50 years of cooperative library services

The Southwest Wisconsin Library Systems has reached a major milestone.

We’re turning 50!

Here’s a bit of the history:

In 1959 the Southwest Wisconsin Library Processing Center began as a two year LSCA project serving Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette and Richland Counties as well as the Monroe Public Library in Green County. The Processing center was located in the basement of the Fennimore Public Library.

In 1962, when the federal funding ended, a proposal was made to the five counties who agreed to assume of costs of operating the processing center. A joint library board was formed.

In 1965, the processing center added more services and was re-named the Public Library Service Center of Southwest Wisconsin (PLSCSW).

In 1974, the PLSCSW was reorganized into what we are today—the Southwest Wisconsin Library System.

In the 35 years since, the System and its member libraries have seen many changes.

But what hasn’t changed in 50 years is the belief that by working together and pooling our resources we all benefit. What also hasn’t changed is the spirit that brought us all together. SWLS has been fortunate throughout the years to serve such an outstanding group of libraries.

We hope you will join us on June 19, 2009 as we celebrate 50 years of cooperative library services in southwest Wisconsin. You (or your library) will receive an invitation by mail in early May.

As part of the celebration, we will be presenting the following awards:

SWLS Library of the Year
SWLS Librarian of the Year
SWLS Member Library Trustee of the Year
SWLS Elected Official of the Year.

We hope that you will help us by nominating a colleague, your trustee, etc. The nomination forms are on the SWLS web site. Click the “Links for Librarians” button. Nominations are due April 30, 2009. The SWLS Board of Trustees will select the winner at their May board meeting.

So mark your calendars now, and plan to join us to honor our past as we move into the future.

—Krista