There’s never a shortage of ink to be spilled over the Milwaukee Public Library.
It’s TikTok famous. (No, really.)
And, before its fortunes changed dramatically in just one year, possible cuts to the library in the 2023 city budget caused heartburn for many across the city.
Now, it’s getting the dollars to increase hours in 2024.
But there’s so much more to the libraries than these glimpses into its fame and fortune.
We asked the Milwaukee Public Library for answers to some trivia you might not know:
What is the oldest library?
It depends how you’re defining “oldest.”
The Milwaukee Public Library was authorized by the state Legislature in 1878 and in July that year opened in a rented space on what is now Milwaukee Street.
A storefront branch in Bay View became part of the Milwaukee Public Library system when Milwaukee annexed Bay View in 1887.
Meanwhile, the oldest standalone branch opened in…
