Mabel Wilkinson, A Wyoming Librarian

There was a recent article in the Chicago Tribune about a presentation on early librarians in the West. The article immediately brought to mind Mabel Wilkinson, a Wyoming librarian in the 1910s. Wilkinson gave a presentation at the American Library Association conference in 1916 in Asbury Park, New Jersey entitled "Establishing Libraries Under Difficulties". Wilkinson's presentation concerned a trip on horseback to organize library service that she made in Platte County, Wyoming.

Here's an excerpt:
"Since opening [the library in Wheatland] on a regular library basis, every effort has been made to reach and interest the people in library work and extension throughout Platte County. It is our aim to provide each individual, who is able to read, with the best available literature. Consequently I recently made a library trip over the entire county with this in view. To be sure we are handicapped this year with a tiny collection, no funds, enormous distances between thinly populated settlements,and few as well as poor railroad facilities, but we intend to have our collections used to the greatest possible extent. Therefore, I visited each post-office, town, village and hamlet in the county on this trip. The interest shown in the various communities concerning their welfare where educational advantages of every kind are limited, has certainly aroused the good will and generosity of all concerned, not only toward my horse "Joker" and me, but in a willingness to meet any extra tax levy for library purposes, and to donate every service possible to assist the work and its extension.

As distances are great, train service extremely poor, and automobile service high, my entire library extension trip of two weeks' duration had to be made on horseback, the journey covering about four hundred miles through very rough country, over poor roads, and worse trails with very few accommodations along the line. Numerous claims are being filed on constantly, and while one may ride jauntily down a fairly good road from one hamlet to another today, it is nothing to return on the morrow and find the road well fenced in. Then there is nothing to do but scout around and keep the general location of destination in mind until another road, or trail leading approximately in that direction is found. Of course there is always danger of a novice going miles out of the way, or even getting lost, but that is only a part of the work and of the joy of living, and if one doesn't arrive today, tomorrow does just as well."

Her entire presentation was included in the Bulletin of the American Library Association, July 1916, pages 161-169, which can be found in Google Books here. It is a fascinating story and well worth reading. Wyoming is justly proud of Mabel Wilkinson and she was featured on a Second Day of Issue Cover for the Library of Congress Bicentennial stamp which is pictured at the top of this entry. You can also get a poster of Mabel and more information about her from the Wyoming State Library by going here.