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[[File:Andrew Carnegie, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing slightly left, 1913-crop.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The American philanthropist [[Andrew Carnegie]] had his offer rejected by the library's board]]
In 1897, the Strathcona Library Society was formed, with the idea to build a public library in the young city of [[Strathcona, Alberta|Strathcona]]. In 1910, a petition from citizens was eventually presented to the city council, officially requesting the construction of the library. The city quickly bought up the land for $6,250 from a local farmer, and organized the Strathcona Library Board. The American philanthropist [[Andrew Carnegie]] eventually offered the city $15,000 to build a small, standardized library. However, the board did not feel this would provide the library they were hoping to build, and they declined Carnegie's offer. Costs for the new library were eventually paid for as part of the agreement when Strathcona and Edmonton amalgamated in 1912.<ref name="Herzog">{{cite journal|last=Herzog|first=Lawrence|date=21 October 2010|title=Strathcona Public Library|journal=Real Estate Weekly|volume=28|issue=42|url=http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view_rew?CONTENT_ID=2961|accessdate=19 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323145743/http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view_rew?CONTENT_ID=2961|archive-date=23 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Strathcona Public Library, 1913, Glenbow Archives, na-1328-769.jpg|thumb|307x307px|Strathcona Public Library (1913), Edmonton, Alberta ]]
Construction began in 1912, and the new library was opened on March 13, 1913 by ex-Strathcona Mayor John Joseph Duggan and Edmonton Mayor William Short. Final cost of the library was approximately $27,000. The library was popular upon opening, and boasted an impressive circulation for the size of Edmonton at the time. The first minor renovation was completed in 1948, which converted the original men's-only reading room in the basement into a children's library.<ref name="Herzog" />
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