Kate Dennis
This summer at the Wyoming State Library our intern Kate Dennis worked on a project about the histories of the public libraries in Wyoming. Kate’s last day with us was August 10.
Many of the public libraries were funded by the Carnegie foundation and later rebuilt or expanded. The project can be found on the State Publications database under the State Library Division in Public Library Histories (browse by agency under Administration and Information). Within the collection, individual histories of the county libraries can be found as well as interesting documents surrounding the community and the efforts it took to provide library services.
Because Wyoming is a smaller state it had an opportunity to create collaboration among libraries that benefits the population in ways larger states cannot. This collection shows how individual each county library is and how combined they create a Wyoming library community that provides every state resident with quality library services. The histories show the development of the counties and the state and the resources they were able to provide over time.
There are also many personal stories within the collection. The file, “Rock Springs Carnegie Public Library- Wyoming Libraries; Plus, Stories of Rock Springs, 1969” offers a unique perspective of old Rock Springs and the people who created that community. For facts about the State Library, “The Wyoming State Library and Carnegie Public Library 1943” offers a unique look into the evolution of the State Library’s services. Browse by agency under Administration and Information.
Thank you, Kate, for the great work this summer!