andrew carnegie had promised in a letter to mr thomas jeffrey of airdrie savings bank an amount of money equaling £1,000 (being half of the money required to build a new library) so long as a piece of land was acquired and the other half of the money was raised locally. on receiving this guarantee, a public appeal was launched on 13 june 1892 for funds, and by october 1892 more than £1,000 had been raised. with more than £2,000, plans were drawn up to build the new library on anderson street.