A Legacy of Women in Libraries: Celebrating Women’s History Month
Each March, Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to recognize the women who have shaped our communities, professions, and public institutions. Libraries are no exception.
For more than a century, women have played a central role in the development of libraries in the United States. From organizing early reading rooms and literary societies to leading major research collections and delivering books to remote communities, women have helped expand access to information and learning for generations of readers.
Today, librarianship continues to reflect that legacy of leadership and service by women.
A Profession Shaped by Women
As libraries expanded across the country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, librarianship became one of the few professional fields widely open to women. Many pursued formal library training and went on to build careers in public, academic, and special libraries across the country.¹
One notable figure from this era is Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian to financier J.P. Morgan. Greene built a significant rare book collection and became a respected scholar and curator. Her story is especially remarkable because Greene, who was African American, lived much of her life passing as white during a time of widespread racial discrimination. ¹
Women also played a critical role in expanding access to books during the Great Depression through the Works Progress Administration’s Pack Horse Library Project. Librarians in rural Kentucky delivered books to isolated families by horseback, traveling rugged terrain to reach communities with little access to reading materials. ²
These stories, along with many others, illustrate a long tradition in librarianship: finding creative ways to connect people with books, no matter where they live.
Women Who Shaped Wyoming Libraries
That same spirit of dedication and innovation can be seen in the history of libraries in Wyoming—and in Cheyenne specifically.
The first county library in the United States was established in Cheyenne in 1886, with the books and quarters of the Cheyenne Library Association serving as its nucleus. Mrs. E. Mason Smith was its first librarian and played an important role in the early development of library service in Cheyenne. ³
When the Laramie County Library was formally established in 1886, Smith became its first county librarian.
Her influence extended well beyond the library itself. In 1888 she organized a literary club devoted to the study of English literature during the reign of Queen Anne. The group later became the Women’s Club of Cheyenne, whose members helped open a free reading room in 1895 stocked with periodicals purchased with money raised through community tea parties.³
Smith remained head librarian through the library’s move into the Cheyenne Carnegie Library building in 1901, funded by Andrew Carnegie. She served as county librarian until later that year and remained a respected member of the community until her death in 1927.⁴
While Smith helped establish library service in Cheyenne, other librarians were working to expand access across the wide rural landscapes of Wyoming.
Librarians on the Wyoming Frontier
One of those librarians was Mabel Wilkinson, whose work helped bring library services to rural communities throughout the state in the early twentieth century.
The job advertisement she responded to captures the realities of librarianship in the West at the time:
“Wanted: a young woman who is not only a college graduate with library school training and experience, but in addition must be able to get along with Western people, ride and drive, as well as pack a horse, follow a trail, shoot straight, run an automobile, and be able to ‘rough it’ whenever necessary.” ⁵
Wilkinson met those expectations. In the 1910s she helped open the Platte County Library in Wheatland and became known for bringing library services to rural communities throughout Wyoming. In 1916 she spoke at the American Library Association conference, sharing insights about providing library service in the rural West. ⁶
Her work reflects the creativity, determination, and resilience required to expand library access across a large and largely rural state.
The tradition of strong women leading and shaping library services in Wyoming did not end there. That legacy continues in the leadership of the Laramie County Library System today.
Women Leading Laramie County Library System
Women have continued to guide the Laramie County Library System in the decades since its founding.
Lucie Osborn served as County Librarian from 1990 until her retirement in 2015 after more than three decades with LCLS. During her leadership, the system experienced significant growth, including construction of the current Cheyenne library building that opened in 2007 and improvements to branch libraries. In 2008, LCLS was named Library Journal’s Library of the Year, one of the highest honors in the profession. ⁷
Carey Hartmann succeeded Osborn as County Librarian in 2015 after many years serving the organization, including as Deputy County Librarian beginning in 1990. Her long career with LCLS reflected a deep commitment to library services and community connection, helping guide the system through continued program development and public service. ⁸
Antonia Gaona, the current Executive Director of Laramie County Library System, was appointed in 2023. With more than two decades of experience in public libraries, Antonia brings a focus on community partnerships, expanding access to services, and ensuring libraries continue to evolve alongside the communities they serve.⁹
Together, these leaders represent a continuation of the legacy established by E. Mason Smith nearly 140 years ago—women guiding the Laramie County Library System with a shared commitment to learning, access, and community connection.
Continuing the Legacy
While libraries have changed dramatically over time—from card catalogs to digital collections—their mission remains the same: ensuring communities have access to knowledge, stories, and opportunities for lifelong learning.
The women who helped build libraries in Wyoming, from E. Mason Smith and Mabel Wilkinson to the leaders and librarians of Laramie County Library System today, represent generations of dedication to public service and education.
Women’s History Month offers a chance to celebrate those contributions and recognize the many women—past and present—who continue to shape libraries and the communities they serve.
References
1. Utah State Library Division. Women in Libraries.
https://library.utah.gov/women-in-libraries/
2. National Archives. Mobile Libraries: Culture on the Go.
https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2020/04/14/mobile-libraries-culture-on-the-go/
3. Women of Library History. Woman’s Work: The Efforts of Women in Wyoming.
4. Field, Sharon. Research on E. Mason Smith prepared for the Cheyenne Genealogical and Historical Society’s Cemetery Walk program. Unpublished local historical research.
5. Cody Enterprise. Column: Researching the Mystery of Mabel Wilkinson.
https://www.codyenterprise.com
6. Library History Buff Blog. Mabel Wilkinson, A Wyoming Librarian.
https://libraryhistorybuff.blogspot.com
7. Library Journal. “Library of the Year 2008: Laramie County Library System.”
8. Wyoming State Library. Carey D. Hartmann Selected as Next Laramie County Library System County Librarian.
9. Wyoming State Library. Antonia Gaona Named Executive Director of the Laramie County Library System.
https://library.wyo.gov/antonia-gaona-named-executive-director-of-the-laramie-county-library-system/