Wisconsin's Traveling Libraries

Link to June 16 Wisconsin State Journal article, "Odd Wisconsin: Traveling libraries helped inform citizens".

Excerpt: In 1895, state senator James H. Stout (1848-1910) wrote a bill authorizing traveling libraries and Lutie Stearns (1866-1943) was hired to oversee them. Stout bought the first 500 books with his own money.

These were divided among 16 small collections of about 30 books each: "Each library was put up in a strong book case which had a shelf, double doors with a lock and key, [and] a record book for loans…," Stearns wrote. Over the next 20 years, more than 1,400 of these were sent to crossroads post offices, log schoolhouses and general stores all over the state.

"Odd Wisconsin" is the current ongoing exhibit at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Worth a visit!

And for much more on Wisconsin's traveling libraries and many other aspects of Wisconsin library history, you'll want to make regular visits the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center, a project of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation (Larry Nix, Steering Committee Chair.)