History Exhibit

The Wisconsin Library Heritage Center sponsors an exhibit of Wisconsin library memorabilia which is available for display in Wisconsin libraries. The collection belongs to retired librarian Larry T. Nix. The exhibit includes souvenir items for many of Wisconsin's Carnegie libraries, the Milwaukee Public Library, other public libraries, and the Wisconsin Historical Society Library. A variety of souvenir items including china, spoons, paperweights, and picture postcards are part of the exhibit. Selected items from the exhibit will be displayed in the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center's booth (#406) at the WLA Conference in Middleton in November.

Libraries where the exhibit has been on display in the past include the Marathon County Public Library, the Baraboo Public Library, the Menomonee Falls Public Library, the Fond du Lac Public Library, the Middleton Public Library, the Frank L. Weyenberg Library in Mequon, the Lake Geneva Public Library, the Ripon Public Library, the Pewaukee Public Library, and the South Milwaukee Public Library. It is currently (April 2009) on exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Library, and is scheduled to be exhibited in the future at the Door County Public Library (Sept. and Oct. 2009).

Requests for the exhibit should be submitted to Larry T. Nix at nix@libraryhistorybuff.org . Because of the fragile nature of many of the items in the exhibit and the wide variation in display cases, it is installed and taken down personally by Nix. To be eligible to display the exhibit a library must have a locked display case. Because of travel costs, libraries which are more than a one day's round trip distance from Middleton will not normally be considered for the exhibit. The duration of the exhibit is normally one month. Although, there is no charge for the exhibit, a donation to the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center is encouraged.

A major purpose of the exhibit is to promote library history so libraries that host the exhibit are encouraged to publicize the exhibit through local media outlets. 

The exhibit was on display at the Ripon Public Library in July-August, 2008.

The exhibit was on display at the Lake Geneva Public Library in April, 2008.

 
Pictures of the exhibit of Wisconsin Library Memorabilia which was on display at the Menomonee Falls Public Library in November-December 2006 can be found here.

This is a picture of the exhibit at the Baraboo (WI) Public Library on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its Carnegie library building in 2003.