WiLS History

WiLS is honored to have served the Wisconsin community of libraries and cultural organizations for fifty years.

The brief history below was contributed by Kathy Schneider (WiLS Director, 1980-2011), Stef Morrill (WiLS Director, 2011-2020), and many members of the WiLS 2022 staff in recognition of our 50th birthday. You can read Kathy’s full accounting of WiLS’ history, 1970-2008 and Stef’s reflections on WiLS’ 2013 transition to an independent nonprofit.

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1970s

1970: The Council of Wisconsin Libraries (COWL) is created, a not-for-profit corporation devoted to library cooperation and resource sharing. The Wisconsin Interlibrary Loan Service was COWL’s first venture into direct service, with the hopes of developing additional service programs in the future.

1972: WiLS (Wisconsin Interlibrary Loan Services) is born! COWL created WiLS to “provide access to the extensive resources available in the UW Madison campus library collections.” Participants included twenty-seven UW campuses and nineteen private colleges & universities.

1976: COWL forms the Wisconsin Library Consortium (WLC) and takes on the role of contracting agent for OCLC. WiLS and WLC operate as sister organizations.

1980s

1981-82: WLC and WiLS merge to form Wisconsin Library Services.

1981-82: COWL launches the Wisconsin Union List of Serials.

1988-89: WiLS designs a Cooperative Purchasing program! The growth of the coop service brought significant growth in WiLS membership.

1990s

1990-91: WiLS experiments with emerging modes for document delivery including a new technology called the “Internet.”

1992-93: Creation of the first email list for Wisconsin Libraries called WisLib, and the dial-up connection for library staff called WiLSWire.

1993: WiLS holds its first distance learning training sessions offered via compressed video.

1993: First WiLSWorld Conference focusing on technologies for libraries.

1994-95: Joins the SCLS delivery service for faster, cost-effective interlibrary loan delivery.

1995-96: WiLS is responsible for UW Madison’s interlibrary loan shipping and receiving.

1998-99: WiLS launches an internally developed program called WiLSWorks to automate interlibrary loan processing and tracking allowing for unmediated patron borrowing.

1999-2000: COWL eliminates itself as a separate entity, in essence turning over the statewide planning role entirely to WiLS. A new board of directors for WiLS is formed.

1999-2000: NetLibrary goes live with help from WiLS.

2000s

2002-03: WiLS creates a virtual reference consortium of Wisconsin libraries – Ask Wisconsin Libraries – through QuestionPoint.

2002-03: WiLS hosts a series of workshops on digital preservation.

2004-05: Dogs of Wisconsin Libraries begins as a model for sharing digital content, and not surprisingly becomes extremely popular.

2004-05: The virtual reference consortium merges with several public library systems to create a single reference service, now known as AskAway.

2005-06: The WiLS Digital Planning committee launches Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO).

2006-07: WiLS Board undertakes a survey of the membership: 84% of respondents found WiLS services to be essential.

2007-08: OCLC makes major changes to its relationship with its affiliate organizations, having a significant impact on the WiLS service model. Ultimately the WiLS board decides to continue working with OCLC in the best interest of the membership.

2009: WiLS’ relationship with OCLC as an affiliate service provider ends.

2010-2015

May 2010: WiLS is hired as the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) project manager

January 2013: Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO) becomes Recollection Wisconsin.

July 1, 2013: WiLS officially leaves UW-Madison to become an independent non-profit, beginning with seven full-time staff: Jeff Brunner, Andi Coffin, Sara Gold, Lisa Marten, Stef Morrill, Bruce Smith, and Emily Pfotenhauer. Read Stef Morrill’s reflection on this transition.

July 1, 2013: WiLS is hired by the Horticulture Library Consortium to provide management services for their shared ebook collection.

July 2013: The new Recollection Wisconsin website receives an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History.

September 24, 2013: WiLS holds its first regional meeting at UW-Rock County.

October 10, 2013: WiLS is contracted to provide planning and facilitation services for the exploration of developing a new integrated library system to be shared by Indianhead Federated Library System (now IFLS), Northern Waters Library System, and Wisconsin Valley Library Service.

August 2014: WiLS publishes its first Cooperative Purchasing Newsletter.

August 18, 2014: WiLS and Minitex host the first-ever Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference.

November 4, 2014: WiLS hosts the first Fall Classic with a bowling event at the WLA 2014 Annual Conference in Wisconsin Dells.

February 26, 2015: MyWiLS, WiLS’ cooperative purchasing subscription management portal, is launched.

August 2015: WiLS is hired as project manager for PLSR, the Public Library System Redesign project.

September 21, 2015: WiLS is hired to facilitate the Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System Merger exploration. The result of the process was the formation of the Monarch Library System.

November 10, 2015: WiLS is hired to be the project manager for WISPALS, a consortium of 11 Wisconsin technical colleges.

2016-2020

February 18, 2016: WiLS holds its first virtual membership meeting so the event is accessible to libraries and cultural organizations all over Wisconsin.

August 3, 2016: Recollection Wisconsin and its content partners’ collections become part of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

October 1, 2016: WiLS, along with the iSchool at UW-Madison, partners with Washington State University on the IMLS-funded Mukurtu Hubs and Spokes initiative.

October 21, 2016: WiLS publishes the first WiLS Community Chronicle.

March 10, 2017: WiLS holds the first WiLSWorld Shorts.

January 1, 2018: The Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium (WSDLC) launches with WiLS as the project manager.

July 1, 2018: WiLS introduces two internal groups, Staff Development and Strategy, to assist the Executive Director.

July 18, 2018: The first recipients of Ideas to Action Funds are announced.

July 24, 2018: The 25th WiLSWorld is held in Madison at the Pyle Center.

February 5, 2019: The first Taco (Talking about Coop Opportunities) Tuesday is held.

May 8, 2019: WiLS begins the first small library strategic planning cohort.

July 24, 2019: The last WiLSWorld is held in Madison at the Pyle Center.

August 1, 2019: WiLS enters a cooperative agreement with IMLS to mentor a cohort of small libraries around the country working on community memory projects.

March 9, 2020: WiLS expands services by hiring a data analyst to support internal and external projects.

June 1, 2020: Jennifer Chamberlain is hired as WiLS Executive Director.

November 12, 2020: WiLS former Executive Director Stef Morrill is awarded the Special Services Award by the Wisconsin Library Association.

2021-2024

January 2021: WiLS publishes the Demographics for Libraries Report, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

March 1, 2021: WiLS is awarded a three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue supporting Wisconsin Native Nations in digital collections work.

April 2021: WiLS publishes Wisconsin’s Fine-Free Library Snapshot.

April 2021: Eleven libraries that serve mid-sized communities in Wisconsin form the City Library Collective, for which WiLS is the project manager.

June 8, 2021: WiLS is hired to conduct the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program evaluation and the next five-year plan.

July 1, 2021: WiLS substantially changes how it determines cooperative purchasing services fees to academic members.

December 15, 2021: WiLS facilitates the first meeting of the Arrowhead Library System and Lakeshores Library System Merger Exploration Committee. This ten-month process resulted in the merger of the two systems into the Prairie Lakes Library System.

April 15, 2022: WiLS launches a new website and refreshed logo.

June 17, 2022: Recollection Wisconsin releases a completely revised Digital Readiness Toolkit.

June 21, 2022: WiLS joins ALA’s Unite Against Book Bans effort.

November 2, 2022: WiLS officially celebrates its 50th birthday with members at the Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference in Lake Geneva.

January 1, 2023: WiLS begins implementing a multi-year strategic plan.

February 1, 2023: The Mukurtu Midwest Hub evolves into the Culture Keepers Collective.

March 1, 2023: WiLS publishes the Final Report of the Data Landscape Project in partnership with the Southwest Wisconsin Library System.

May 1, 2023: WiLS partners with OCLC to implement facilitated group learning in WebJunction’s Digital Collections Stewardship course.

July 1, 2023: For the first time, dedicated state funding is awarded to Recollection Wisconsin via the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

December 2023: WiLS completes its first non-Badger State strategic plan with Dormont Public Library in Pennsylvania.

January 2024: The Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium reaches 5 million lifetime checkouts.

February 1, 2024: Recollection Wisconsin goes fee-free!

March 2024: Sara Gold, WiLS New Business Development and Consortia Manager, writes an article about WSDLC for Computers in Libraries.

April 17-19, 2024: The first Culture Keepers Convening is held.

May 2024: WISPALS launches a new website.

May 2024: WiLS annnounces partnership with Washington State University on Mellon Foundation award to expand support For Mukurtu.

June 2024: WiLS announces the Academic MyWiLS Orientation Toolkit.

June 2024: The first class of the WiLS Data Classroom graduates!

June 2024: In partnership with DPI, WiLS published its Public Library System Merger Guide to provide practical advice and guidance for Wisconsin library systems considering a merger.

June 2024: WiLS concludes its consulting service with Northern Waters Library Service and the Wisconsin Valley Library Service as they explored an ILS merger.

August 2024: WiLS membership grows to more than 700 organizations.

August 31, 2024: The third year and final year of the Curating Indigenous Digital Collections project ends.

September 2024: Recollection Wisconsin launches the Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative, a paid internship program matching library school students with host organizations that have historical collections to reformat and share.

September 2024: WiLS, in partnership with DPI, launches the WPLC Data Dashboard Pilot Project.

October 2024: WiLS partners with UW-Madison iSchool to provide discounted access to continuing education webinar series on AI in Libraries.

October 2024: The City Library Collective published its findings after a year-long study focusing on strengthening and supporting library staff.

Reflections from Tasha Saecker, Appleton Public Library

My favorite WiLS memory involves the process of hiring a new director during the start of Covid in early 2020. I was so pleased to be involved with the process and to have the opportunity to work closely with staff. We had it all planned out with in-person interviews and presentations. It was carefully designed to be inclusive of staff and member input.

Then Covid hit and everything had to change. It was such an amazing opportunity to watch the skilled WiLS team pivot at great speed to a virtual set up. They kept me informed and involved throughout, but the kudos go entirely to them as they rescheduled and reconfigured everything on the fly.

What made it most impressive was the positive attitude that everyone had despite the major change of a new director and the negative impact of Covid on everyone’s spirits. Being able to see behind the scenes was a delightful experience that I was honored to have. I got to know the staff in ways that I never expected and being able to watch them do what they do up close was a joy.

Reflections from David Sleasman, Longwood Gardens

I think the best story I have is how WiLS helped make a shared horticulture ebook collection possible! I knew of WiLS work from living in Wisconsin and wondered if the organization might help (even though far outside the usual service zone). After chatting with Stef, Andi and the staff, they all helped advocate for us with vendors (this one was a bit of a hurdle since the vendors didn’t understand libraries in public gardens), explore options for the consortium’s structure, figure out the finances, and way more. The Hort Ebook Consortium exists because WiLS stepped up to help make it a reality.