Information Commons RenovationSummer 2010

Edgewood College Oscar Rennebohm Library

Library History, 1927-1954

1927- Edgewood College is established1940- The High School and College

collections are separated.1953- The reference collection is moved

to a reading room on the second floor so the college students have a separate reading room.

1954- The largest “part of the College Library collection is housed on the 2nd floor corridor of the high school” but this arrangement is not very satisfactory….

Library History, 1955-1966

1955- Volunteers called the “book brigade” move the 15,000 volume library from the second floor of the high school building to second floor of the Academy. The new Library encompasses five rooms and a corridor.

1957- The library is still in the Sacred Heart Hall but the visitors see enough of the construction to get an idea of what the new library will be like.

1958- College Library moves to a new air-conditioned space below St. Joseph's Chapel.

1966- Oscar Rennebohm Foundation gives $20,000.00 for acquisition of library materials toward building the collection to 50,000 volumes.

Library History, 1970’s1970- The collaborative program with the

University of Wisconsin allows individual students, not just library designated runners, to borrow material.

1971- Oscar Rennebohm Foundation donates $25,000 that enables Edgewood to be the first academic library in the area to purchase the Library of American Civilization – 20,000 volumes on microfiche – and the equipment to read it.

1972- For the fifth consecutive year S. Jerome urges that the college begin planning for expansion of the library to house the growing collection.

1976- Grants to the Library include $10,000 from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation and a $3,930 federal grant.

1977- New carpeting is put in the reading room. The carpet is paid for through the grant from Oscar Rennebohm Foundation. To celebrate the new furnishings, a tea is held.

Library History, 1980’s 1983- Fiction is shifted to the ‘Fox Library’ space

to make more room for science and mathematics collections.

1984- Library takes over the Dining Room (now Washburn Heritage Room) for the Circulation Desk, Reference collection, and current year of periodicals. General collection remains downstairs with back issues of periodicals in the bound volume room (now chorus room) and audiovisuals and records in the Fox room (now music studio). The Fox apartment becomes offices and workrooms.

1988- Oscar Rennebohm Foundation gives the college a $20,000 grant to study needs for a new Library.

1989- President Ebben announces plans for construction of a new library in 1990. A design and build competition selects Durant Group as architects and Kraemer Brothers, Inc. as general contractors. A grant of $1.2 million from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation has provided start-up funds for the project.

Library History, 1990-present1990- April 9th marks groundbreaking. The

building is finished ahead of schedule in November.

1991- Library opens with card catalog and one reference computer

1994- Grand opening of EdgeCat is in August with the check out system up and running for the opening of school in September.

1996- A Web site for the Library is established and regularly updated.

1999- Subscription to Lexis-Nexis makes full-text newspaper and business databases available to library patrons.

2001- Library is 10 years old. Celebrated with a gala event.

2010- Information Commons Renovation

The Oscar Rennebohm Connection

Oscar Rennebohm, 1889-1968Graduated from UW in Pharmacy, 1911Opened first pharmacy in 1912, which soon

expanded to chains all over the Madison area.   The ‘cool cats’ of the 50’s hung out at the Rennebohm soda fountains.

Became a leader in the pharmaceutical fieldWisconsin Lieutenant Governor, 1944-1946Wisconsin Governor, 1947-1950

In 1949, created the Rennebohm Foundation to support education in the Madison area

Works cited:

Office of the Lieutenant Governor. (n.d.). Oscar Rennebohm, 1945-1949. Retrieved from http://ltgov.wisconsin.gov/subcategory.asp?linksubcatid=2094&linkcatid=2042&linkid=

Renovations“Green” Carpet25 More computers, including four more

Macs (total of )Groovy New computer carrelsBrighter and more energy efficient light

fixtures

How we spent our summer

Entrance- Before

Entrance- After

Print & Copy Center- Before (i.e. TAC)

Print & Copy Center- After

Computers & Computer Carrols- Before

Computers & Computer Carrols- After

Stairs- Before

Stairs- After

Reference Collection- Before

Reference Collection-After

2nd floor- Before

2nd floor- After

Panorama- Before

Panorama- After