$10K Grant Awarded To Union County Library

ELIZABETH, NJ — The Elizabeth Public Library was awarded a $10,000 grant by the Carnegie Corporation in honor of America's 250th anniversary in 2026.

The library is one of nearly 1,300 Carnegie libraries still serving neighborhoods across the United States.

As a Scottish immigrant, Andrew Carnegie funded 1,681 free public libraries in the United States between 1886 and 1917. The libraries were built to be "cradles of democracy" that "strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man," added Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Carnegie Corporation.

As part of the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Carnegie's philanthropic foundation is awarding these institutions with funding to further celebrate America's birthday, further their mission, and benefit the local communities.

The grants are part of a wider $20 million initiative to honor America and contribute to the goal of reducing political polarization. Carnegie also awards annual grants to fund the Andrew Carnegie Fellow Program and scholarly research into the causes of polarization and potential solutions to reduce it.

The Elizabeth Public Library's main branch is located at 11 South Broad St. and is available to visit from Monday through Sunday.

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