Libraries give kids a quiet and safe place to read and learn. For over 100 years, libraries have played an important role in Americans' education. But how are these book-filled buildings changing with the times? You may be surprised to find out. Benjamin Franklin famously founded   America's first lending library in 1731. But the public library system got its biggest development in the American history in the late 1800's. Businessman Andrew Carnegie donated  millions of dollars to help build free public libraries across the country. Between 1886 and 1919, Carnegie's donations helped build 1,679 new libraries. Carnegie believed that libraries could offer the chances to Americans, young and old. He knew that the more libraries there were, the more people would have opportunities to read and use books, speeches and news. If you can easily find a public library in your community , you'll get more chances. After all, the United States has 9,225 public libraries. Today, libraries keep growing. Seven tenths of the libraries have free Internet. It provides  much more information and opportunities) to ask for jobs online. Libraries are also teaching kids about the fun of reading. The new program Read! Build! Play! adds reading into playtime. As kids listen to a book that is being read aloud, they use Legos   to build images  from the story happily. Today's libraries are always looking for creative programs to bring people into the library. Benjamin Franklin once said, "The doors of wisdom  are never shut." As long as  the doors of public libraries are open, what he said is most certainly correct! How many public libraries have free Internet now?
2767. 6458. 9225. 1679.