Helen Stub was the secretary-treasurer of the Twin City Library Club (TCLC) when the organization dissolved around 1959. Founded in 1906, the Twin City Library Club was an organization intended to help librarians in St. Paul and Minneapolis become acquainted with each other and the library collections of the Twin Cities. Helen reflects in the interview:
"This group of people were active participants in the intellectual, aesthetic, educational, political life of that period between 1906-1959. And, that period included two World Wars, a depression, the recovery, the New Deal, droughts, and, of course, the invention of the automobile."
Helen Stub discusses the founding of the organization by Clara Baldwin (Director, Public Library Commission, 1889-1936), John King (Director, Minnesota State Library), Gratia Countryman (Director, Minneapolis Public Library), W.W. Folwell (President, University of Minnesota, 1869-1884) and relays tales from the Secretary-Treasurer's books that chronicle the events of the library profession in the Twin Cities. These include summaries of lectures, reports on library successes, and descriptions of a 1908 list of periodicals of the libraries in Minneapolis and St. Paul, early interlibrary loan, site visits to libraries, announcement of the first bookmobile, parties at the H.W. Wilson company, boat trips on the Mississippi, road tours by car, and elegant dinners.
Helen began her library career in Fairfax, MN, in 1948, moving to St. Paul Park in 1952, and, then, as a librarian in the Minneapolis School District from 1955-1980. She served as President of Minnesota Educational Media Organization from 1977-1978. This interview also includes an audio recording, recording table of contents, transcript, and photograph of the interviewee.
William Asp served as Minnesota State Librarian from 1975-1996. In the interview he reflects on early 20th century resource sharing among libraries belonging to the Twin Cities Library Club, Regional Public Library System development, early library automation in Minnesota, and the Extension of Access Law (1987 law passed that required the counties to levy a tax for public library service and join a regional public library system). This interview also includes an audio recording, recording table of contents, transcript, and photograph of the interviewee.
Doris Ott served for eight years as North Dakota State Librarian (2002-2010). A native of Carson, ND, Ott graduated from Dickinson State University, and earned her MLS from George Peabody College (now, Vanderbilt University) in Nashville. She started her professional librarian career as an Assistant Professor of Library Science at Dickinson State, was the first librarian at Magic City Campus in Minot, and held positions at a school library and a public library in Indiana before returning to North Dakota in 1986. From 1986-2002 she worked at the North Dakota State Library and held various positions before being named State Librarian in 2002. This interview also includes an audio recording, recording table of contents, transcript, and photograph of the interviewee.
Gene Wicht, Isanti County Commissioner, Marlys Palmer, Cambridge Mayor, Ron Drude and Kathy Ellis, East Central Regional Library Board members cut the ribbon at the Gates Computer Lab Open House on Feb. 11, 2002 in East Central Regional Library Headquarters, Cambridge, Minnesota. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
A computer lab funded with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation opened in a portion of the meeting room at East Central Regional Library's Headquarters, Cambridge, Minnesota, December 2001. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
East Central Regional Library headquarters staff wear their ""Treasure Your Library"" Summer Reading Program theme t-shirts and pose with a pirate figure and decorations, 1999. From left: Anne Malinowski, Katherine Hovland, Kathy Gardner, Barb Nord, Marcia Ledin, and Vickie Sorn. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Director Bob Boese, with a woman from Isanti County near a book display during the 40th anniversary celebration of the East Central Regional Library, 1999. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Minnesota author Jon Hassler signing books after his book talk at East Central Regional Library, Cambridge, Minnesota. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
The Princeton Area Library has been located in its current space downtown since 1990. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Mary Jane Bridge, Branch Librarian in Milaca, and Mary Johnson, Assistant Director, hold giant ""plugs"" to celebrate four new services made possible by Telecommunications Access Grants from the state of Minnesota: the electronic database Infotrac, public internet access at the library, East Central Regional Library's own website and toll-free telephone number. Feb. 1997. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Exterior view of the Hosmer branch of Minneapolis Public Library. Originally known as the Thirty-sixth Street Branch, this building was built in 1916 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Reference Librarian, Mark Ranum. The East Central Regional Library Reference Department handles requests from all the libraries for materials on a wide variety of subjects. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Marcia Ledin, Acquisitions/Registration Aide, and Mark Ranum, Reference Librarian, are testing the new automation system at the circulation desk of East Central Regional Library's headquarters in Cambridge, Minnesota, April 1, 1996. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Phil Meyer (right), hired to implement East Central Regional Library's automation system, and a Dynix system representative in the headquarters computer room in Cambridge, Minnesota on the first day of automation, April 1, 1996. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Mary Johnson served as Assistant Director of East Central Regional Library from 1988-2000. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
East Central Regional Library's Director, Bob Boese, testing one of three public catalog stations on the first day of the automation system, IMPACK, in Cambridge, Minnesota, April 1, 1996. Founded in 1959, ECRL is the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. Headquartered in Cambridge, it is a consolidated library system with 14 libraries and Outreach Services and serves residents in Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties.
Exterior view of the main entrance of the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. Built in 1995 at 15700 36th Avenue North, this was the first free-standing library for the City of Plymouth. Space needs led to an expansion in 2010.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Exterior view of the main entrance of the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. Built in 1995 at 15700 36th Avenue North, this was the first free-standing library for the City of Plymouth. Space needs led to an expansion in 2010.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Exterior view of the main entrance of the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. Built in 1995 at 15700 36th Avenue North, this was the first free-standing library for the City of Plymouth. Space needs led to an expansion in 2010.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Exterior view of the main entrance of the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. Built in 1995 at 15700 36th Avenue North, this was the first free-standing library for the City of Plymouth. Space needs led to an expansion in 2010.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Exterior view of the entrance to the Long Lake branch of the Hennepin County Library. Library service to the Long Lake community in western Hennepin County began in 1913, when the library was housed out of the Long Lake Bank Building. For several decades, the library operated out of various locations in the community, until it settled in this commercial storefront space in the Long Lake Town Center Mall in 1995.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library