The Rusk County Community Library

Click on the links below!

• Calendar
• Children's Programs
• Adult Programs
• New Materials

• Contact Info
• Hours • Map
• Library Services

Ninety-four years of service.

• Many useful internet reference links!

• Official Rusk County Gov't Web Site

Rusk County Community Library Home > History

The Ladysmith Public Library had its beginning in a small frame building that stood north of where the Pioneer Bank building now stands, and just south of where the Jung building was to be erected. This frame building was occupied by the Pagel brother's barber shop after the library was moved into the new Carnegie building.

The library then consisted of a small stock of less than five hundred books, mostly donated by public-minded citizens anxious that the growing town of Ladysmith have a library.

The first librarian was Isabel Conklin, who later became Mrs. Bell Kleinert.

In 1907, Ladysmith received a Carnegie grant, giving the city $10,000 to erect the library building, which is still in use.

Click on the links below for more information.

Time Line > 1907-1910 • 1911-1915 • 1916-1920 • 1921-1925 • 1926-1930 • 1931-1935 • 1936-1940 •
• 1941-1945 • More to come!

The Rusk County Community Library is a member of the Bi-county Library & Information Consortium. (BCLIC)
BCLIC is a consortium of seven public libraries in Barron and Rusk Counties (Wisconsin),
the Mount Senario College Library, and the Barron County Library Service.

Rusk County Community Library | 418 Corbett Ave W | Ladysmith, WI 54848 | 715-532-2604