Kenosha County Library System
| Kenosha County Library System (KCLS) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 42°33′34″N 87°51′12″W / 42.5593329°N 87.8532048°W | |
| Location | Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States |
| Type | Public library system |
| Established | January 1, 1981 |
| Branches | 7 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 771,880 (2022, physical)[1] |
| Population served | 170,267 (2022)[1] |
| Members | Kenosha Public Library (KPL) Community Library |
| Other information | |
| Director | Brandi Cummings (Interim) |
| Website | www |
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.[2]
The KCLS has two members, the Kenosha Public Library (KPL) serving the city of Kenosha, and the Community Library, which serves the town of Randall and the villages of Paddock Lake, Salem Lakes, and Twin Lakes.[3]
Kenosha Public Library
[edit]| Kenosha Public Library (KPL) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Public library |
| Established | December 20, 1895 (incorporated) |
| Service area | Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Branches | 5 |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 137,750 (2022)[1] |
| Other information | |
| Director | Brandi Cummings (Interim) |
| Employees | 70 (2022)[1] |
| Public transit access | Kenosha Area Transit |
| Website | mykpl |
The Kenosha Public Library (KPL) serves the city of Kenosha, and is the resource library for the KCLS.[4] It 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.[5] KPL is a member of the SHARE Consortium.[6]
The library has an Outreach department and five branches:[7][4]
- Simmons Neighborhood Library (1900)
- Uptown Neighborhood Library (1925)
- Southwest Neighborhood Library (1980, rebuilt 2004). The KCLS main resource library.
- Northside Neighborhood Library (1993)
- Kids@Uptown Lofts (2024)
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.[8]
History
[edit]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".[9] Local private circulating libraries were established as early as June 1842.[10] On November 25, 1843, a group of prominent residents made the first attempt to establish a public library, forming the Southport Library Association. The association's 13 directors 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.[11] Despite electing directors and adopting bylaws, the association, chaired by Hatch, made no further progress.[11]
In February 1871, local businessman and future Kenosha mayor Zalmon Gilbert Simmons 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.[12] Books could be checked out one at a time for two weeks, with a single renewal allowed.[12]
Recognition
[edit]KPL was named the Power of Libraries Award Winner in 2018,[13] Wisconsin Library Association's 2020 Library of the Year,[14][15] and a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2021.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "2022 Statistics at the Public Library Level by System and County". Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Wisconsin Public Library Systems". Wisconsin Department of Public Education. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Kenosha County Library System". Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ a b "2019 Kenosha County Library System Plan" (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Board of Trustees". mykpl.info. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
- ^ "SHARE Consortium". lakeshores.lib.wi.us. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "Kenosha Public Library: Locations". Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Digital Resources". Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ "Public Libraries". South Port American. 4 November 1841. Retrieved 27 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Circulating Library". South Port American. 28 June 1842. Retrieved 27 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Library Meeting". The Telegraph-Courier. 5 December 1843. Retrieved 27 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "A Free Library". The Telegraph-Courier. 23 February 1871. Retrieved 28 December 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Power of Libraries". SirsiDynix. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ^ "Kenosha Public Library honored as Library of the Year". Kenosha News. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
- ^ "2020 Awards Announcements". Wisconsin Library Association. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
- ^ "KPL selected as finalist for National Medal for Museum and Library Science". Kenosha.com. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
