Wesley Theodore

Writer and library historian whose published works engage with the history and culture of libraries in America and Britain. Theodore's works include A Book of Carnegie Libraries, a study of the library-building programme funded by Andrew Carnegie that created more than 2,500 free public libraries worldwide between 1883 and 1929 — one of the most transformative philanthropic ventures in the history of education.

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1. Biography

A short life of the author

Wesley Theodore is a writer and library historian whose published works address the history, architecture, and cultural significance of libraries.

A Book of Carnegie Libraries examines the extraordinary library-building programme funded by Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), the Scottish-American industrialist who gave away roughly $60 million to build more than 2,500 free public libraries across the English-speaking world between 1883 and 1929. Carnegie libraries — with their distinctive architecture and their commitment to free public access — remain landmarks of civic culture in hundreds of communities.

On University Libraries addresses the evolution of academic library systems, and Reading: A Vice or a Virtue? engages with the long cultural debate about whether reading is a productive or dangerous pastime.

Collecting Theodore

Books about library history, Carnegie libraries, and the culture of reading are collected by library historians, architectural preservationists, and bibliophiles.

Carnegie library studies are particularly valued by local history collectors in communities where Carnegie libraries still serve as public institutions.