Kenosha Public Library

Last updated
Kenosha Public Library
Gilbert Simmons Library Kenosha 2015.jpg
Gilbert M. Simmons Library, a branch library and formerly the main library of the KPL
Kenosha Public Library
TypePublic library
EstablishedMarch 19, 1900 (1900-03-19)
Service area Kenosha, Wisconsin
Branches5
Access and use
Population served137,750 (2022) [1]
Other information
DirectorBrandi Cummings (Interim)
Employees70 (2022) [1]
Parent organization Kenosha County Library System (KCLS)
AffiliationSHARE Consortium
Public transit access Kenosha Area Transit
Website mykpl.info

The Kenosha Public Library (KPL) is the public library serving the city of Kenosha, and is the resource library for the Kenosha County Library System (KCLS), of which it is a member. [2]

Contents

Governance

The KPL is governed by a board of trustees appointed by the Mayor of Kenosha and approved by the City Council. The board is composed of nine citizen members: eight City of Kenosha residents and one representative of the Kenosha Unified School District. [3] KPL is a member of the SHARE Consortium. [4]

Organization and services

The library has an Outreach department and five branches: [5] [2]

The library offers audiobook, e-book, and eMagazine services, including OverDrive eBooks & eAudiobooks, TeachingBooks Library, Ebsco eBooks, and Online tutoring, delivered via the library's website. [6]

History

Uptown Neighborhood Library Uptown Kenosha Branch Library 2015.jpg
Uptown Neighborhood Library

Early efforts

In November 1841, less than a year after the village of Southport (Kenosha from 1850) was incorporated, an editor of the village newspaper, the South Port American, published a proposal for establishing a free public library "open to all". [7] Private circulating libraries were established by June 1842. [8] On November 25, 1843, a group of prominent residents attempted to establish a public library, forming the Southport Library Association. The association's members included William Bullen, one of the founders of Southport, and Frederick Winslow Hatch, the Episcopal rector of St. Matthew's Church and former Chaplain of the United States Senate. [9] The association, chaired by Hatch, elected directors and adopted bylaws, but made no further progress. [9]

In February 1871, Zalmon G. Simmons, a local businessman and future Kenosha mayor, purchased several hundred books and established a free library for Kenosha County residents; as Simmons was a member of the local Unitarian church, he established the library there. [10] Books could be checked out one at a time for two weeks, with a single renewal allowed. [10] In June 1873, Simmons proposed a library building be erected in what would become Library Park, "to surpass any other in the state." [11] On May 22, 1883, a special election voted for Kenosha to accept a bequest of approximately $3,500 from the estate of a Caroline Field to establish a public library named the "Cahoon Library." Subsequent legal difficulties delayed the city in moving forward; a court ruling in March 1890 gave the city permission to accept the bequest, which it did not do. [12] [13]

Beginnings and the first Kenosha Public Library

Upon arriving in Kenosha in 1894, George W. Johnston, the recently appointed editor of the Kenosha Evening News, soon recognized local demand for a public library, and used his paper to promote the cause, publishing several articles on the subject. [14] He also canvassed local community leaders. [14] With their support assured, on the evening of November 14, 1895, 40 prominent local residents assembled in the parlor of the Hotel Grant to begin the process of establishing a public library board. [15] [16] At the meeting, a five-member organizing committee was nominated and elected, comprising Johnston and businessmen Colonel William W. Strong, James Cavanagh, George A. Yule, and John O'Donnell. [15] On December 20, 1895, the committee formally incorporated the Kenosha Public Library, with a constitution and bylaws providing for election of officers, a board of directors, and a provision that any county resident "of good repute," be eligible to join the library association upon agreeing to the terms of membership and payment of annual dues of $2.00; the fee was intended for purchasing books and covering other expenses. [17] [18]

On January 6, 1896, the library board was chosen, [16] from which officers were elected on January 10. [18] [19] On January 17, Johnston, the secretary of the library board, recommended the library be located in a room over the Redeker and English store, in a building owned by Zalmon Simmons at 171 Main Street. [19] [20] The suggestion was accepted and the room leased from Simmons for $5.00 a month. [19] [20] On January 27, Clara Parkinson Barnes (1854–1932), [21] a sister-in-law of board member Cavanagh, [22] was elected librarian by the board. [19] The library was largely ready by March 2, [19] when the Unitarian Church free library donated its collection of approximately 800 volumes, [16] encouraged by wide community support and a donation of $1,000 to the new library by George Yule. [14]

The first Kenosha Public Library opened on March 14, 1896, [23] with Clara Barnes as librarian and an initial collection of approximately 1,200 volumes, 400 of which were fiction. [23] [16] All Kenosha County residents were eligible to borrow books, but were requested while browsing the collection to not remove them from their shelves "unless absolutely necessary." [23] At the end of the library's first year, its collection numbered over 2,500 volumes, with a circulation of 20,962. [24] [25] By 1898, over 1400 library cards had been issued. [26] Despite its great popularity, the Kenosha Library, though a public institution, remained exclusively supported by private funds. [26] In late 1898, with donations and association fees insufficient to sustain the library, the city council was approached to provide a one-mill tax appropriation to guarantee its existence. [26] Instead, however, the city council approved an annual $1,200 tax appropriation on December 5, 1898, [27] [28] the first time city tax revenues had been utilized to support a local library.

Recognition

KPL was named the Power of Libraries Award Winner in 2018, [29] Wisconsin Library Association's 2020 Library of the Year, [30] [31] and a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2021. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenosha County, Wisconsin</span> County in Wisconsin, United States

Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as its county seat, the city of Kenosha, the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenosha, Wisconsin</span> City in Wisconsin, United States

Kenosha is a city in and the seat of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986, which made it the fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenosha is a satellite city located roughly 40 miles (64 km) south of Milwaukee and 66 miles (106 km) north of Chicago and has significant cultural and economic connections to both cities. Interstate 94 runs along Kenosha's western border.

<i>The Courier-Mail</i> Daily tabloid newspaper in Australia

The Courier-Mail is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. It is available for purchase both online and in paper form throughout Queensland and most regions of Northern New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Durkee</span> American pioneer and politician (1805–1870)

Charles H. Durkee was an American pioneer, Congressman, and United States Senator from Wisconsin. He was one of the founders of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and was a Governor of the Utah Territory in the last five years of his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast Hospital</span> Hospital in Queensland, Australia

Gold Coast Hospital, located at 98–136 Nerang Street, Southport was, from 1960 to 2013 a major teaching and Tertiary referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland. The Gold Coast Hospital had one of the busiest emergency departments in the state. The Hospital admitted over 60,000 patients annually. It was replaced by the Gold Coast University Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenosha Light Station</span> Lighthouse

Kenosha Light Station is a lighthouse and keeper's house on Simmons Island north of the channel into Kenosha's harbor in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast railway line, Queensland</span> Former railway line in Queensland, Australia

The South Coast railway line was a railway from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. The route via the South Coast to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The line operated from 1889 to 1964. Between 1903 and 1961 steam trains ran from Beenleigh to the NSW border. The Gold Coast railway line re-opened in 1996 along a modified alignment in the north and a new route south but does not extend as far south yet as the South Coast line.

The Kenosha News is a daily newspaper published in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States. The morning paper serves southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. It was the original and flagship property of United Communications Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Sholes</span> American politician and newspaperman (1816–1867)

Charles Clark Sholes was a Wisconsin politician and newspaperman. He was the 8th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly and 2nd Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He also served in the Wisconsin State Senate. His younger brother was Christopher Latham Sholes, the inventor of the typewriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zalmon G. Simmons</span> 19th century American businessman and politician (1828-1910)

Zalmon Gilbert Simmons Sr. was a businessman, manufacturer, Wisconsin legislator, and mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southport Pier, Gold Coast</span>

Southport Pier is a pier spanning the Gold Coast Broadwater in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. The current pier was constructed in 2009, replacing a previous structure demolished in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert M. Simmons Memorial Library</span> Public Library in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.

The Gilbert M. Simmons Memorial Library is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, and is a location of the Kenosha Public Library (KPL), which is part of the Kenosha County Library System (KCLS) The Simmons Memorial Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and was the first formal location for KPL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zalmon Gilbert Simmons II</span> American businessman (1870-1934)

Zalmon Gilbert Simmons II was an American businessman, manufacturer, philanthropist and innovator. He was the president of The Simmons Company from 1910 to 1932. He inherited the company in 1910 from his father, Simmons Company founder Zalmon G. Simmons. Z.G. II was commonly referred to as "the Chief" for his ability to recognize possibilities and make decisions that many felt were foolish but would prove to be extremely profitable. It is reported that Simmons once wagered an automobile a hole in a game of golf. His unshakable character increased the company's profits from less than $5,000,000, when he became president, to over $40,000,000 at the peak of his incumbency and revolutionized the bedding industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Frank</span> 1st Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin

Michael Frank was a German American pioneer, newspaper editor, and politician. He was the first Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is regarded as the father of Wisconsin public schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi Grant</span> 19th century American politician

Levi Grant was an American farmer, businessman, and pioneer of Kenosha County, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Kenosha County in the 1854 session. He was a distant cousin of Ulysses S. Grant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Stephens (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician

William Stephens (1857–1925) was a businessman and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles H. Pfennig</span> 20th century American politician.

Charles H. Pfennig was an American businessman and politician. A Republican, he was the 36th and 41st Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and represented Kenosha for two years in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Henry Johnson was an American farmer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was instrumental in the founding of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, and served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing eastern Kenosha County. Earlier in his life, he was a member of the New York State Legislature.

The Kenosha County Library System (KCLS) is the southeastern-most of 15 public library systems in Wisconsin, serving Kenosha County. Along with the Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS), it is one of only two single-county public library organizations in the state.

References

  1. 1 2 "2022 Statistics at the Public Library Level by System and County". Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 "2019 Kenosha County Library System Plan" (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Board of Trustees". mykpl.info. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  4. ↑ "SHARE Consortium". lakeshores.lib.wi.us. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  5. ↑ "Kenosha Public Library: Locations" . Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "Digital Resources" . Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  7. ↑ "Public Libraries". South Port American. 4 November 1841. Retrieved 27 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  8. ↑ "Circulating Library". South Port American. 28 June 1842. Retrieved 27 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  9. 1 2 "Library Meeting". The Telegraph-Courier. 5 December 1843. Retrieved 27 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. 1 2 "A Free Library". The Telegraph-Courier. 23 February 1871. Retrieved 28 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  11. ↑ "Child Library Is New Unit In City Progress". Kenosha News. 11 April 1929. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  12. ↑ "Cahoon Library". Telegraph-Courier. 26 December 1889. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  13. ↑ "Field will case". Kenosha News. 3 April 1890. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  14. 1 2 3 "A Library History". Telegraph-Courier. 19 March 1896. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  15. 1 2 "A Library In Sight". Telegraph-Courier. 19 March 1896. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  16. 1 2 3 4 Strong, William W.; Barnes, Clara P. (31 May 1901). First Annual Report of Gilbert M. Simmons Library For the Year Ending May 31, 1901 (Report). Gilbert M. Simmons Library. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  17. ↑ "The Library Incorporated". Kenosha News. 20 December 1895. Retrieved 1 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  18. 1 2 "It's All Ready Now". Telegraph-Courier. 16 January 1896. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Secretary's Report". Kenosha News. 14 January 1897. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  20. 1 2 "Library building is 75 years old". Kenosha News. 23 May 1975. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  21. ↑ "Mrs. Barnes, First Library Leader, Dies". Kenosha News. 15 March 1932. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  22. ↑ "Obituary for Nellie Parkinson Cavanagh (Mrs. James Cavanagh)". Kenosha News. 12 November 1931. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  23. 1 2 3 "Public library announcement". Telegraph-Courier. 12 March 1896. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  24. ↑ "Our Public Library". Telegraph-Courier. 13 January 1898. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  25. ↑ "A Remarkable Showing". Telegraph-Courier. 18 March 1897. Retrieved 2 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  26. 1 2 3 "Our Public Library: City Council Will Be Asked To Levy A Tax For Its Benefit". Telegraph-Courier. 27 October 1898. Retrieved 11 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  27. ↑ "A Council Meeting". Kenosha News. 9 December 1898. Retrieved 11 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  28. ↑ "Library Gets $1200". Telegraph-Courier. 6 December 1898. Retrieved 11 January 2025– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  29. ↑ "Power of Libraries". SirsiDynix. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  30. ↑ "Kenosha Public Library honored as Library of the Year". Kenosha News. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  31. ↑ "2020 Awards Announcements". Wisconsin Library Association. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  32. ↑ "KPL selected as finalist for National Medal for Museum and Library Science". Kenosha.com. Retrieved 2024-12-25.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.