Join as at the Cazenovia Public Library for a special lecture on the history of libraries!

Lecture Description:

This program traces almost 200 years in American library practice with a special focus on New England and its many municipal, historic, and specialty research libraries. As a museum scholar, preservationist, and photographer, Bill Hosley has visited hundreds of libraries. Hosley is fascinated by the architectural grandeur, mission, and eloquence of the libraries built during the first wave of library formation from the 1870s to 1920s. “At a time when few communities had art museums, historical societies, or other ways of preserving civic treasures,” Hosley notes, “these libraries did it all – one stop shopping for cultural enrichment, preservation, community memory, and – of course – books and reading.”

The program illustrates and discusses dozens of libraries in Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and beyond – plus specialty libraries. It also speaks to changes in mission and practice of libraries today and how their role as “third places” benefits from the quality of ambience and place so apparent in historic libraries. This armchair tour of discussion of library history reminds us of the richness of our heritage and the commitment of our communities to life-learning and access to ideas.

About the Presenter:

William Hosley is a cultural resource development and marketing consultant, social media expert, historian, writer, and photographer. He is passionate about local history and historic preservation and has developed a deep attachment to dozens of places worth caring about. He was formerly Director of the New Haven Museum and Connecticut Landmarks, where he cared for a chain of historic attractions. Prior to that, as a curator and exhibition developer at Wadsworth Atheneum, Bill organized major exhibitions including The Great River: Art & Society of the Connecticut Valley (1985), The Japan Idea: Art and Life in Victorian America (1990), and Sam & Elizabeth: Legend and Legacy of Colt’s Empire (1996), that spawned the Coltsville National Park. As an expert in heritage tourism, Bill has studied, lectured, and advised museums and heritage destinations around the country. Bill has also served as a content specialist for PBS, BBC, and CPTV film documentaries.