Special History Event~Rassbach Heritage Museum

Author Stuart Stotts will present a talk and slide show on Lutie Stearns, Wisconsin’s pioneer librarian and chief advocate for Traveling Libraries. Lutie Stearns started over 1500 traveling libraries in Wisconsin between 1895 and 1914, while working for the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. She traveled alone, from lumber camps to the industrial centers of the South East, bringing books in boxes to communities where there were no libraries. She was a strong woman with an ambitious agenda, and her story is inspiring to anyone who loves books, libraries, or who has a passion for Wisconsin history.Lutie Stearns and James Huff Stout, founder of the Stout Manual Training School in 1891 — now the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University — were among the first group of individuals to be inducted into the recently created Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame. Stout, an early advocate of free libraries, came from a family interested in providing free access to books. is support made Dunn County one of the earliest adopters of “Books in a Box” in Wisconsin.The Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame was established by the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation Board in July 2008. The establishment of the hall of fame, which is part of the Wisconsin Library Heritage Center, is to promote understanding and appreciation of the history of libraries and librarianship in Wisconsin. The first inductees into the hall of fame include librarians and library supporters. Stuart will read from his book about Lutie and show the photographs that help to tell the story of the subject in general terms. He will discuss material omitted from the manuscript, and talk about the process of writing, editing and publishing the book. Stuart Stotts is a storyteller and songwriter from DeForest, Wi. He is the author of “Books in a Box,” published by Big Valley Press in 2005, as well as “The Bookcase Ghost: A Storyteller’s Collection of Wisconsin Ghost Stories,” published by Midwestern Traditions in 1997, and “Curly Lambeau: Building the Green Bay Packers,” published by the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2007 Reviews of “Books in a Box have been uniformly positive.

I highly recommend “Books In A Box” for purchase by public and school libraries or for your own personal library. Although “Book In A Box” is written for children, any person who works in a library or loves libraries will find it both interesting and inspirational. Lutie Stearns is one of my personal library heroes and "Books In A Box" more than does justice to her legacy. Larry T. Nix, retired Director of Public Library Development for Wisconsin and owner of the libraryhistorybuff.org Web site “Books in a Box” is terrific. … a marvelous job of making the reader care about Lutie and appreciate the importance of her work, while still making the language accessible to a young reader. I'm glad that you successfully preserved this important story about Lutie and the Traveling Libraries. Dr. Bob Kann, PhD, Wisconsin Storyteller, Author and Reading Professor

"Hail! Hail! Here's a real-life account about the most important occupation in the world - the librarian! And this book is about one of the most important and underrated librarians ever - Lutie Stearns. Watch out for Stuart Stotts - he's an up and coming writer. Rob Reid University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire" A work of imagination, originality, and superb storytelling appropriate for readers from 8 to 80, Books In A Box: Lutie Stearns And The Traveling Libraries Of Wisconsin is the "biography" of a passionate pioneer librarian, who brought books to hundreds of communities in Wisconsin from 1895 to 1914. She traveled alone, defying winter weather and wilderness hazards to bring her libraries to loggers, students, farmers, and families. Her belief in the power of books to change the world was nothing less than inspirational, and she continued to work with the American Library association and write articles advocating social change and education long after retiring as a traveler bringing books. Her life, legacy, and personal triumphs make for a singularly uplifting read. A superbly written novel, Books In A Box: Lutie Stearns And The Traveling Libraries Of Wisconsin is a unique and very highly recommended read, as well as a "must" addition all Wisconsin community library collections!

Special History Event~Rassbach Herita...

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Date and Time

Thursday Jan 29, 2009

7 PM on Thursday, January 29, 2009.

Location

Rassbach Heritage Museum.

Website

http://www.bigvalleypress.com