Wisconsin Library Heritage Center
The Wisconsin Library Heritage Center is a program of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation promoting understanding and appreciation of the history of libraries and librarianship in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame is a project of the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center which is a program of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation. Induction into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame is granted to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the statewide improvement of library service in Wisconsin. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by the Steering Committee of the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center. The Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame includes both librarians and library supporters. Nominations of individuals to be included in the Hall of Fame come from the Steering Committee and the library community at large. The first ten individuals were inducted into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in 2008. The inductions take place at the Annual Conference of the Wisconsin Library Association.
The Wisconsin Library Association proudly inducts Marge Loch-Wouters into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in recognition of her nearly 50 years of leadership, innovation, and unwavering dedication to youth services and librarianship in Wisconsin and beyond.
Steve Platteter (April 24, 1961-February 27, 2025)
The Wisconsin Library Association proudly inducts Steve Platteter posthumously into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades of transformative leadership, steadfast advocacy for small and rural libraries,
The Wisconsin Library Association proudly inducts Michael Gelhausen into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame in recognition of his five decades of extraordinary leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to advancing public library service in Wisconsin.
Michael Gelhausen’s remarkable career began in the late 1960s as a student assistant in Antigo,
Carla J. Stoffle, a leader of library services at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside from 1972-1985, changed the role and face of academic libraries through her role in the development of the concept of a Teaching Library. Under her visionary leadership,
Kurt is a servant leader who made exceptional contributions to the library community both in Wisconsin and nationally. Kurt came to Wisconsin libraries not as a librarian, but through his work as the Chief Information Officer at a school district.
Kristine “Kris” Adams Wendt is a distinguished leader in Wisconsin’s Library community. Kris has demonstrated unwavering passion for and commitment to building strong libraries through organized common-sense advocacy at local, county and state levels. Her selfless sharing of her skills,
Dr. Mohammed M. Aman (January 3, 1940 – May 25, 2024), was a scholar, educator, and passionate advocate for civil rights. His dedication to the field of Information Science took him to various institutions, including St. John’s University in New York,
During her forty-year professional library career Leslyn M. Shires (1939-2015) made significant contributions to the improvement of library service to the residents of the communities she served and to the residents of the state of Wisconsin.
Leslyn M.
Connie Meyer has a fervent love of public libraries, and an unshakeable belief that they can change lives. Connie has worked tirelessly to improve and promote Wisconsin public libraries since, at age 16, she was hired as a part-time page.
John DeBacher made a huge impact on the Wisconsin Library Community over more than 25 years. He served as the director of the Monona Public Library for 10 years before moving to the Department of Public Instruction as the Public Library Administration Consultant and later the Director of Public Library Development.