Greenwood, WI Library

Pat Braun-Library Director

Welcomes you to

the Greenwood Public Library

(Audio must be on & page fully downloaded)

It is our mission to provide library services to the City of Greenwood as well as the surrounding areas that are in our school district. We serve all age groups and both genders. We have a deposit book collection that we deliver to an apartment complex which houses the elderly. We also do home delivery of library materials to those in need.

Our facility provides books in several formats, including large print and best sellers, books on tape, books on CD, Videos in both VHS and DVD formats, CD musical recordings, microfilm, internet access and on-line cataloging.

The Greenwood Public Library is part of a consortium of 21 libraries called V-Cat. V-Cat is the name of the shared automation system used by the Wisconsin Valley Library Service (WVLS). As a library patron you may place a hold on a book in any of the 21 libraries. The book will come to the library you specify via courier service. You may look at our on-line catalog or browse our Internet Library Collection from the comfort of your home and renew your books and place new requests. We also provide free high speed computer usage to our patrons with full access to the World Wide Web.

Our library has a very unique collection of local photographs, family histories and other genealogical items. We are also proud supporters of the new Clark County Internet Library. This non-profit organization strives to research and preserve our local history materials. They are also attempting to record all of the cemeteries of Clark County, Wisconsin. If you'd like to help with this project, you may join this team of "History Buffs" by contacting Janet and Stan Schwarze.

If you are in the Greenwood area, please stop by our library and browse around. We have a friendly staff which is ready to to help you in any way we can!

At the beginning of winter in 1912, a few people, who had received new books for Christmas, met at the John Drumond home to read aloud and discuss these books and almost immediately the question of a Public Library for Greenwood was brought up. On January 22, 1913, a meeting was called at the home of Mrs. William Pawling. Those present were Mmes. Erastus Bowen, John Orrick, William Palms, E. T. Burch, George Begley, C. H. Clute, the Misses Allie Williams and Rue Cummings and Messrs. Marion Hunt, William Palms, John Orrick, A. P. Raymond and Dr. Frank Kennedy, who organized an Art and Literary Club, whose sole purpose was to be the advancement of art and the establishment and maintenance of a Public Library.

The officers and several committees immediately started working. All Greenwood Alumni were asked for books or cash. Every individual in town was solicited personally and through the Gleaner so that 499 books were donated and over $100.00 in cash received. By March 1st a room in the Farmer's and Merchant's bank was secured. A helper from the Library Commission came and by April 1st the Library opened for business with Edith Varney as Librarian. 600 books were loaned that first month.

Ward Raymond made the first bookcase, the lumber being donated by the Greenwood Heading and Lumber Co.

That spring a tag day was held and $97.05 taken in. Children’s teas were held which netted $20.00. A play directed by Rose A Bowen was given from which $107.35 was received.

On May 6, 1913 the City took over the Library with an appropriation of $150.00 yearly and the first Library Board appointed, consisting of P. E. Peterson, Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Wollenberg, Allie Williams and Mrs. H. J. Thomas. A motion picture was given and $38.25 received. The librarian salary was $104.00 yearly until 1922, when it was raised to $156.00 yearly. Raised again in 1926 to $240; in 1936 and 1937 to $300..

The library was in the Farmer's and Merchant's Building for four months rent free. It was then moved over Volk’s Tailor Shop, paying $5.00 monthly rent with Mrs. H. J. Thomas as Librarian. On Oct. 27, 1914, it was moved over the new Post Office, rent $96.00 yearly.

The first meeting of the Library Board was held May 7, 1913; the following members present – Mrs. Wollenberg, Mrs. Williams, Edith Varney, Jr. Jaastad, school principal, and P. E. Peterson. The board had no bylaws until April 1916. In the summer of 1916, Mrs. J. S. Andrews substituted for Mrs. Thomas, who was spending the summer in New York and Boston. In November 1916 Mrs. Thomas resigned and Ida E. Thompson was appointed. She held office until Oct. 7, 1918, when she resigned and Mrs. Thomas was reappointed and held office until May 23, 1920. Mrs. Stenton was appointed and served a few months. She was followed by Mrs. E. A. Ross who served until April 1921. It was then Mrs. J. S. Andrews was appointed.

Books by the hundred were mended and cleaned, a helper coming from Madison to help and instruct. Mrs. Armstrong, Mrs. McIntyre and Mrs. Wollenberg were others who helped. On Aug. 7, 1922 steps were taken to start a card catalogue. A Miss Bean came from the Library School at Madison for three days to assist and in 19 years the catalogue has grown from two drawers to 12, containing from 12 to 13 hundred cards, or 15 to 16 thousand altogether. We also have a shelf list of 5,105 cards, one for each book in the Library. This shelf list is very useful for inventory and in ordering new books, keeping the different classifications balanced. The card catalogue is for the use of the public. The shelf list for the Librarian.

Since 1913 four plays netting $95.30, $42.65, $66.73, $77.18 were given and three food sales, $47.90, $14.04 and $36.78 for the benefit of the Library. Some petty cash and quite a few books have been given. Rod and Gun Club Auxiliary gave $41.46, Woman’s Club has given $60.00, Townships $1025.00. Many magazines have been given throughout the years. Approximately $1018.72 have been collected in fines.

In the fire (origin unknown) of Sept. 10, 1930, 210 books were burned, mostly histories, biographies and travel. All were smoked and water soaked. The books were moved into the R. E. A. building and pressed and dried daily in the sun. The library is kept insured and at the time of the fire $1322.97 was collected. In 27 years $850.65 has been spent for Periodicals.

On April 30, 1926 the city purchased the Baptist Church for a City Hall and moved the library there, where it remained until the new City Hall was built in 1935 and the library moved there in August of that same year.

About $6,200 has been spent for books up to 1940. A record of the number of times each book is loaned is kept and averaging the number of loans on the past 30 books withdrawn each book was loaned ?? and 4.5 times. Over $400 has been spent for supplies such as book pockets, dates slips, catalogue cards, book cards and book marks. Tables, chairs, shelving, desk drawers for cards catalogue, filing cabinet, all cost money. At present we need drawers for shelf list, some free standing book cases.

Besides keeping all records, daily loaning, keeping record of each class of books loaned, (children and adults kept separately) making a yearly report to the city, reports are made out to Library Board at Madison and the last 3 years to Washington D. C.

The Librarian reads hundreds of book reviews, selects and orders books, catalogues them and mends constantly. In 1936 1,296 books were mended and 772 in 1940, as more books were rebound. The more useful books are selected to be rebound. Other duties of the Librarian are dusting and cleaning, sorting and storing periodicals, clipping pictures (loaning and giving many of them away). Weekly mailing or calling by phone of overdue notices.

Helping select and finding material needed and teaching the use of card catalogue and Readers Digest. Selecting non-fiction that will interest different tastes even to telling part of the story to arouse interest. Keeping track of 600 – 1000 books in circulation is no small job.

The following made cash donations when the library was first started:

Those who donated $5.00 – Dr. F. A. Boeckman, Erastus Bowen, M. & E. Wollenberg; $3.00 – Mrs. Wuethrich; $2.00 – Dave Shanks, Dr. Baker, M. B. Rossman, Volk Bros., Mrs. C. Bailey, Mrs. Claire Hunt, Elmer Rossman, Elmer Sheets, Mrs. Techerner, Mrs. J. Garet Knop, Mrs. W. Steiner, Alice Orriok; $1.50 – Ralph Thompson, Mrs. Gries, Chester Miller, Emil Drummond; $1.00 – Arthur Haglund, B. L. Bailery, Louis Vales, Charles Varney, Mrs. E. Hall, Mrs. Ed Carpenter, Clara Huntzicker, Mrs. Haughenbaugh, M. E. Wilson, Albert Johnston, Fern Sloniker, Edna Sheets, Helen Klinke, Ed Klinke, Helen Davis, Mrs. E. Bishop, E. McMahon, Albert Shanks, John Huntzicker, Floyd Sloniker, Floyd Volk, Dr. McIntyre, Haold Stabnow, E. N. Paul, Maud Miller, Rob Huntzicker, G. Benson, Harry Young, Guy Boyce. Those who gave under $1.00 – Bernard Hogue, Elmer Johnson, Mrs. Old…? , Paul Smith.

The following have donated books: Hannah Honeywell, Julius Hambre, Eunice Paul, Clara Huntzicker, Dr. Carl Baker, Rue Cummings, Mrs. Grasshorn, Charles Varney, Edna Burch.

Nettie Berthold's Retirement

Pat Braun (left), Nettie Berthold (center) & Connie Scheel (right)

Matching Grants Program