Wisconsin Library Bulletin

The Wisconsin Library Bulletin was begun in 1905 by the Wisconsin Free Library Commission under the leadership of Henry E. Legler. It continued publication through 1984. It is the most comprehensive account of Wisconsin’s library history for that period. It includes a wealth of information which can be utilized by libraries and those interested in local and state history to tell the story of Wisconsin’s libraries. Although the primary focus of the bulletin was initially public library development, the magazine includes information about libraries of all types. It documents a wide variety of library related activities and events which occurred during that period including staff appointments and changes, building projects, library association meetings, library education and continuing education events, legislation, gifts and appropriations, and grant programs including the Library Services Act and the Library Services and Construction Act. Through the involvement of the University of Wisconsin – Madison General Libraries in the Google Books project, the Wisconsin Library Bulletin has been scanned and many early issues of the magazine are now appearing in Google Books.  Locating and accessing periodicals through Google Books is often a difficult process. I have been able to locate the compilations for 19051907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1917, and 1922. You can search these compilations by keyword and an interesting exercise would be to search for your library in them. I will continue to keep looking for additional yearly compilations.

One Reply to “Wisconsin Library Bulletin”

  1. thanks, Larry–I hope they get 1911-16 done soon, since it’s a good way for libraries to track centennial information. And I found it interesting that the entire Jy-August 1908 issue was devoted to “Problems of Discipline.” Not so recent a problem as one might think!

Comments are closed.