CARNEGIE LIBRARIES CENTENARY

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I am a great fan of the library service. It was a great innovation in its day giving ordinary people access to a vast wealth of literature, scientific knowledge and sheer entertainment.

It has kept up with the times, evolving from a simple book-lending operation to a sophisticated social and community service. It deals in all sorts of media including talking books and a broad range of DVDs. And the big revolution is now internet access including free access to many archives normally residing behind, sometimes fairly high, paywalls.

And it is all for free. This did not happen by accident and we owe a great debt of thanks to all those civilised people who have fought the fight down the ages. I know of what I speak. As a former member of the Department of Finance I remember that charging for libraries (& museums) was always high on the emergency list in times of financial stringency.

Brendan Teeling

So it is fitting that An Post should commemorate the death of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie with a stamp issue of a cross section of the libraries he endowed in Ireland.

And where better to launch the issue than in one of Carnegie's libraries in the centre of Dublin. The Pearse Street library is not only a "normal" library. It houses the Dublin City Archive and Library HQ. Besides a vast modernisation/construction programme in recent times, mainly to provide modern housing for this vital city archive, it has retained a significant study space for historians and researchers, a conference/lecture room, a much in demand exhibition space, and preserved its external facade.

Brendan is the Deputy City Librarian and he reminded us that there are still four extant Carnegie libraries in the city area. Pearse street is one, but there is also Charlemont Mall along the Royal Canal, Pembroke in leafy D4 and Rathmines, opposite where I used to get the 47A bus home from St. Louis national school and my aunt's father's posh cake shop.

Felix Larkin

Felix is the Chair of An Post's Philatelic Advisory Committee. They are effectively the people who choose the themes for the stamp issues, though being "advisory", An Post no doubt has the final say (Brexiteers please note).

Felix gave a very fine speech, which is well worth reading in full if you have the slightest interest in stamps, libraries, or philanthropy.

Felix, fortuitously in this case, spans the realms of the philatelic and the bibliothetic, and I particularly like this paragraph of his.

T W Lyster, the first director of the National Library of Ireland, wrote in 1903 that (and I quote) “in that wide world of the record of mankind which we call a Great Library all things, good and evil, fall into their true place, are seen in their true proportion. Thus keepers of libraries may with truth inscribe above their doors the words of the Governor of the city in the New Atlantis: ‘We maintain a trade, not for gold, silver, or jewels, nor for silks, nor for spices, nor for any other commodity of matter, but only for God’s first creature, which was Light’". I love that thought: that the trade of a library is in Light, in the light that comes from scholarship and the pursuit of truth in scholarship – or, in other words, in ENLIGHTENMENT.

Felix goes on to delve into Carnegie's philosophy of philanthropy.

His philosophy in this regard was that “surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community” – those were his own words, not mine.

This sort of thinking is still the exception despite the few serious philanthropists of recent times - Bill Gates, Chuck Feeny, et al.

There is, of course, the other side of the coin, adverted to by Mark Holan in his blog post on the launch.

As a native of Pittsburgh, where Carnegie made his fortune, I have mixed views of the man. On one hand, he was a captain of the era’s brutal, labor-crushing industrialism, including the bloody Homestead strike of 1892. On the other hand, Carnegie funded libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions in the region that directly contributed to my ability “to learn more about history, literature and a host of other things.”

But that is not our focus today and should not be allowed to spoil the party.

Felix made a point of thanking the team which produced the stamps.

I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues on An Post’s Stamp Design Committee, under the chairmanship of Mick O’Dea RHA, for the wonderful work they have done on this issue – and on the work they do generally in translating our ideas for stamps into the beautiful objects that we see on our envelopes every day and which stamp-collectors all over the world greatly admire and covet. And, of course, the people on the ground in An Post who do all the hard work on the stamp programme also deserve our thanks, and our praise – Aileen Mooney and her team.

In relation to this particular issue, the illustrator of the library buildings – the artist who did the drawings – was Dorothy Smith, and I would like to congratulate her on her work. And a word of thanks also to Gillian Buckley who photographed the drawings for us and to Anne Brady, of Vermillion Design, for her work on the final design of the stamps.

In concluding, he made the point that suggestions for designs/themes for issues are always welcome but this remark came with a health warning. It takes about eighteen months for the final production of a design, so think ahead.

Brendan Grimes

Brendan is a retired architect and lecturer and he has written a book on Ireland's Carnegie libraries. Another right man in the right place.

Brendan elaborated on Carnegie's philosophy, which included a 100% inheritance tax and the view that those who die rich should be ashamed of themselves.

He went on to comment on the architectural features of the many fine Carnegie library buildings in the country, and in particular the four chosen for the stamps.

If you are interested in this aspect in particular, you will enjoy the talk he gave in the Rathmines library a few years ago on the centenary of that library's opening in 1913. He has some hilarious stories from around the country.

Both Brendan and Felix have commented on the distinguished buildings that are the Carnegie libraries. The plans were local but had to pass muster with Carnegie's private secretary, James Bertram, who, from Brendan's stories was no daw.

This is not "the one that got away" but an illustration of an architectural point. I'm sure, though, that there are not many stamps launched to such dramatic effect.

And, penultimately, the unveiling. Brendan, of course knew what was behind the curtain and it was amusing to watch him gesturing in that direction when making a point about one of the chosen libraries.

WHOOOOOSH

And thar she blows.

Aileen Mooney & Dorothy Smith

Aileen came prepared bearing gifts. The first recipient was Dorothy Smith who did the initial drawings. These were done by hand, none of yer oul CADology, and were on display in the adjacent exhibition hall.

Aileen & Anne Brady

Next was Anne Brady, from Vermiillion Design, who translated the images photographed by Gillian Buckley into the final design.

I specifically complimented Vermillion in my post on the DCU Mary Raftery exhibition in April last.

Good design should be invisible but there's so much bad stuff around that you just can't help noticing it when it's there. These stamps are another feather in their cap.

This Brendan gets one as our host but it is accepted as a tribute to all the Irish Carnegie libraries but particularly those in Dublin.

This Brendan gets one for his work on the Carnegie libraries and his interesting talk today.

Felix gets one for his services to An Post and his most interesting speech.

Turning it over and checking it out.

This could lead to a demarcation dispute over quality control. On the other hand he could get blamed for things that were none of his doing. You can't be too careful these days.

Brian Warren & Felix

Brian is President of the Federation of Philatelic Societies of Ireland and he's credited with coming up with the idea for this issue, which Felix and his committee ran with.

Bespoke City Crest

While the Archive were thrilled to host the launch, I'm sure they were at least a wee bit disappointed not to have figured on the stamps.

They are a unique example of a Carnegie library in Ireland, housing not only the public library, but also the archive and library HQ as well as the conference room, in which the launch was held, and an exhibition hall which is a wonderful asset to the city and enables extensive displays, including of the various collections as they are restored and catalogued.

I'll be coming back to this.

Perhaps, on reflection, inclusion of this building might have added to An Post's problems following their recent landing on the wrong moon. Nuff said.

Selina Lurz

The launch also gave me the opportunity to meet this young lady who is coming to the end of an internship at the archive. She has been working on the Helen Hooker O'Malley theatre sets, as I understnd it. Time was short on the day and I hope to have a further chat with her about her work before she returns to her native Köln later in the week.

Finally, there was one of these for everyone in the (invited) audience.


An Post press release on the launch

A transcript of Brendan Grimes's talk on the
Carnegie libraries & architecture given in
Rathmines library on 16/10/2013.