Library Circulation Histories Workshop

April 19-30, 2021

Ball State hosted the Library Circulation History Workshop from April 19-30, 2021. Its aim was to make historic library circulation data more accessible and more analytically powerful. Over the past two decades, a number of digital projects have provided scholars and the public access to a rich body of evidence derived from library circulation records that capture the borrowing choices of thousands of library patrons. These projects document reading experiences in several countries, during various time periods, and through a range of institutions. The Workshop brought together scholars, librarians and developers representing a number of these projects, as well similar undertakings, to share insights and develop new strategies for increasing the value for these already powerful research tools. It was organized by the leadership team of the What Middletown Read project, an NEH funded effort to create and share the circulation records of the Muncie (Indiana) Public Library from 1891. The Workshop was hosted by the Center for Middletown Studies, the Digital Scholarship Lab, and University Libraries.