and more.
Knowledge is free at the library, just bring your own container. Visit your library sometime soon!
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