The Bridges Library System is a consortium of 24 public libraries in Waukesha County, Wisconsin and Jefferson County, Wisconsin. The Bridges Library System is one of 15 public library systems in Wisconsin. The system was established under Wisconsin Statute 43.15 by action of the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors in January 1981 as the Waukesha County Federated Library System. [1] The system transitioned to a two-county system on January 1, 2016, when Jefferson County joined and the name was changed to Bridges Library System. [2] An eleven-member board governs the System.
The Bridges Library System serves the following libraries:
Waukesha County
Jefferson County
Part of the system's mission is to seek opportunities to maximize resources, leverage buying power, and share costs for member libraries. To that end, services to member libraries include inter-library exchange of materials, coordination of youth services and inclusive services, the foundation of the Library Memory Project, library material delivery services, automation, continuing education, marketing, and more. [3]
Waukesha County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha.
Racine County is a county in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 197,727, making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Racine. The county was founded in 1836, then a part of the Wisconsin Territory. Racine County comprises the Racine metropolitan statistical area. This area is part of the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha combined statistical area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 792 square miles (2,050 km2), of which 333 square miles (860 km2) is land and 460 square miles (1,200 km2) (58%) is water. The county's unemployment rate was 5.6% in June 2021.
Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous county nationwide; Milwaukee, its eponymous county seat, is also the most populous city in the state. The county was created in 1834 as part of Michigan Territory and organized the following year.
Jefferson County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,900. Its county seat is Jefferson. Jefferson County comprises the Watertown-Fort Atkinson, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Wisconsin has a long history with the Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations from the 1910s to the present day, both programs have independently served thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is on the Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,579 at the 2020 census. Fort Atkinson is the largest city located entirely in Jefferson County, as Watertown is split between Jefferson and Dodge counties. Fort Atkinson is a principal city of the Fort Atkinson-Watertown micropolitan statistical area which is in turn a sub-market of the larger Milwaukee-Waukesha-Racine CSA.
Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 38,527 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County.
Waukesha is the seat of government of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in Wisconsin. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha.
The Milwaukee metropolitan area is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and some of the surrounding area. There are several definitions of the area, including the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis metropolitan area and the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha combined statistical area. It is the largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin, and the 39th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Margaret Ann Farrow was an American Republican politician who was the 42nd lieutenant governor of Wisconsin and also served in both houses of the state legislature.
Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering most of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs. It presently covers all of Washington and Jefferson counties, most of Waukesha County, and portions of Dodge, Milwaukee and Walworth counties. It is currently represented by Republican Scott Fitzgerald.
The Twin Lakes Library System is a single-county public library system that serves the citizens of Milledgeville and Baldwin County, Georgia with two facilities.
U.S. Highway 18 (US 18) in the state of Wisconsin runs east–west across the southern part of the state. The highway serves as major connecting route between Madison and the southwest corner of the state. East of Madison, the route is paralleled by Interstate 94 (I-94) and serves as a local connection route to the communities along the Interstate. US 18 enters Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien and ends in downtown Milwaukee at Lincoln Memorial Drive, across from the Milwaukee Art Museum.
The Wisconsin Valley Library Service (WVLS) is a library system made up of 25 public libraries and hundreds of non-public libraries across seven counties in north-central Wisconsin. These include the counties of Clark, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, and Taylor. The WVLS offices are located in the headquarters of the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau, Wisconsin.
The Glacial Drumlin State Trail is a multipurpose rail trail in the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It stretches 52 miles (84 km) from Waukesha to Cottage Grove. The trail travels through or near the Wisconsin communities of Cottage Grove, Deerfield, London, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Helenville, Sullivan, Dousman, Genesee, Wales, and Waukesha. In Lake Mills, it crosses Rock Lake on one of its many old railroad bridges. The trail was opened in 1986 and follows the old Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) Madison–Milwaukee mainline.
The Lapham Memorial is a public artwork by American artist Albert H. Atkins, located near the entrance to Lapham Hall, on the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee campus. It is in memory of Increase A. Lapham, a 19th-century scientist famous for prompting the creation of the National Weather Service and recording the antiquities of Wisconsin, among other accomplishments.
Dwight Foster Public Library is a public library in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
The Upper Twin Falls Bridge is a bridge that spans the Menominee River linking Breitung Township, Michigan, to Florence County, Wisconsin. Completed in 1910, construction was prompted by the erection of a dam downstream. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1971. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2012.
The Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System (PBJCLS) is a public library system in Jefferson County, Arkansas, with the main library at Pine Bluff. It is housed in five buildings in the county. Its functions are overseen by the Pine Bluff and Jefferson County Library System Board of Trustees.