| 1731 |
The Library Company of Philadelphia is
founded by Benjamin Franklin. It is the first lending library in America. |
| 1800 |
The Library of Congress is founded. |
| 1833 |
The Peterboro (NH)Town Library is founded. It
is the first tax supported free public library in the world. |
| 1836 |
The first session of the Wisconsin
territorial legislature takes place in Belmont, WI. The legislature
authorizes $5,000 to purchase books for a library. This was the start of the
Wisconsin State Library, Wisconsin’s first library. It later becomes the
Wisconsin State Law Library. |
| 1841 |
Governor Doty makes his personal library
which contained about 500 volumes available for loan to the public in
Madison. |
| 1843 |
A library is established at the Platteville
Academy in Platteville, WI. |
| 1846 |
The State Historical Society of Wisconsin is
established. |
| 1847 |
The Young Men's Association Library is founded
in Milwaukee. It is the predecessor of the Milwaukee Public Library. |
| 1848 |
The Wisconsin Constitution provides for the
allocation of school funds for library purposes. |
| 1849 |
The Beloit College Library is established. |
| 1850 |
The University of Wisconsin Library in
Madison is established. |
| 1850 |
The Lawrence University Library in Appleton
is founded. |
| 1851 |
The Carroll College Library is founded in
Waukesha. |
| 1852 |
The Boston Public Library is founded. It is
the first large public library and the model for public libraries that
follow. |
| 1853 |
Membership libraries are established in
Madison and Cassville. In Madison the library is the Madison
Institute, the predecessor of the Madison Public Library. In Cassville
it is the Ladies Library Association. |
| 1866 |
The State Normal School at Platteville is
founded. The library of the Platteville Academy is given to the library of
the Normal School. |
| 1872 |
Wisconsin's law authorizing the establishment
of free public libraries is enacted. It is based on a similar law
passed in the same year in Illinois. |
| 1872 |
Wisconsin’s first public library is
established under the new act in Black River Falls. |
| 1874 |
The Sparta Public Library is established. |
| 1875 |
Public libraries are established in Madison
and Eau Claire. |
| 1876 |
The American Library Association is founded.
|
| 1876 |
The Fond du Lac Public Library is established. |
| 1878 |
The Milwaukee Public Library is founded. |
| 1886 |
The American Library
Association meets in Milwaukee. |
| 1887 |
Columbia College School of Library Economy,
the nation's first library school, is
opened under the direction of Melvil Dewey. |
| 1891 |
The Wisconsin Library Association is founded. |
| 1891 |
The new Williams Free Library in Beaver
Dam is dedicated. It claims to be the first library in America to have open shelves. |
| 1895 |
The Wisconsin Free Library Commission (WFLC) is
founded. Lutie Stearns is the Commission's first Secretary. |
| 1895 |
Summer training sessions for librarians are
initiated under the auspices of the WFLC. These training sessions are the
precursors of what is to be the the School of Library and Information
Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
| 1896 |
Senator James H. Stout, Menomonie, purchased
500 “wholesome, popular books” and began a traveling library system in Dunn
County, with 16 boxes of books. |
| 1900 |
The new building housing the Wisconsin
Historical Society and the Library of the University of Wisconsin is
dedicated. Reuben G. Thwaites, the Secretary of the Society, serves as
President of the American Library Association. |
| 1901 |
The American Library Association meets in
Waukesha. |
| 1901 |
The Legislative Reference Library is
established as a part of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. Charles
McCarthy is its first librarian. McCarthy was a leader in the Progressive
Movement and is the author of the “Wisconsin Idea”. The Wisconsin
Legislative Reference Library served as a prototype of such libraries in
other states and also was the model for the Congressional Research Service
of the Library of Congress. |
| 1901 |
Seven communities in Wisconsin receive grants
from Andrew Carnegie for public library buildings. Eventually 60
communities in Wisconsin will receive funding for 63 public library
buildings from Carnegie. Two colleges also receive grants from Carnegie for
library buildings. |
| 1902 |
The first public library
building in Wisconsin funded with a Carnegie grant is completed in Superior.
|
| 1904 |
The State Capitol in Madison burns. The State
Law Library collection is saved with the help of University of Wisconsin
students. The collections of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission are
heavily damaged, however. |
| 1906 |
A library school is established as a part of
the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. It later becomes the School of
Library Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. |
| 1914 |
The Postmaster General shifts library books
to fourth class parcel post mail making the postal rates much more
affordable for libraries. Matthew Dudgeon, Secretary of the Wisconsin Free
Library Commission, working in cooperation with the major libraries in
Madison, establishes a books-by-mail program which provides the resources of
these libraries to the rural residents of the state. |
| 1917 |
The United States enters the war with
Germany. The American Library Association takes a leadership role in
providing library service to soldiers and sailors at home and abroad.
Matthew Dudgeon, Secretary of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission, takes a
leave of absence to join ALA’s War Service Library. Libraries throughout
Wisconsin join in the national effort to raise funds for books and library
service for the armed forces. |
| 1921 |
With the active support of the Wisconsin
Library Association, the Wisconsin legislature passes the first public
librarian certification law in the nation. |
| 1940 |
Wisconsin’s first bookmobile begins
operation in Grant, Iowa, Crawford and Rock counties. It was furnished by
the federal Works Project Administration (WPA) and operated through
contributions from 26 American Legion posts. It only served children, and
was administered by the Wisconsin Free Library Commission in Madison. |
| 1949 |
The legislature enacts funding over the
Governor’s veto for a three-year regional library demonstration in Door and
Kewaunee counties. |
| 1956 |
The federal Library Services Act (LSA) is
passed. |
| 1956 |
The American Library Association (ALA)
publishes Public Library Service: A Guide to Evaluation With Mininimum
Standards. This document introduces the “library system” concept, and
sets forth guiding principles and minimum national standards for measuring
public library service. |
| 1956 |
S. Janice Kee, previously Director of the
Public Library Association of ALA, becomes Secretary of the Wisconsin Free
Library Commission. |
| 1957 |
Wisconsin’s State Plan for LSA funding is
approved. |
| 1959 |
Several county and multi-county public
library demonstrations are funded by the Free Library Commission with
Library Services Act funds. These are the predecessors of Wisconsin's
public library systems. |
| 1964 |
The Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA),
an expansion of LSA to include urban libraries, is enacted by Congress. |
| 1965 |
The Wisconsin Free Library Commission is
incorporated into the Department of Public Instruction as the Division for
Library Services. S. Janice Kee resigns from the Free Library Commission.
Lyle Eberhart becomes the Assistant State Superintendent in charge of the
new Division for Library Services. |
| 1971 |
Wisconsin’s public library system law is
enacted. |
| 1973 |
The first four public library systems are
established under the new law. |
| 1980 |
The Council on Library and Network
Development is established with the responsibility to advise the State
Superintendent of Public Instruction on library development and cooperation
and public librarian certification. |
| 1981 |
The Kenosha County Library System and the
Waukesha County Library System are the last of seventeen federated public
library systems to be established. |
| 1990 |
Florence County becomes the last county in
the state to become part of a public library system. |