Practicum Location: Columbus Public Library, Columbus, WI

When I first arrived at Columbus Public Library for my preliminary interview, the subject of creating a working relationship with the Columbus Area Historical Society was broached. I quickly decided that this was something I was interested in and, over the next two months, I acted as both a liaison between the Library and the Historical Society and an assistant researcher for several projects. This in turn led me to conduct further research into the history and lasting effects of relationships between public libraries, their communities, and other organizations. My preliminary research shows that the effects can vary from personally important to nationally significant and therefore, must be fostered whenever possible, however possible.