We need another Carnegie

By Georgie Bright Kunkel

We look for heroes with whom we can identify. Often such heroes are lionized so that they become the perfection that humans aspire to. Andrew Carnegie is one of our country's icons. What a model to hold up to the hard-working people in this country. "See," we are told. "Anyone can have dreams fulfilled. Hard work and dedication will pay off."

From the old world of Scotland, Carnegie came to the United States to start a new life and eventually built a steel corporation unequaled in his time. He rode the tide of expansion and development in this country which brought him great prominence. He prided himself on recognizing the needs of the worker to unionize, but his factory workers toiled for very long hours and received very little pay. However, he never forgot where he came from and that his father helped create the Tradesman's Subscription Library in Scotland which helped working people have access to books.

Andrew realized the importance of education. He believed that anyone who was ambitious and hard working could succeed if they took advantage of learning. Between 1883 and 1929, 1,689 Carnegie libraries were built in the United States. The Carnegie formula to be met in gaining a library in any town was to demonstrate the need, provide the building site, and annually provide 10 percent of the cost of construction to support its operation. Each of the libraries was the most imposing structure in town and each was entered by walking up a flight of stairs symbolizing one's climb to bettering oneself.

Libraries have stood beside free public schools, non-profit water and electric systems, and the services of police and fire departments to serve the needs of citizens. The irony of all this is that our basic needs of free public education from early childhood through college and the need for health care for all have not kept up with the rest of the industrial world. But in Carnegie's time his philanthropy was lauded and his legacy of libraries has stood the test of time.

Have our libraries continued to serve as before? Seattle's library system has suffered from reduced library hours of operation and less availability of materials in some instances. I worry about loss of funding for our public library services and any other free educational service such as public television. Such cuts act as a symbolic "burning of books." Let's never damage democracy by cutting what has helped so many citizens become so well informed.

Our family has taken advantage of our local branch library since it was built just a block away from us when our son was in elementary school. We intend to keep patronizing it as long as we can manage to stay in our family home through health downturns and aging.

What we need now is a Carnegie benefactor who will endow care homes and family health care services for our aging population. It is disconcerting when facing aging and health breakdown to look at one's meager savings and wonder how many months of nursing or custodial care it will cover. Raising standards in care centers must be accompanied by subsidizing the care center costs for old and infirm family members otherwise only the rich can afford to get old and incapacitated.

Georgie Bright Kunkel, freelance writer and speaker can be reached at gnkunkel@comcast.net or 935-8663.