Winding Rivers Library System Records

Record Group

Identifier: La Crosse Series 014

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Records include Board materials, such as minutes (1971-1990), director’s files and the like; historical materials which include a time line of WRLS development and newspaper clippings; financial records include audits (1971-1993), budgets and financial statements; Library and Technology Act (LSTA) grant files; visual materials which include photographs and 35 mm slides of various staff, board members and services; programs which include Mail-A-Book, Mail-A-Film, Bookmobile and others; publications which include the system newsletter “Whirlpools” (1979-2005); reports which include annual reports to the state of Wisconsin (1973-1993) and to the WRLS board of trustees (1985-2001); and files on system members.

Lastly are materials of the defunct Winding Rivers Intertype Library Council (1978-1996) and the West Central District Library Association (1938-1996).

There are additional annual reports filed in the Annual Report file collection under La Crosse County-Winding Rivers Library System.

Dates

1938-2006

Creator

Winding Rivers Library System, Wisconsin (Organization)

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

Historical Note

The Winding Rivers Library System, headquartered in La Crosse, Wis., began with a Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) grant in November 1965 to the La Crosse Public Library to develop an area library system among public libraries. The $300,000 helped to defray costs of a new La Crosse Public Library building. It was known as La Crosse Area Library Development initially and in 1972 the name was changed to the La Crosse Area Library System. The director of the La Crosse Public Library served as director for the system as well.

The concept was that the area library would serve other libraries in the system rather than individuals. The La Crosse Public Library would contract with the system to provide centralized purchasing and cataloging as well as reference service and in-service training. Initially six counties participated: Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau and Vernon.

Later, system services included interlibrary loan, the bookmobile and mail-a-book and mail-a-film. Another name change to Winding Rivers Library System (WRLS) occurred in 1978.

Today WRLS serves multitple libraries in a seven county region of Wisconsin: Buffalo, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau and Vernon Counties. WRLS Web is a consortium of WRLS libraries that have joined the automated library catalog through LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grants. Van delivery between libraries and the headquarters helps to deliver library materials quickly.

Extent

8 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Winding Rivers Library System, headquartered in La Crosse, Wis., began with a Library and Construction Act (LSCA) grant in 1965 to the La Crosse Public Library to develop an area library system among public libraries. It was known as La Crosse Area Library Development initially and in 1972 the name was changed to La Crosse Area Library System. Another name change in 1978 resulted in Winding Rivers Library System (WRLS). Today WRLS serves multiple libraries in a seven county region of Wisconsin: Buffalo, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau and Vernon Counties.

Records include Board materials, such as minutes (1971-1990), director’s files and the like; historical materials which include a time line of WRLS development and newspaper clippings; financial records include audits (1971-1993), budgets and financial statements; Library and Technology Act (LSTA) grant files; visual materials which include photographs and 35 mm slides of various staff, board members and services; programs which include Mail-A-Book, Mail-A-Film, Bookmobile and others; publications which include the system newsletter “Whirlpools” (1979-2005); reports which include annual reports to the state of Wisconsin (1973-1993) and to the WRLS board of trustees (1985-2001); and files on system members.

Lastly are materials of the defunct Winding Rivers Intertype Library Council (1978-1996) and the West Central District Library Association (1938-1996).