Public Library History on the Lewis and Clark Trail

Abstract

The history of public libraries in the United States is not long. But what do current libraries know about their own history? To find out I drove the Lewis and Clark Trail to visit public libraries between St. Louis and the Pacific Ocean. The purpose of the research trip was to discover the historical knowledge that public libraries along the trail were able to share about themselves. Local history and genealogy proved to be very important in public libraries, while knowledge of their own history was less so. The libraries, however, did manage to blend their institutional histories with their current services.

KEYWORDS:

• public library history
• Lewis and Clark Trail libraries
• small and rural libraries
• survey research
• local history
• genealogy
• western U.S. libraries

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mary Wilkins Jordan

Professor Mary Wilkins Jordan has a BA and a BS from Quincy University, a JD from Case Western Reserve University, an MLS from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and a doctorate from University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Prior to entering academia, Jordan worked in public libraries as a director and administrator. Her research and consulting work now focuses on ways to help libraries to function better and to serve their communities more effectively. At the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College, she teaches management and evaluation classes, as well as public libraries, reference, and internship, all with a focus on helping students acquire the skills they need to be successful in their professional careers.