In 2026, the Carnegie Library of Homestead is building on areas of demonstrated need and success.
The Carnegie 250 gift has enabled the Carnegie Library of Homestead to increase preservation efforts in its archive, which holds records, photos, and ephemera that tell stories of the Mon Valley, including historic labor strikes, Olympic athletes, and the library’s own story — that of the longest continuously running American Carnegie Library that still operates, in its original building, a public library, music hall, and athletic club with a swimming pool.
Additionally, it is focusing on lifelong learning, offering social, exercise, and health programs for older adults, an important demographic to consider in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the sixth-oldest county in the nation, where 19 percent of the population is over the age of 65. Accessibility is an ongoing project in the 128-year-old building, currently in its fourth phase of renovations and upgrades, which are part of a nearly $15 million restoration and renovation initiative to increase access, safety, and usability of the building by the community.
This story was submitted by a Carnegie Library that received a $10,000 gift as part of the Carnegie Libraries 250 initiative. Did your library receive a gift? Share how you’re spending it here.
