Two members of the WLHC Steering Committee have articles in the Summer issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History. Michael Edmonds is the author of “On the Trail of Paul Bunyan” and Christine Pawley is the author of “The Wisconsin Idea in Action: Reading, Resistance & the Door-Kewaunee Regional Library, 1950-52”. Congratulations to both of them.
Although the Paul Bunyan article by Michael is wonderful, it is Christine’s Pawley’s article that will be of most interest to the library history buff. Obtaining state funding for the 1950-1952 Door-Kewaunee Regional Library demonstration was one of the Wisconsin Library Associations greatest legislative victories. Pawley’s article provides insight into why the county funding referendums which followed the demonstration in Kewaunee and Door counties failed and passed respectively. Passage in both was required for continuation of what was primarily bookmobile service in the rural areas of the counties. The article is well illustrated with some great bookmobile photographs including one of the bookmobile being loaded on the ferry to go to Washington Island.
The Wisconsin Historical Society makes available freely online its archive of the back issues of the Wisconsin Magazine of History from 1917 up through the 2006-2007 volume year. Only the current volume year is not available online. By searching the archive using the terms “libraries” and “librarian” several articles of interest to the library history buff can be found.
