Carnegie's Legacy

Andrew Carnegie has a classic rags-to-riches story: an immigrant turned steel magnate who financed the construction of over 2,500 public library buildings worldwide, including 21 in Brooklyn. But, his business and labor policies often hurt the very people his libraries served. As one Carnegie steel worker said in 1900: “After working 12 hours, how can a man go to a library?” We dig into Carnegie’s complicated legacy, with a special appearance from the Bowery Boys! Listen to their companion episode here: http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2020/01/andrew-carnegie-and-new-yorks-public-libraries-how-a-gilded-age-gift-transformed-america.html   Read the transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/carnegies-legacy