Friends of the Carnegie Library Fund

We would like to thank each and every donor for helping us to further our mission. The gifts we have received for this project are encouraging us to forge ahead, however we still need your support! 

Please take a look below to see our vision for this project. We hope the Carnegie Library will be a gathering place for locals and tourists alike ...With your support, this vision will become a reality. 

Our Vision

The Carnegie Library is not only an historic building, but resides within an historic site on the banks of Lake Bemidji, near the Mississippi River inlet, a site of human habitation for 3000 years.  As we restore the interior of the Carnegie, we intend to create an ongoing exhibit of regional Native American history and culture to celebrate this long and rich story, significant to the Ojibwe as well as those who settled here later. 

An exhibit will expand on the life of Shaynowishkung (Chief Bemidji) but also reflect on the pre-contact and post-contact life of the Ojibwe of Red Lake, White Earth, Leech Lake, and Bemidji. Lastly, it will document the history of the Carnegie Library itself and its importance to the community.

The new monument in Bemidji’s Library Park will honor Shaynowishkung and the Anishinaabe people, and encourage the healing of all peoples.  Through his words and actions Shaynowishkung exemplified the traditional values of the Anishinaabe.  He was known as a leader and peacemaker.

Why Are We Doing This

First and foremost, this is for our children.  The restored Carnegie will be a legacy for future generations.  What better way to enrich that legacy than to educate them on its full history, not just of the building, but of all that came before it?

The exhibit will draw residents, visitors, tourists and students, from our own community, from neighboring reservations and beyond. This ongoing exhibition project, ideally in partnership with the Beltrami County Historical Society, would be an attraction to enhance Bemidji’s offering to residents and visitors alike.

It is important that the Carnegie be open to all, just as it was when Andrew Carnegie first endowed it.

An Historic Building on an Historic Site

Results of the 2009 local Shared Vision Initiative survey indicate that the majority of participants, both Native American and white, say they would like to know more about each other.  An exhibit at the Carnegie will help fill this need, and can act as a bridge to connect the past and the present. This gives the building a “mission” beyond our goal to make it available for community use and tenant space, and will encourage many more visitors.   There is no similar permanent exhibition of Ojibwe history and culture north of the Mille Lacs Indian Museum.

The exhibit at the Carnegie will attract visitors who come to see the new Chief Bemidji statue and who want to learn more about Shaynowishkung and local history.  In the downtown area visitors can experience the statue of Shaynowishkung; Niimi, the monumental sculpture of a powwow dancer; the contemporary Ojibwe art gallery at Watermark Art Center; the Morrison Collection at the History Center, and the ongoing Carnegie exhibit of Ojibwe history and culture.

The Exhibit

Beltrami County Historical Society – Great Northern Depot

Possible content could include:  

§  Findings and documents from past and recent archaeological excavations of the site
§  Expanded information on Shaynowishkung’s life and times. (Excellent material is available from the results of research done for the new statue project)
§  Pre- and post-contact historical and cultural information on Native American life, focused specifically on the Ojibwe of Red Lake, White Earth, Leech Lake, and Bemidji. Many local sources are interested in contributing
§  A history of the Carnegie Library from its construction to the present.  Background on Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropy and on Bemidji's community at the time of the library's founding
§  Timelines, photographs, oral histories, permanent and temporary pieces or displays 

Partnerships

We hope to partner with other local organizations to share materials, publicity and support.  Potential partners include the Beltrami County Historical Society, Leech Lake Tribal College, the BSU-American Indian Resource Center, the Watermark Art Center, Visit Bemidji, and the City of Bemidji.  We also intend to seek grant funding from a variety of new sources that might be interested in supporting this future vision for the Carnegie.   

Please support our efforts by DONATING today! 

Carnegie Restoration Work Plan and Timeline

Capital Campaign:   May 2012 – Spring 2016
As of September 2014 we have raised $755,000 in grants and donations, toward a goal of $1.6 million. The project has received major contributions from the G.W. Neilson Foundation, the Joseph and Janice Lueken Family Foundation, Andreas & Marilyn Kuhn, the Carolyn F Jacobs Culture and Humanity Fund, Beltrami County, the Minnesota Historical Society and the City of Bemidji.

Pre-Project:   June 2012
Evaluated current building conditions and developed a Scope of Work and draft project budget. Completed by MJ Burns, Architects, Moorhead, MN, a firm specializing in restoration of historic structures.

Archeological Survey:   Fall 2013
Completed three-phased Archeological Surveys of the project’s Area of Potential Effect. The investigations extended the characterization of the site and will allow us to proceed with relocation of the structure as planned.

National Park Service Approval:   April 7, 2014
Received approval from the National Park Service in Washington, DC, for the proposed relocation of the Carnegie structure.  The building will remain listed on the National Register of Historic Places during and after the project.

Planning and Design:
November 2014 - Request for Proposals from Architectural firms

February 2015 - Architect selected; agreement completed and signed

April 2015 – Design Plan approval

July 2015 – Schematic Design Drawings available

October 2015 – January 2016 – Development & Construction Drawings complete

January 2016 - Design and bidding documents complete. Begin construction planning.

Construction:
January - March 2016 - Bidding period: Issue plans and specifications; review bid proposals; prepare construction contracts

April 2016 - Construction begins

Mid-September 2016 - Pre-final inspection/walk-through
Mid-October 2016 - Final inspection; closeout documents prepared

Evaluation:
November 2016 – November 2017
Rededication ceremony (Nov 2016); community feedback (Summer 2016 – Mar 2017); develop metrics on use of the building and energy efficiency improvements (Nov 2016 – Nov 2017)