May 6, 2026
Highland Park Public Library received a recent $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York foundation, joining more than 1,000 libraries across the country as recipients.
From 1886-1917, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of more than 1600 public libraries including Highland Park Public Library. The $10,000 gifts to those libraries still operating today, known as “Carnegie Libraries,” commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and will be used by Highland Park Public Library to help fund its expansion project.
Highland Park Public Library first opened its doors in 1888, with approximately 400 books and very limited hours. By the early 1900s, although the Library had moved more than once to larger spaces, a movement was underway to construct a new building. Andrew Carnegie was contacted for a financial donation. Carnegie had many philanthropic interests, but public libraries were the major beneficiaries. Highland Park Public Library received an initial donation of $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and an additional $2,000 in 1906. With the help from Carnegie’s funding, a new library was built. By 1931, to accommodate growing collections and services, a new library was built on the site. Though the original Carnegie Library no longer stands, the values and services it embodied continue today.
Today’s $10,000 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York foundation, while not funding a new building, will be used to fund a reimagined Library, one with an additional 7,800 square feet. The project includes a state-of-the-art makerspace where all ages can design, create, and innovate; an enhanced area for children to play and explore — with more space for books, too; an enlarged archive that preserves the city’s history, with a reading room accessible to the public; and increased capacity to connect and learn at Library programs in the new Alvin H. Baum
