04/07/2026
Happy National Library Day!
If you love libraries, like we do, you have two notable Pennsylvanians to thank.
Benjamin Franklin created the first successful subscription library, known as the Library Company of Philadelphia, in 1731. Later, in 1786, he donated books to aid in the creation of the country's first free public library, the Franklin Public Library in Franklin, Massachusetts, established in 1790.
Starting in 1883, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie donated approximately 56 million dollars to establish 2,509 public libraries throughout the world. Of those Carnegie Libraries, 1,682 were built in the United States. The very final library commissioned by Carnegie within the state of Pennsylvania, and one of the last ones in the country was our very own Butler Area Public Library!
Recently, the Carnegie Corporation surprised all existing Carnegie established libraries with a $10,000 grant in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence!
We adore the fact that the paths of these two men converged in a way that helped create our library. Thank you to both of them, and all of you, for loving and supporting libraries!
