Wisconsin Blue Book Online

Tuesday, 31 July 2007

One of the most used reference books about the Badger State, the Wisconsin Blue Book is a compilation of facts and figures pertaining to the government, people, industry, lifestyle and history of the State of Wisconsin. Now, this important and endlessly interesting series is online at http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBks. The State of Wisconsin Blue Book remains the primary one-volume reference source about the state, documenting the organization of the state’s three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). Typically, each volume includes extensive description and statistics on virtually all aspects of life in Wisconsin, including major sections on the state’s population, geography, history, election data, educational resources, social services, finance, agriculture, industry, transportation system, etc. Various useful lists are also provided, such as of statewide associations, news media, local governmental units, post offices, political parties, etc. With generous support and funding from the University of Wisconsin System and UW Libraries, the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center has digitized 85 volumes that span the years 1853-2003 and total over 56,000 pages. Blue Books from 1995-present are available online as PDF files through the Wisconsin Legislative Bureau at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/index.htm. The Blue Book is a useful resource for any number of researchers—those that are interested in learning more about elective offices and officials, genealogists looking for biographical information about politicians and office holders, as well as scholars researching Wisconsin’s history, economy, or government. It is also an excellent source for K-12 students seeking facts and figures as well as photographs in order to learn more about their local community or the state. You and other chamber members may find the books useful for locating key statistics and data about your own communities and constituencies. Not only is the Wisconsin Blue Book online and freely accessible, it is fully searchable. You can search all Blue Books or a single volume.

 

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