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Guide to the Winding Rivers Library System Records, 1938-2006 La Crosse Series 014

Guide to the Winding Rivers Library System Records, 1938-2006

La Crosse Series 014

Summary Information

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).
Collection Title
Winding Rivers Library System Records
Date of Materials
1938-2006
Creator
Winding Rivers Library System, Wisconsin.
Call Number
La Crosse Series 014
Amount
8.0 cubic feet
Physical Description
17 archives boxes, 1 record center carton
Language of Materials
English
Repository
La Crosse Public Library Archives

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Winding Rivers Library System Records, La Crosse Series 014, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI

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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.

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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.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

La Crosse Public Library Archives 1992-2005

800 Main St.
La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

Acquisitions Information

(Accession no. 1992.016) Transferred from Winding Rivers Library System 1992, 1995, 1996, 2002

Processing Information

Processed by Anita Taylor Doering, Marlie Bendiksen, and Katie Adams, 1992; 2002; June 2005

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • La Crosse Area Library Development (Wis.).
  • La Crosse Area Library System (Wis.).
  • Winding Rivers Library System, Wisconsin.

Subject(s)

  • Regional library systems--Wisconsin

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Collection Inventory

Board Materials 

Box Folder

Bylaws, 1978-1990 

1 1

Board packets, 1990-1993 

2 1-3

Contracts, 1973-1992 

2 5

Director's files, 1976-1990 

2 6-10

List of members, 1972-1993 

1 2

Minutes, 1971-1990 

1 3-7

Planning Committee, 1985-1988 

2 4

Statistics, 1979-1988 

3 1

Historic Materials and Origins 

Box Folder

La Crosse Area Library Development (LALD) LSCA Title I grant request, 1967 

3 2

La Crosse Area Library System (LALS) 

Box Folder

History 

3 3

Provisional plan, 1972 

3 4

Plan, 1972 July 

3 5

Final plan, 1972 November 

3 6
Box Folder

Newspaper clippings 

3 7

System maps 

3 8

System formation 

3 9

Financial Materials 

Box Folder Box Folder

Audits, 1971-1993 

4 1-4 3 10-12

Budget, 1968-1992 

5 1-4 4 5-12
Box Folder

Equipment 

5 5

Job descriptions 

5 6

Statements, 1966-1980 

5 9

LSCA/LSTA Grants 

Box Folder

Index, 1976-1991 

5 10
Box Folder Box Folder

Funded grants, 1976-1988 

6 1-6 5 11-16

Project Grants 

Box Folder

Area resource sharing, 1985-1986 

6 7

Audio books, 1987-1988 

6 8

Bookmobile Mail-a-book, 1976-1979 

6 9, 11

Bookmobile demo project, 1978-1979 

6 10

Cooperative system workshop media kits, 1978-1979 

6 12

Enrichment, 1978-1979 

6 13

Home delivery, 1978-1979 

6 14

Public relations, 1978-1980 

6 15, 18

System-wide delivery, 1978-1980 

6 16, 19

Library services outlets project, 1979-1980 

6 17

School Mail-a-Book, 1984 

6 20

Small library improvement, 1982-1984 

6 21

Special needs, 1987-1988 

6 22

Videos by mail, 1986-1987 

6 23
Box Box Folder

Multi-type demo grants, 1986-1992 

7 8 1-2
Box Folder

Public Library Standards grants, 1988-1991 

8 3-5

Retrospective Conversion grants, 1986-1991 

8 6-10

LSCA grants (not funded) 

9 1

Visual Materials 

Photographs 

Box Folder

Board 

9 2

Staff 

9 3

Services 

9 4

WRLS area public libraries, 1982-1997 

9 5-7
Box

Slides 

10

Programs 

Bookmobile 

Box Folder

Accident 

11 1

Artsmobile 

11 2

Blueprints and design 

Box Folder

1967 Ford 

11 3

1976 International 

11 4

1988 Barth 

11 5
Box Folder

Circulation totals 

11 6

Electrical outlet program, 1993 

11 7

Evaluation and study, 1981-1989 

11 8-11

Goal setting yearly schedule, 1989 

11 12

Memorabilia 

12 1

Bookmobile News newsletter 

12 2

Newspaper articles 

12 3

Parades 

12 4

Photographs and slides 

12 5-6

Promotions 

12 7

Promotions report, 1988 

12 8

Quilt project 

12 9

Schedules, 1968-1997 

12 10

Staff 

12 11

"Stops" 

Box Folder

Assessment, 1991 

12 12

Community 

12 13

Schools 

12 14

Formulas, 1989 

12 15
Box Folder

Summer reading 

13 1

Survey, 1991 

13 2

Wisconsin Bookmobile Service Directory 

13 3
Box Folder

Calendars, 1991-2005 

12 4-6

Continuing education workshops, 1966-2005 

13 7-9

Extension collection selection guidelines, 1989 

13 10

Films by mail, 1989 

13 11

Forms 

13 12

Interlibrary Loan 

Box Folder

Cost study, 1984 

14 1

Procedures manual, circa 1985-1991 

14 2

Procedures, undated 

14 3

Mail-a-Book 

Box Folder

Administrative files, 1976-1980 

14 4

Catalogs, 1974-1987 

14 5

Procedures and forms 

14 6

Statistics, 1985-1988 

14 7
Box Folder

Nursing home service 

14 8

Publications 

Box Folder

Fliers, circa 1968-2005 

14 9

System directories, 1979-2005 

15 1-4

Policy and procedures manual, 1988-1989 

15 5
Box

Whirlpools, 1979-2006 

16

Reports 

Box Folder

Annual reports to the state, 1973-1993 

17 1-21

Annual reports to the trustees, 1985-2001 

17 22-28

Cost study, 1984 May 

18 10

Long range system plans, 1976-1995 

18 1-5

Public library systems for Wisconsin, 1967 

18 6

Report by Governmental Study Committee, 1972 

18 7

Strategic transition plan, 1997-2000 

18 8

System evaluation, 1983-1991 

18 9

Winding Rivers Multitype Library System Development Plan, 1986 

18 11

System Members 

Box Folder

Buffalo County, 1976-1988 

18 12

Jackson County, 1969-1989 

18 13

Juneau County, 1966-1988 

19 1

La Crosse County, 1952-1987 

19 2

Monroe County, 1969-2002 

19 3

Trempealeau County, 1965-2002 

19 4

Vernon County, 1962-1989 

19 5

Winding Rivers Intertype Library Council 

Box Folder

Administrative files, 1978-1996 

19 6

Minutes, 1978-1996 

19 7-8

West Central District Library Association 

Box Folder

Constitution 

20 1

Annual meeting, 1982-1989 

20 2-9

Annual conference, 1990-1996 

20 10-16

Meeting minutes, 1938-1973 

20 17-18