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Antonia J. Bunch was a professional librarian for forty years, during which time she worked in several different types of library and as an academic, concluding her career as director of the Scottish Science Library, National Library of Scotland. She has made several contributions to the literature of her profession and is now a library historian currently researching historic library buildings in Scotland. She recently edited The Temple of Harmony: a new architectural history of St. Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh. (Friends of St Cecilia's Hall, 2011).

In 1901, Andrew Carnegie sold his own personal interest in Carnegie Steel to J. P. Morgan, who was reorganising US Steel. After paying him more than $220million, Morgan is alleged to have told Carnegie that he was now "the richest man in the world". Possibly he was, but Carnegie then spent the last 18 years of his life giving much of his fortune away. This talk will look at the, not always very pleasant, 'rags to riches' story of Scotland's best-known philanthropist and, in particular, his legacy of library buildings. Negotiations with local authorities were often hard-fought but many of the buildings are interesting architecturally and their design contributed to developments in library services. Many, of course, are now being altered quite extensively to accommodate the demands of new technology.