<div>Familiar landmarks in hundreds of American towns, Carnegie libraries today seem far from controversial. In <i>Free to All</i>, however, Abigail A. Van Slyck shows that the classical fa&ccedil;ades and symmetrical plans of these buildings often mask a complex and contentious history.<br><br>"The whole story is told here in this book. Carnegie's wishes, the conflicts among local groups, the architecture, development of female librarians. It's a rich and marvelous story, lovingly told."--Alicia Browne, <i>Journal of American Culture</i><br><br>"This well-written and extensively researched work is a welcome addition to the history of architecture, librarianship, and philanthropy."--Joanne Passet, <i>Journal of American History</i><br><br>"Van Slyck's book is a tremendous contribution for its keenness of scholarship and good writing and also for its perceptive look at a familiar but misunderstood icon of the American townscape."--Howard Wight Marshall, <i>Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians</i><br><br>"[Van Slyck's] reading of the cultural coding implicit in the architectural design of the library makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the limitations of the doctrine 'free to all.'"--<i>Virginia Quarterly Review</i><br><br></div>