Oases Of Culture: A History Of Public And Academic Libraries In Nevada

by James W. Hulse

Overview

The creation of a library system in Nevada presented formidable challenges. Until the middle of the twentieth century, Nevada had the smallest population of any state in the Union, sparsely scattered over a vast area; most towns were very small; and the economy was largely based on agriculture and a boom-and-bust mining industry, uncongenial to the kind of long-term financial commitments needed to build, stock, and maintain libraries. Yet from the very beginning, efforts were made to create libraries. Many mining camps had reading clubs that offered residents a quiet place to peruse the latest newspapers and other materials, and fraternal orders, women's groups, and other organizations established small lending and subscription libraries. In Oases of Culture, veteran Nevada historian James W. Hulse recounts the tortuous and often colorful history of Nevada's libraries and the work of the dedicated librarians, educators, civic leaders, women's organizations, philanthropists, and politicians who struggled to make the democratic vision of free libraries available to all Nevadans. From the establishment of the State Library in 1865, only one year after statehood, through the creation of tax-supported public libraries after passage of a library law in 1895, to the development of today's modern university and community college libraries and the public-library information services that serve Nevada's booming and increasingly diverse population, Hulse recounts the trials and triumphs of Nevada's libraries. He also examines the role of Nevada librarians in fostering literacy and confronting the First Amendment controversies that have periodically shaken the nation's cultural foundations. Oases of Culture is a detailed, lively, and meticulously researched study of a very important part of Nevada's development as a state. The state's modern library system is one of the brightest elements of the lifestyle it offers its current population, and Hulse's account preserves the

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874175448
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	09/01/2003
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

Table of Contents

	List of Illustrations	vii
	Preface	ix
	Introduction	1
1	The First Forty Years: Pioneering Efforts in Reno and the Mining Camps	7
2	The State Library: The First Century, 1865-1965	13
3	Since 1965: The State Library, the Nevada Library Association, and Fleischmann Gifts	29
4	Washoe County	43
5	Fifteen Counties: A Panorama	55
6	Clark County	79
7	The University of Nevada, Reno	95
8	The University of Nevada, Las Vegas	107
9	The Community Colleges	113
	Notes	121
	Bibliography	133
	Index	141