In January 2026, the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) will provide 10,000 dollars in funding to the San Anselmo Library. The CCNY will spend 20 million dollars to fund around 1280 Carnegie-built libraries across the nation, the San Anselmo Library being one of them. The gift honors the 250th anniversary of the signing of the

Declaration of Independence.

Town librarian Linda Kenton works as a manager for the San Anselmo Library. Kenton has worked at the library for 15 years, and she was the first to learn about the gift.

“[The library] received a phone call from the Carnegie Corporation in the summer, calling to verify that we were still a Carnegie Library… Then in October, we received confirmation that the [CCNY] is awarding a 10,000-dollar grant to our library,” Kenton said

The CCNY, established by Andrew Carnegie in 1905, funded the construction of the original San Anselmo Library building with a 10,000-dollar grant in 1924. Unlike a normal conditional grant, the CCNY allows recipients to use the funds however they want to improve their community libraries.  

As the director of the library, Kenton is familiar with Carnegie’s beliefs, which formed the CCNY.

“[Carnegie] believed that libraries were the cradles of democracy… They’re tying [the gift] to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,” Kenton said.

Jennie Waskey is a Youth Service Librarian and organizes high-school volunteering at the San Anselmo Library. According to Waskey, the 10,000 dollars will fund a one-time project that the library council will decide on once the money is delivered in January. 

“No talk has happened yet. After we have [the 10,000 dollars] in our hands, the next step will be to figure out where it goes,” Waskey said.

Archie Williams sophomore, Cybil Pennock is a volunteer for the San Anselmo Library. Cybil believes the funds should go towards long-term improvements and fostering community engagement. 

“I hope the money can go to supporting the library in general, maybe purchasing more books, or helping support projects to outreach and get more people to be involved in the library and all of its activities,” Cybil said.

The San Anselmo Library will receive the first contribution from the CCNY in over 100 years in January 2026. Staff and stakeholders will discuss the allocation of the funds once the library receives the funds.