The Position of the Humanities at WPL

Attending a Local History lecture, listening to an African American storyteller, picking up a play by Ibsen or a novel by Tolstoy, or exploring the roots of Jewish religion all awaken a sense of what it might be like to be someone else or live in another time or culture. All reflect just a part of the ongoing commitment to the Humanities at the Wichita Public Library.

Each year an estimated one million people visit the Wichita Public Library. Most probably work in manufacturing or service industries. Many will search the collection for help in learning more about themselves, endeavoring to stretch their imaginations, enrich their experiences and by doing so, increase their distinctively human potential. They are, although few could articulate the reason, in search of the Humanities, that unique blend of creativity, dialogue, reflection and imagination that makes our experiences understandable and defines the human condition.

Whatever their age or ethnic background, the Wichita Public Library seeks to satisfy their individual searches either in person or electronically, through the strength and diversity of its collections, inviting them to return again and again. As a regional resource center and the second largest public library in the state of Kansas, Wichita Public Library embraces its role as an electronic center for cultural, educational and recreational information and reaches beyond the physical limits of the City of Wichita to serve the citizens of south central Kansas. Since opening its online Dynix system in 1992, requests for loans of WPL materials to other libraries grew by 400% to 15,445 in 1996 alone. Items borrowed from other libraries for Wichita customers grew by 655% during the same time period. Demand is expected to increase in the coming decade as Wichita’s Unified School District #259 reduces its Library Resources Center, increasing the average teacher’s dependence on the Library system.

Teacher or student, the average visitor can choose from among 190,559 volumes in the Humanities. These core collections have been assembled for the past one hundred years, but as briefly stated in the introduction, have significant problems that the Humanities endowment would immediately address.

Collection currently contains 27,277 volumes. Books on Latin (116), Italian (143), Spanish (288), Greek (394), German (453) and French (610) literature represent a small selection of titles and are not adequate to serve the student population of this region. A significant portion of the Greek (82%), Latin (81%), English (79%), American Satire and Humor (78%), French (75%), Italian (72%), American Drama (72%) and German (71%) are old (21 years +), worn, tired and “unappealing.” The collection specialist for this section continually buys volumes that will aid high school and college students, and would like to augment the print selection with electronic databases. Additionally, books on literary criticism are in high demand and short supply, along with frequent requests from adults of all ages for writing guides. Local college and high school reading lists would be utilized as a tool for building the collection. Geography & History: This section contains 78,599 books but has significant weaknesses in Military History of the World (248 volumes), African History (427 volumes), South American History (521 volumes), History of the Ancient World (582 volumes), Geography of the Ancient World (521 volumes), and History of Europe (610 volumes). Additionally, the collection specialist cites age problems with Geography of the Ancient World (95% of collection), Military History of the World (78%), European History (75%), North American History (69%), North American Geography (65%) and European Geography (64%) again significantly old (21+), worn, tired and again “unappealing.” The replacement of worn out volumes, the expansion of the collection to include recent research and scholarship, and the addition of electronic databases to relieve demand are priorities in this area.

There is a constant demand from elementary and high school students for biographies. Sixty percent of the 15,519 volumes are 21+ years old, again limiting access to modern scholarship and research, and in some cases, culturally sensitive interpretations. For example, in the first quarter of 1997, the Library was deluged by students working on Martin Luther King, Jr., Black History and Women’s History. Area teachers, experimenting with a social studies unit, assigned students to lead class discussions on aspects of these three topics. The shelves in the 900s were emptied in short order. Students complained of general lack of resources, dated information and lack of alternative resources. This situation is often repeated in the fall when high school debaters receive their topic for the year. Planning for collection expansion through the new Humanities endowment includes enlarging the available books on American History, particularly the Civil War, Native Americans, Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Mayan civilizations, the European Renaissance and the Middle Ages.

Of the 2,833 volumes in this collection, 50% are over 20 years old. Its scope is directed toward independent learning, with basic coverage in the academic area (comparative linguistics). The collection’s greatest strength is in English usage and grammar, sign language and Spanish instruction. Demand is constant for grammar guides, dictionaries, Native American languages, and general English as a Second Language support materials. The subject specialist recommends replacement and multiple copies of classic and newer language works, additional works on English usage and grammar, and the addition of foreign language materials in Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Chinese and Native American to serve Wichita’s minority populations.

Through the Foundation’s grant program, the mythology section has been completed updated and is quite comprehensive. The religion section has not fared as well. Sixty three percent of the 9,043 volumes are over 21 years old. Specifically, texts are limited regarding the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, general Bible commentaries, other religions, and Bibles themselves. As new translations of standard works become available and new writings on various religions are published, the addition of these texts would provide insight, promote cultural understanding and directly address the culturally diverse backgrounds of Wichita’s minority populations.

Through the grant from the Victor Murdock Foundation, this 1,916 volume section was rebuilt in 1995. It serves as an example for WPL Humanities collection development. Relying on professional recommendations, numerous essential philosophical works were purchased and are heavily used by the public. The collection specialist would like to continue to strengthen its scope, broadening resources in metaphysics and theories of knowledge. This is another area where remote access to electronic databases could greatly impact the number of students and scholars served.

Numbering 55,372 volumes, this collection is considered solid by collection development specialists throughout the Library system. Available formats include print, audio cassette, large print and Talking Books (sub-regional center). Multiple copies are readily available through the Library’s twelve sites and patrons have access to electronic holds to shorten waiting time for popular titles.

These holdings are complimented by special collections of regional importance.

Comprised of 450 volumes, this collection examines Native American art, legends and historical works from the viewpoint of the American Indian and impartial observers.

Containing 9,000 books and printed materials and 3,000 microfilm rolls, including all of the Kansas census, this is a permanent reference collection concentrating on eastern and midwestern United States records, highlighting the Kansas area. WPL serves as a regional center for this type of information and handles 16,500 reference questions per year. This activity reflects the growing interest in family history, which librarians view as an pathway to history and the humanities. An estimated 100 patrons utilize the area daily and in 1996 consulted 30,000 microforms. Numerous personal family histories have been published by individuals based on this material. The average patron conducts research at a minimum of two hours and lines often form for microfilm readers. The area is staffed by one employee with limited relief. The Library is fortunate to have the constant volunteer support of the Wichita Genealogical Society. The group holds free training classes regularly at no charge to the public. In 1996, 350 people attended these classes, taught by five area genealogists with 100 years experience between them. To increase access to these high demand resources, the collection development specialist recommends installation of a bank of computer terminals (1999) and networking of databases to provide remote electronic access via dial-in modem or Internet (2000) to relieve the constant demand and increase the effective use area.

Some 7,300 books and materials about Kansas and by Kansas authors make up this permanent reference collection. There are also books of regional interest, focusing on the Great Plains, Midwest and the West. Articles from local newspapers (1920-1984) about Wichita and Kansas have been microfilmed to 30,000 aperture cards, searchable by a subject index. It is heavily used by scholars, students of Kansas history and by genealogists. Books researched in the collection include: Borne on the South Wind: A Century of Kansas Aviation by Frank J. Rowe and Craig Miner, and Marathon Flyers by Russell Plehinger.

Additionally, every year scholars and reporters publish journal articles on information researched from the collection. Dean James M. Concannon, University of Kansas School of Law, wrote of early law schools in Kansas in the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association (Nov. 1996). Jeffrey Ochsner utilized the collection for his article "Willis A. Ritchie: Public Architecture in Washington, 1889-1905" which appeared in the Pacific Northwest Quarterly (Fall 1996). Photographs and background materials form the basis of regularly appearing newspaper articles in the Wichita Eagle and have supplied critical data for nominations of historic districts and properties in the Wichita area.

This collection includes 8,000 historical photographs and negatives of Wichita, Sedgwick County and Kansas from the 1870s to the present. Included are collections of three nineteenth century commercial photographers in addition to the Salmon and Norcater collections of glass plate negatives taken at the turn of the century, and the photo archive of the Wichita Parks Department. In 1996, through private donations, 5,000 photos were cataloged, and 2,500 digitized and made accessible to the public on CD-ROM. Local History maintains an extensive vertical file on many subjects and individuals of community interest, and over 600 books and pamphlets. City of Wichita records in the collection include those of the Wichita Urban Renewal Agency and death certificates from 1887 to 1910.

Currently, a general survey of 314 cubic feet of unprocessed archives and manuscripts is being conducted under a Kansas Humanities Council grant. In February 1997, the library secured a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission for a humanities consultant to evaluate these items. Michael Kelly, Curator of Special Collections, Ablah Library, Wichita State University, is currently drafting a plan to arrange, describe, catalog and properly house the collection. The manuscripts include records of community clubs and groups, diaries, letters, scrapbooks, maps and atlases, a collection of political cartoons, early records of the Wichita Union Terminal and Missouri Pacific railways, film reels and ephemera. Long term, this strategic plan will be utilized to merge electronically similar data at Wichita State University’s Ablah Library and the Wichita- Sedgwick County Historical Museum, allowing students, scholars and the general public to easily survey all available resources.

This 100 piece collection of original art work is of special interest to those who work in the field of children's literature and its illustration. The collection contains original drawings, paintings, and manuscripts dating from 1930-1950. Included are works by Lois Lenski, M. d’Angeli, Robert Bright, Claire Turley and Marcia Brown.

All of these collections offer unique and original opportunities for collaborative exploration. For example, as the Biography section is rebuilt through Humanities endowment interest, the quality and scope of the new collection would be celebrated for an entire year as the focus for library-based book discussion clubs, related exhibitions, storytellers and lectures. Media coverage, newsletters, banners and public service announcements would reinforce this message for a twelve month period.

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