Among the documents in our Wyoming State Publications database is a treasure trove of information about the history of the state’s libraries with digitized copies of the Wyoming Library Roundup and The Outrider. going back to the beginnings of each publication.
The Roundup was first published in September of 1942 by the Wyoming State Library Association, “mimeographed and distributed” by the Wyoming State Library. That first issue reflected the library concerns of the time with articles on “LIBRARIES AND THE WAR” and “VICTORY BOOK CAMPAIGN.”
Intended as a quarterly, it was published twice that year, then not again until 1946. In the old issues of the Roundup, you can find proceedings of the WSLA (now WLA) conferences, library statistics, news from around the state (including favorite book picks), and more.
In 1990, the Roundup ended publication after 48 years of informing the Wyoming library community. It was revived in 2004 as a joint publication of the Wyoming State Library and Wyoming Library Association on a (mostly) quarterly basis until 2015, when it was again discontinued.
The Outrider launched in January of 1969 as a publication of the Wyoming State Library, and it’s another good source of the state’s library history. The Outrider was published until 2011, when the State Library moved to a blog format. In 2016, with the retirement of the Roundup, the State Library decided to bring back The Outrider as a monthly email newsletter with items excerpted from the blog.
The WSL’s Marketing and Publications Team is responsible for The Outrider, which goes out monthly to nearly a thousand subscribers. (Sign up here if you’re not receiving it!) We welcome submissions and story ideas from libraries around the state. Contact Susan Mark, WSL Outreach Librarian, at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915 if you have news you’d like included.