VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCBC) – The Valley City Barnes County (VCBC) Public Library will receive a $10,000 gift from Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie. The award is part of Carnegie Libraries 250, a special initiative celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and
honoring the roughly 1,280 Carnegie Libraries still serving their communities across the United States.
Scottish immigrant Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 1,681 free public libraries nationwide between 1886 and 1917. Approximately 750 of them continue to use their original buildings, while others have moved to new locations.
Opened in 1903, our library is one of eleven Carnegie Libraries in North Dakota built through this historic program.
“This gift will honor the vision of the Tuesday Club and their tireless efforts in raising funds to bring their vision to a reality. After many fundraisers, the Tuesday Club decided to reach out to Andrew Carnegie for assistance, but their letters never reached his desk. ND Governor White was asked to contact Mr. Carnegie on their behalf in hopes his request would get through. His efforts were successful! The $15,000 gift from Andrew Carnegie to fund the building for the library solidified the commitment of the Tuesday Club and the community of Valley City to bring educational and cultural opportunities to
the area that could be easily accessed by the public. For 123 years, the Valley City Barnes County Public Library has been meeting the needs of the Valley City and Barnes County residents by providing current publications of many genres, educational programs for all ages, and access to technology in a variety of ways,” says Library Director, Anita Tulp.
“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who championed the free public library movement of the late 19th century, described libraries as ‘cradles of democracy’ that ‘strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man,’” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie and former head of the University of Oxford. “We still believe this and are delighted to celebrate our connection to the libraries he founded.”
VCBC Public Library will receive the gift in January 2026, and we may use the funds however we wish to celebrate the 250th anniversary, further our mission, and benefit our community.
Patrons are invited to share their VCBC Public Library photos, stories, and community celebrations at carnegielibraries.org
