History

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE MIDDLETON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The library started as a shelf of books in this store. It remained there for about 3 years.	On September 11, 1926, plans were made by the members of the Middleton Progressive Women’s Club start a library by donating a shelf’s worth of books, which are made available at the Burmeister-Kruse Department Store, located at the northwest corner of Hubbard and Parmenter. On February 22, 1927, enough books had been gathered to open up for business.	An addition to city hall provides an additional 3,300 square feet of space for the library in 1974. Middleton goes online with a shared computerized circulation system in 1985.
The library was in a room at the Village Hall on Hubbard Avenue for 28 years.	In 1930, the Middleton village board offers use of a second-story room in the village hall. Before the end of the decade, the library expands into an adjacent room to accommodate an expanding collection. By 1948, there was another space crunch. The library moves to a large room on the first floor of the village hall.	The library finally has its own space in 1990, and opens March 26. [32,000 square feet on two levels, with most of the lower level unfinished, total cost $1.8 million.] More than 1,000 people visit the library during its first two hours of operation. In 1994 an online public access computer catalog is introduced.
For 6 years the library was in this room at the Lubcke Building.	In 1958, needing more space than the village hall can spare, the library moves to a larger room in the Lubcke Building (formerly the Elk’s Hotel) located on the northeast corner of Hubbard and Parmenter.	On March 1, 2004, the library opens for business in an expanded, completely renovated, and fully occupied 10,000 square feet of space.
The library was located in the City Hall building for 26 years.	In 1964, construction of a new city hall includes 2,200 square feet for the library. The City of Middleton takes over the full operation and financial support of the library. Middleton joins the Dane County Library Service in 1966.