Berkley Public Library

The
greatest
gift
The Berkley Public Library was one of the many libraries that philanthropist Andrew Carnegie gave to the world. Between 1883 and 1929 money from Carnegie built over 2,500 libraries with 95 in New England alone. Many are still around and functioning as libraries.
The very first library in Berkley was in 1893 but was just some books stuffed in any convenient space. Then in 1918 money from Carnegie reached the small town and in 1919 the first real library was opened.
Unlike many libraries that have had numerous additions and renovations over time, the Berkley library has changed very little over the years and both the interior and exterior are essentially the same as when the building was built.
The Berkley Library certainly isn’t grand and opulent like some of the old libraries but is functional and quaint. It contains over 17,000 volumes, has a cool fireplace and a great children’s room. It has received some modern conveniences like computers to keep it relevant but retains one of the smallest bathrooms I have ever seen.
Andrew Carnegie made tons of money by being creative and resourceful but also ruthless and unscrupulous. He was an enigma that could be both incredibly good and quite evil But in the end he became a true visionary and realized that no one person should have that much money and decided to give most of it back. His way of giving back was by creating universities, museums and many, many libraries. His gift to the world was one of knowledge, the greatest gift of all.