INTRODUCTION

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has been on my bucket list for decades. So, on a drive home from Illinois to Connecticut earlier this year, I planned my route accordingly and spent the night in Pittsburgh. My visit to this historic and vibrant library was unfortunately brief, and I did not have time to explore all the floors and areas, but it was so worth the trip.

I visited on a busy weekday, with many patrons working and browsing. As always, I tried to respect people’s privacy, so the photos below are a bit of a hodgepodge, but I hope they give you a sense of the library’s grandeur and beauty.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh opened in 1895 and underwent a significant renovation and expansion in 1907. Read about its history. There are 19 branch libraries in Pittsburgh, and this is the city’s main branch.

First stop was a photo op with Dippy the Dinosaur, a full-scale fiberglass replica of one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found. It was discovered in Wyoming, and a team funded by Carnegie excavated the skeleton in 1899. They named it Diplodocus carnegii.

Directly behind the Dippy photo above is this Shakespeare statue at the entrance of The Carnegie Music Hall. Both the Library and Music Hall are part of the original 1895 construction. Not long after, museums were built next door.

Walking from Dippy toward the Library’s main entrance.

The front entrance.

The building is a Historic Landmark. The plaque above, which is at the front entrance to the Library, reads:

Historic Landmark
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Music Hall
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Carnegie Museum of Art
Built 1895 and 1907
Longfellow, Alden & Harlow, Architects
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Department of the Interior, United States of America
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Looking out from the Library’s front doors. Notice the scale-themed ironwork above the doors. This motif is used throughout the building. You can see it on the exterior light in the photo above and on the interior lights below.

Inside the Library

Front hallway. From the marble floors to the handsome lights, visitors know they’re in a special place.

The green walls and sky mural in this stairwell give patrons a breath of fresh air as they move from floor to floor.

A room designed to inspire deep learning and lofty thoughts.

Library globe with photocopier and scanner in the background.

The placard reads, “This globe is from the mid 1990s, and was purchased by Carnegie Library around 1997. State & country names, national borders and regions are current to that point in time.”

I love coming across old globes in libraries. They can be a good teaching tool.

These shelves look like original wood. Notice the oversized books shelved horizontally to the right. The sign reads, “Check these out. Literally. These books circulate, you can check them out.”

Music room.

CDs and DVDs.

The latest in library technology: Soundproof pods where patrons can watch movies or listen to music/audio.

In the Stacks!

If I had to pick a favorite part of old libraries, it would be the stacks.

In the past, library stacks weren’t always open to browsers. Patrons would search the card catalog or consult a librarian and request the book they wanted. A page would pull the book and deliver it to the reading room or circulation desk.

This is how it still works in some libraries, such as the main New York Public Library on 5th Avenue (though researchers now consult the library’s electronic catalog).

There are usually no frills in the stacks, but other than the librarians, staff, and patrons, this is the beating heart of a library. The scrolled pickets on the railing of this staircase provide a bit of charm—a nice touch in a not-so-fancy part of the library.

Notice the transparent floor? Thick glass floor panels were an innovation of late 19th-century architecture. They let natural light in between floors, which was crucial before electricity.

The windows are strategically aligned with the glass floors to maximize natural light. This is a good shot of the glass floor’s steel supports. Notice the gap between the floor and the shelving. This was nice for air circulation, but not so great if a fire broke out.

This photo is a nice example of the glass floors below and above, working in harmony with the large window. That window seat is a great place to curl up with a book.

Walking through the stacks, I came upon a variety of places to sit and read or work.

Cather on the Shelf

Of course, I checked out their Cather on the shelf.

These neon pink bookmarks certainly caught my eye. My name is Christina, so I had to check out what was going on here… and the pizza theme was also enticing!

The bookmarks are staff recommendations. The text at the bottom of the bookmark reads, “If you liked this one, look for other strips of the same color for more picks by this person!” What a great idea.

Many libraries use carts as places where patrons can leave books they’ve taken off the shelves but have decided not to take home. You can see in the photos above that there isn’t much excess space in the stacks for carts, so they use the deep window sills. The sign reads, “Please do not reshelve books. Leave them on the windowsills.”

The Library has a cafe and outdoor seating. They also sell their own merch.

Heading back outside

In the photo above, I’m standing on a much newer glass floor at the top of a staircase that leads to the back door. I love this contemporary design nod to the original.

Looking back up the stairs.

Library back entrance.

I did see a few people coming and going through the building’s back entrance, but it seems to be designed for deliveries.

Walking around the building from the back entrance to the front. The back of the Library is to the left, and the newer Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History is straight ahead.

The Library building has some graceful curves. This is the entrance to the lecture hall.

This photo was taken from the front corner of the library, looking back toward the Lecture Hall. The curved walls of this section are striking after all the right angles of the building’s front.

I hope to return to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to spend more time admiring its architecture and exploring its resources. It would be great to visit some of the Carnegie museums as well.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
carnegielibrary.org

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Psst…hey, kid…wanna see more library blog posts?