The Braddock Carnegie Library, Braddock, PA

The Braddock Carnegie Library.

The Braddock Carnegie Library is, perhaps, the most fantastic library we've seen. It’s certainly one that will stay with us for many years to come. We rave about libraries a lot, I know, but this time we really mean it. The space is marvelous (and it will be even more incredible after a planned renovation), the scope of services is something else, and the people and the community moving this library forward are simply wonderful. The Braddock should serve as an inspiration for all library lovers.

This was the first Carnegie library in the United States and it’s still a pretty amazing (and wacky) building more than 130 years later. William Halsey Wood designed the original building (in a style termed, “eclectic medieval”) and it was dedicated by Andrew Carnegie himself on March 30, 1889. Just three years later, the library was expanded with an addition by Longfellow, Alden and Harlow - successors to Henry Hobson Richardson (and the namesakes of a popular spot for Cambridge foodies) - in the Romanesque style so closely associated with him.

The expansion doubled the size of the library and allowed it to offer an incredible array of services: a swimming pool, two duck-pin bowling lanes, a 1,000-seat music hall, a gym, a boxing ring, a billiard room, and much, much more. These services were available for a nominal fee to workers at Carnegie’s first steel mill, which still operates today (more on that later). It’s worth noting that only white workers were given access to all these facilities. For workers of color, only the library itself was available.

For almost a century, the Braddock Library was a critical part of its community. In 1974, though, with the the building falling into disrepair and coffers empty, the library was closed and slated for demolition. To stop its destruction, members of the community created the Braddock’s Field Historical Society and purchased the building for $1. This group raised the funds needed to do the most pressing work and started discussions about the library’s revival.

In 1983, the library was reopened as a one-room children’s library. Since then, slowly but surely, more and more of the building has been stabilized, reclaimed, and restored. 

When we pulled up outside, all we knew was that this was the first Carnegie (which Adam recalled from an article read long ago). As always, we were anxious to get inside to explore and learn more. We asked if it might be possible to tour the library and hear its story. We were introduced to Jonathan Reyes, the library’s Arts and Culture Facilitator, who not only showed us this magnificent building, but also made clear why its work is so important. 

A sunny seating area in the adult section of the library.

We started in the main adult collection area and reading room. There are computers, work tables, and a handful of stacks. It also serves as a gallery space. The evening before our arrival, there was an opening for the powerful exhibit, “If God were a Person,” by Ashante Josey, that attracted nearly 75 people. The room itself is striking with tall windows overlooking the street, and graceful painted steel pillars. Steel, not surprisingly, would be ubiquitous during our tour.

As Jonathan led us into the program room (which was being used by a workforce development group during our visit), he pointed to artwork that can be borrowed from the library. He plays a critical role in developing the Art Lending Collection, which is made up of six separate special collections: works donated by artists represented in the 2013 Carnegie International, favorite posters and paintings given by library patron Regis Welsh, works from the collection of Braddock resident Jim Kidd (along with several of Mr. Kidd’s own works), pieces from the collection of Ray Henderson, who ran multiple galleries in the area during the 1990s, artwork assembled by Transformazium, as well as work of artists incarcerated at the South Fayette Correctional Institution. 

Plans for the future of the Braddock Carnegie Library.

It was also in this room that we saw plans for revitalizing the library. It’s ambitious and when it comes to fruition (as we know it will!) the library will be radically transformed. Since it reopened, work has proceeded slowly and in a piecemeal fashion. That was all well and good and it has resulted in much more space for the library’s collection and programming. Today, the library is embarking on a much more ambitious path.  The Braddock is working with architecture firm GBBN on a holistic approach to re-imagining the entire library. The plans are amazing. They take advantage of all the library’s incredible assets and will make it the type of multi-function public space it was in its heyday.

The next room was an extension of the art collection - a surprising and awesome extension. All around the room were wonderful giant puppets. They are the result of a partnership Allegheny County Library Association and Puppets for Pittsburgh to make these unusual items available for patrons to borrow. There are giant backpack puppets, mask puppets, stick puppets and they are all colorful and awesome. The collection comes from Cheryl Capezzuti and they are made of papier mache, which makes repairing them a snap. Jonathan also mentioned other items in the Library of Things collection. Some of the most popular are tables and chairs, which are borrowed regularly for parties and picnics.

A few of the library’s puppet collection.

While we were admiring the puppets, Jonathan talked about the importance of using art to challenge patrons. He told us a story about an exhibit that included a window emblazoned with the words, “There Will be Black People in the Future,” by the artist Alisha Wormsley. A young kid was looking at it derisively, saying anyone could have put an old dusty window on display. Jonathan sat down with the boy and explained the path that led Wormsley to make the piece. 

It was inspired by a comment she overheard at the grocery store: that in the future there would be no naturally occurring bananas. She wanted to find out what other things might disappear in the future. Black people, she decided, would still be going strong and that was the message she wanted to send. When the story was over, the boy understood and asked if he could borrow the work. This is such powerful example of the special role libraries (and art) can play in their communities.

What was once the pool will become the Book Dive in the future.

The next space we visited may have been the craziest of them all. It was the library’s swimming pool (now drained). We’re no strangers to this phenomenon, but we’ve never seen a pool this large. The plan is for it to be converted into the “Book Dive,” a multi-function space complete with a kitchen that can be used for co-working/hanging out during the day and for functions/events in the evening. The space will retain some of the quirky features of the pool, including the tile and “Do Not Run” signs.

We saw the two bowling lanes next. They’re no longer in use, and will become the library’s space for its Library of Things and other alternative lending items. 

After the bowling alleys, we visited the children’s and teen sections. They are smallish today, but they will be built out dramatically with the renovation. After school, both rooms see a ton of kids come in to use the computers, do homework, and hang out with friends. Jonathan explained that GBBN used visualization technology to allow the staff to explore and consider and the space in ways that hadn’t been possible in the past. As a result, spaces have been reconsidered in really new and wonderful ways. That’s certainly the case with their plans for the children’s room and teen area.

A view of the children’s section.

The next room appeared to be a courtroom, complete with a judge’s bench and witness boxes. It turns out this room has frequently been used for movies and television shows. Presumably the library profits from these opportunities. A fireplace on one wall stood out and Jonathan explained that it was added after the library had been built, using marble that came from the grand Carnegie library in Pittsburgh.

The once missing Mercury.

He also pointed out a tall bronze statue of Mercury. At some point, during the library’s dark days, the statue was stolen. How this was accomplished, given its size and weight (it’s on a stone base, for crying out loud!), is a mystery. Obviously, there’s a happy ending. A local police officer saw the statue at a yard sale and his quick thinking led to its recovery.

Around a corner and down a hall, we found ourselves in the Music Hall. What a mind-blowing room! Between the main floor and the balcony it has nearly 1,000 seats. That’s 1,000 seats for the slightly svelter folk of yesteryear. To make the theater more comfortable for contemporary audiences, each seat is being widened by several inches. That will bring the total number of seats to about 750 - still a huge number when you think about it.

Samples of widened seats.

Of all the rooms, this one probably saw the most damage. The roof was badly compromised and that meant a lot of water in a very fancy room - a bad combination. The custom-built pipe organ - with steel pipes (almost everything that could be made of steel is made of steel) - also suffered badly. Most of the pipes were scavenged and the organ is probably irreparable. That said, work was done in the room for an event celebrating the library’s 130th anniversary. The focus was on repairing plaster and repainting the ceiling and stage and it’s really spectacular. 

The view from the balcony of the Music Hall.

As is the case with the Book Dive, the Music Hall will be available for non-library events and the hope is it will generate some ongoing revenue.

It seemed that behind every door was some new surprise - and that was certainly the case for the next door Jonathan opened for us: into the library’s third-floor basketball court! This space has always been used for sports and fitness. Parts have been used as a gymnasium and there once was even a boxing ring. For now, insurance issues prevent the court from being used for basketball, but it is used as a practice space by local dance teams.

Few libraries can boast of their own basketball court!

Beyond the basketball court is the screen printing shop. It’s a relatively recent - and extraordinary - addition to the library. The equipment was donated to a local arts group when the company that originally owned it shut down. It took a while for the community to understand the potential of the shop - but once people did, it became an indispensable tool for communication, advocacy, and connecting. Signs and t-shirts are produced all the time. There is a fee to use this room, but it is essentially just the cost of materials - and even these are very low.

Jonathan in the screen printing shop.

Leaving the screen shop, we took a staircase down past the children’s and teen sections to the director’s office and meeting rooms (which will be used to expand youth services in the future), and then down to a second front entrance intended for those wishing to reach the kids areas, screen shop and programming room. On these stairs, like so many others in the library, the steel work is incredibly detailed.

The final area we saw was located in the basement. The Bathhouse Ceramics Studio (located in what was once a shower room), has eight or ten wheels, three kilns, tons of glazes, and is further evidence that this library is providing services that are far from ordinary. It was in this room that we heard of the tragic disappearance of Tonee Turner, a talented ceramicist and teaching artist at the library. In the tight-knit community that is the heart of the library, her absence is clearly felt by all. 

A small sample of the items created in the Bathhouse Ceramics Studio.

When we finally found ourselves back in the adult collection area, our heads were spinning. This is a community of roughly 1,100 people. It’s located a stone’s throw from the steel mill that made the town - and that is also poisoning the people. (The asthma rate, we’re told, is estimated to be 80 percent higher than anyplace else in the country.) It’s already more than a library, it’s a center for a vibrant community that is trying to find its footing in a challenging world. The vision for the library is absolutely amazing and - when made real - will be transformative.

We’re so fortunate to have the opportunity to visit and spend time in the places and with the people that make libraries so amazing. When we hear people questioning the role and value of libraries, it drives us crazy. Libraries are more important than ever and places like the Braddock Carnegie Library make that point loud and clear. If you doubt our word, go and see for yourself, visit a library (this one if at all possible) and take the time to explore and to see how people are using these places today.

The Braddock - and all libraries - need our support. You can contribute to the Braddock here and we can connect you to their development team. The plans for this first American Carnegie are ambitions and the road forward will be steep - but we got a hint of what this library can mean and we met the people who are going to make it happen. We’ll do everything we can to make their efforts a success and we really look forward to being there when it is reopens in all its glory!