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Wisconsin Blue Book volumes digitized
By Sara Johansen
Library Communications
Posted 6/7/2007
MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin and UW-Madison Libraries display continued efforts in upholding the greater Wisconsin Idea when, starting June 5, 
The State of Wisconsin Blue Book reference series is made available and fully searchable online as a part of the UW Digital Collections. The digitization of the volumes is designed to provide public access to facts and figures pertaining to the government, people, industry, lifestyle and history of the state of Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Blue Book is a comprehensive reference tool, and is useful for a variety of research purposes. The biennial books include biographical information on politicians and office holders, historical information on the state and its economy, and photographs of local communities and the state.
The 85 volumes spanning the years 1853-2003 will be digitized into more than 56,000 pages of content. The Blue Book series is arranged chronologically for easy browsing, and searches can be performed on all blue books or a single volume.
With support and funding from the University of Wisconsin System, an estimated $7,000 was spent on the digitization effort. Since its founding in 2000, the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center has worked collaboratively with UW System faculty, staff and librarians to create and provide access to digital resources that support the teaching and research needs of the UW community, uniquely document the university and state of Wisconsin, and provide access to items of broad research value.
The UWDCC is a UW System-wide consortium guided by the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
The aim of the digitization project is to make available and easily accessible, information documenting the history of the state. Through efforts driven by the Wisconsin Idea and supported by the UW System, the digitization of The State of Wisconsin Blue Book will create a cohesive, searchable database available online to the citizens of Wisconsin.
The series will be accessible online starting June 5 at: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBks
Volumes from 1995-present are available on the Wisconsin Legislative Bureau Web site as PDF files at: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/index.htm
