History of the Libraries

1800s

1881 Founding of Marquette College at 10th and State Streets
1883 Reading room established in college building

1900-1945

1900 College library and gymnasium installed in former Holy Name Parochial School building on 10th St.
1906-08 Marquette College re-charters as a university. Medical and Dental School libraries established.
1907 Marquette University opens its academic year in new quarters in Johnston Hall. Library moves into quarters on the main floor.
1908 Law School and Engineering College established. Corresponding libraries established.
1910 Schools of Business and Journalism established.
1922 Graduate School established.
1925 Library reorganization planned under the new Marquette Bureau of Information and Statistics (Irma Hochstein, Director).
1926-30 Cataloging with the Dewey Decimal system initiated with assistance from UW Library School and student field workers. Consolidation of departmental collections in new Johnston Hall Library, Room 207.
1928 First "trained" librarian, Mary M. Marshall begins work.
1929 First cataloger, Marie Scheie begins work.
1930-45 Rev. Francis L. Betten, S.J., Director of Libraries.
1931 Statistics reveal inventory of 30,000 books, 100 periodicals and 100 loan-outs per day. Catalog combined for all departmental libraries.
1941 Fr. Betten begins planning for a new library.
1942 Science Library now in Science Building (Marquette Hall). Periodical Library branch now located in Canisius Hall, an old home at 604 N. 13th St. (now old section of Business Administration building).
1945 New library planning committee formed.
1945-55 Mary K. Dempsey, Director.

1946-1999

1953 Completion and dedication of Memorial Library building.
1955-63 William Ready, director.
1957 Acquisition of the J.R.R. Tolkien Collection for Archives.
1961 Founding of the Archives by Rev. Raphael Hamilton, S.J.. Acquisition of Sen. Joseph McCarthy papers for Archives.
1962 Dorothy Day-Catholic Worker collections acquired for Archives.
1964-70 William Fitzgerald, Director.
1968 Dedication of Legal Research Center, Law Library.
1971-73 James Riley, Director.
1971 Completion of new addition to Memorial Library.
1972 Journal cataloging with Library of Congress classification system.
1973 Memorial Library designated a Foundation Center Collection and service site.
1974 Rev. James J. Kortendick, S.S., Acting Director.
1974-95 William M. Gardner, Director.
1974 Formation of Department of Special Collections and University Archives.
1974 Installation of Interlibrary Loan teletype and 3M tattle tape security system.
1974 Formation of Library Council of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
1975 Academic Librarians' Assembly formed.
1975 First edition published of Foundations in Wisconsin.
1975 Twenty-one librarians on staff.
1976 Bureau of Catholic Indian Mission records acquired for Archives.
1977 OCLC access obtained through Council of Wisconsin Libraries.
1978 Medical School (which separated from Marquette in 1967) leaves quarters at present Schroeder Complex for the new facilities in Wauwatosa.
1981 New Science Library opens in former Medical School space, Schroeder Complex. All Nursing, Dental, and Engineering Collections go to LC Classification. Jay Kirk, Director.
1982 Libraries participate in a national survey of library usage directed by Tantalus, Inc.
1988 INNOVACQ system goes online for serials and acquisitions.
1989 MARQCAT online public catalog opens, incorporating Memorial, Science, and Law Libraries.
1990 MARQCAT circulation initiated, integrated system implemented.
1991 Dewey classification ceases, Library of Congress classification conversion project for Memorial Collections begins.
1993 Using Gopher technology an online campus-wide information system jointly administered by the Libraries and the Computer Services Division (CSD, now called Information Technology Services), was made available to the Marquette community. A naming contest selects Marquest as the name for the system.
1995 Dr. Nicholas C. Burckel becomes the 8th Director of Libraries.
1996 Library of Congress classification conversion project completed for Memorial Library.
All library general collections in Library of Congress classification.
Campus computer network attachments made in Memorial Library. Staff begin using PC based access to the campus network and to the Internet.
1997 First wired classroom/lab opens, funded by Parents Association.
Rev. John P. Raynor dies, inspiring anonymous challenge gift of $10 million to begin new library planning.
1998 MARQCAT moves to a Web-based interface.
Turnstiles and photocopiers converted to use Marquette IDs.
Libraries participate in rollout of the PrintWise pay-for-print service.
Library establishes a site (MORE--Marquette Online Research Environment) on the Web.
1999 Laptop computers complete with wireless cards made available for checkout.

2000-present

2000 Y2k doesn't destroy the world.
Major collections of JSTOR and Project MUSE licensed for campus use.
Circulation and Serials staff functions in MARQCAT move to a graphical based system (Millennium).
Over 9,900 files from Special Collections and University Archives moved to the University Web server to create a Web presence.
Library users get the option of receiving library notices via e-mail.
2001 Groundbreaking ceremony for Raynor Library (Oct. 1).
Foundations in Wisconsin moved from CD-ROM to Web-based access.
Library users can create their own "holds" on materials checked out.
MARQCAT searches via Z39.50 enabled.
2002 Construction begins on Memorial's 2nd and 3rd levels to prepare for the connecting bridge to Raynor Library.
Table of Contents information for recently purchased books added to MARQCAT.
2003 Raynor Library opens (August 4). 24/7 hours begin (Sept. 2). Library dedication (Sept. 19) featuring Martin Sheen, who received an honorary degree.
Renovation of Memorial Library lower, 1st, and 2nd levels continues through much of 2004.
Francis Paul Prucha, S.J., Archives Reading Room Dedicated (October 2).
2004 Technical services departments move into new 1st floor quarters in January.
Lower level of Memorial Library opens new compact shelving area for Memorial bound periodicals.
Second phase of compact shelving added to accommodate Science Periodicals.
Renovation of Memorial shelving and reading areas completed.
Entire Memorial monographic collection shifted to incorporate Science Library collection.
Science Library closes as a public facility.
2005 Plugged roof drain in fall causes major water damage through all floors of Raynor.
2006 Janice Simmons-Welburn becomes 9th Director/Dean of Library.
Link resolver (WebBridge) added to MARQCAT enables transition from database citations to full text.
2007 First business manager (Greg Wutcheck) hired.
Michael Pate, Assistant Director, retires after 22 years at MU.
Online chat reference, MEEBO, introduced.
2008 Jean Zanoni appointed Associate Dean.
First-ever digital projects librarian hired.
Quick Search (a.k.a. Research Pro) federated search engine added to MARQCAT.
Count of licensed online databases reaches 400.
2009 Library residency program established.
Discovery catalog platform, Encore, and redesigned MARQCAT debuted in August.
Redesigned web site launched in December.
2011 Libraries go mobile! Access to MARQCAT and the Libraries' website was made available to mobile devices.
The Saint John's Bible and the Stephen Sondheim Collection added to Special Collections.
2013 Libraries conduct Scholarly Communications Symposium.
EBSCO's Discovery Service becomes the new MARQCATplus.
Online reservations for group study rooms implemented.
e-Publications delivers their 1 millionth download.
Library sponsors first annual Dr. Martin Luther King Lecture.
Digital Media Studio established to assist students incorporating media into their classroom presentations.
2014 Alumni access added for two EBSCO databases.
Special Collections and University Archives lecture series commemorates 75th anniversary of The Hobbit.
Special Collections and University Archives scans their 10,000th image.
2015 First Digital Scholarship Symposium was held, helping launch the digital scholarship community at Marquette and inagurating what would become an annual symposium tradition.
2016 Digital Scholarship Lab launched in the lower level of Raynor Library, offering a suite of expertise, media equipment and software, and creative/learning spaces for students and faculty--and taking the place of the Digital Media Studio.
Microform materials shifted from Raynor's lower level to storage in Memorial Library.
Digital Programs moves from Memorial to become colocated with the Digital Scholarship Lab
2020 Raynor Memorial Libraries closes its physical facilities and shifts almost all work to virtual amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Dean Janice Welburn retires after 15 years of service to Raynor Memorial Libraries.
2022 Alumnus Marcus Lemonis and wife Bobbi Lemonis donate $15 million to Marquette University to create a center for student success to be housed in a renovated Memorial Library.
2022 Dr. Tara Baillargeon named dean of libraries.
2023 Construction begins on the Lemonis Center for Student Success. 
Marquette University's Tech Squad relocates to Raynor Library as part of a remodeling in that building.
 

Back to top