The Caucus Blog of the Illinois House Republicans

Between 1883 and 1929, Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant turned one of the richest men in the world, donated roughly $350 million (over $6.4 billion today) to build over 2,500 public and academic libraries across English-Speaking countries.

In the United States, Carnegie issued grants for the construction of 1,795 public and academic libraries. Carnegie issued 105 grants for public libraries in Illinois, building 106 total public libraries and five institutional libraries. Illinois was awarded the third most grants in the country, trailing just behind California and Indiana.