Library Unveils Robert Burns Bust

Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic career began around 1870. He is perhaps best known for his gift of libraries throughout the world.

The 19th century steel baron offered towns enough cash to build a library, usually a stipend of about $2 per resident.

The town's would have to agree to be able to pay for the upkeeep of the library though. And some say, to have a bust of Carnegie's favorite poet Robert Burns as well.

“There cannot be too many statues erected to the memory of Burns," Carnegie once said.

The Clearwater Library was built in 1916 as part of the program but never had a Burns' bust until Wednesday.

***

There are mixed views on just how generous Carnegie was in his gift of the libraries. His employees involuntarily sacrificed a portion of their wages to build the Pittsburgh library.

But through the program came access to books at more than 2,500 locations across the globe. Carnegie founded his first library in his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland in July 27, 1881. 

And it is estimated that through the program 2,811 libraries were built. Of these, 1,946 were in the United States. There was at least one library in each state except Rhode Island.

There are about 660 in Great Britain and Ireland, and approximately 156 in Canada. Several libraries were also built in far flung places like New Zealand and the West Indies.

This act of charity, while well intended and with the mission of providing a means of self improvement as books had helped Carnegie as a youth, was not without conditions.

***

There are differing stories regarding the placement of a Burns bust in Carnegie Libraries.

While Carnegie did own a bust of the noted Scottish poet sculpted by Charles Calvery, there is no documentary evidence of a stipulation of putting a Burns bust in every library, according to Columbia University microfilm records of the Carnegie Institute.

But the St. Andrews Society of Tampa commissioned Linda Ackley-Eaker to sculpt three busts, one for each of the local Carnegie libraries in 2009 to fulfill one of the conditions of the endowment to contain a bust and a collection of Burns' poetry.

The busts already are up at the Tampa and St. Petersburg libraries. They cost about $30,000 to create all three.

The Clearwater Library never had a Burns bust.

Barbara Pickell, the library director, could not find any information about a Burns bust either. But she said there was a reference that the library should have a Carnegie Plaque.

"We weren't able to locate that or anyone who could remember it or what happened to it, either," Pickell said in an email. "We believe (the plaques) were probably melted down as part of the war effort back in the 40's but can't confirm."

The sound of bagpipes filled a meeting room in the Main Library for the unveiling of the third Tampa Bay area Burns bust. It will be in the front entrance of the Clearwater Library, certainly Carnegie would be proud.