Free and Public: Andrew Carnegie and the Libraries of Wales
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
Free and Public: Andrew Carnegie and the Libraries of Wales
By (Author) Ralph A. Griffiths
University of Wales Press
University of Wales Press
22nd September 2021
United Kingdom
Classifications
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
History of architecture
Library and information services
727/.82409429
Physical Properties
Paperback
176
Width 138mm, Height 216mm
Description
A study of historic Welsh libraries and their entanglement with the movement for free public libraries and the philanthropic vision of Andrew Carnegie.
What can a library tell us about history In the Edwardian Age, Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world, undertook an effort to build a number of libraries in Wales and Great Britain. The Carnegie buildings have never been fully recorded, and some are in critical condition today. To memorialize them, this book illustrates the social, cultural, and architectural significance of the historic libraries that formed the heart of towns and industrial communities across Wales. The book also traces the history of the free and public library system from the first Public Libraries Act of 1850 to the present day, highlighting Carnegies extraordinary philanthropic vision and legacy in the process.
Author Bio
Ralph Griffiths, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at Swansea University, is Hon. Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society, and formerly Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
