The Carnegie library would often be the one of the most imposing buildings in the town.

At the turn of the twentieth century, it was a truth universally acknowledged that a progressive city must be in want of a free public library. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was of the same opinion and used his wealth to put libraries in communities throughout the United States and the world. Twenty-six Missouri cities benefited from his generosity to build thirty-three libraries. More than one hundred years later, most remain as libraries, some are museums, and some stand empty. A few were opulent, most were plain, but regardless of their appearance all were, in his words, "only the frame, the treasures of a Library are within."

Vicki and James Erwin trace the history of each town's library, its origin, construction, unique features, and the quirky stories of the people who added to the treasures within.