"The Carnegie Public Library in Albany was one of the first ten Carnegie
Library buildings pledged in the State of Missouri. Prior to the Carnegie Public
Library, Albany had a subscription library that opened in 1885 and closed five
years later.
By 1903, there was a revived interest by the City of Albany for a public
library and a request was made to Andrew Carnegie for a grant for & free public
library. Carnegie pledged a library donation to Albany on June 2, 1903, the peak
year of his library pledges. Almost a year later a petition was signed by 100
Albany residents requesting "a special election to vote on an annual tax of one
and one-fourth mills on $100 valuation to establish and maintain a library.
The election was held on July 5, 1904 and the vote passed. Shortly after, a
Library Board was formed and their first task was to fulfill one of Carnegie's
stipulations, which was to obtain a site for the library. The site was to be no
more than two blocks from the Courthouse Square and to measure no less than 66'
X 93'.
The lot on which the present library is situated was purchased in July of
1904 from James Ganor for $1,325. A telegram dated June 2, 1904 from James
Bertram, Carnegie's private secretary, states that Carnegie "will be pleased to
furnish Ten Thousand Dollars to erect a free public library building for
Albany," if the City of Albany met the conditions of a resolution of the council
to maintain a free public library at a cost not less than one thousand dollars
and provide a suitable site for the building. A certified copy of
the resolution which included all of Carnegie's stipulations was sent to him on
September 10, 1 904 . Correspondence from Bertram on October 25, 1904, stated
that "Mr. Carnegie will now authorize his cashier, Mr. R.A. Franks, Home Trust
Company, Hoboken, N.J. to honor your calls for money to pay for the library
building to the extent of ten thousand dollars. " A letter dated November 23,
1904, from the Trust Company stated that the money would be given in
installments of $2,000 or $3,000 during the construction of the building. This
was typical of the Carnegie donations. The gift money was never sent in advance
nor in one large sum, but rather in small amounts as the work on the building
progressed.
The plans for the new library building were designed by the St. Joseph
architect, Edmond J. Eckel for $200.00. Advertisements for construction bids
went out and on November 25, 1905, the Library Board accepted the bid of Louis
Walin from Stanberry, Missouri. Walin's original bid was for $8,976.00, but the
Library Board made a few changes, increasing the bid to $9,071.00. With these
changes it then became necessary to request an additional $2,000 from Carnegie
to complete the library building. This request for additional money happened
frequently to Carnegie and was one of the reasons for preparing the "Notes on
Library Building". The additional request was granted bringing Carnegie's
donation to $12,500.
On March 1, 1906, the Carnegie Public Library was opened to the public. In
August of the same year, the Ladies Literary Club presented the library with a
bust of William Shakespeare, which is still in the library today. From its
opening to the present, the Carnegie Public Library has been used as a library.
Over the years the library has been updated with the addition of the Dewey
Decimal Classification in 1930 and the housing of the public high school books
from 1938-1953.
In 1939, the City Hall was moved into the basement of the library. It
remained in this location until the mid-1960's when the University of Missouri
Extension Office moved in." - National Register Nomination Form