Timeline of North Dakota State Library

• Library service on a statewide level can trace its roots back to 1862 when a Territorial Library was created.

• After statehood, a State Library was maintained by the Secretary of State.

• The establishment of the Public Library Commission in 1907 by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly was when the State Library truly began.
• Initially, the Public Library Commission (later renamed to the State Library Commission) occupied a single room in the State Capitol and had an annual appropriation of $1,500. Its commission consisted of three members: the President of the North Dakota Library Association, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and one governor appointee.

• In 1909, the legislature amended the library law, and the commission was expanded to five members: the President of North Dakota Library Association, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary of the State Historical Society, and two governor appointees.

• Between 1909 and 1915, several notable North Dakotans were members of the commission, including: Max Batt (professor at the North Dakota Agricultural College), Clara L. Darrow (advocate for women’s suffrage), Orin G. Libby (professor at the University of North Dakota), and Ragnvald A. Nestos (lawyer, literacy advocate, and future Governor of North Dakota).
• Also, around this time (1908-1911), Sveinbjorn Johnson worked as the Legislative Reference Librarian. He later served as N.D. Attorney General (1921-1922) and N.D. Supreme Court Justice (1922-1926).
• One of the original and primary services of the State Library was the Traveling Library. Through this, collections of books could circulate throughout the state to groups or individuals. Special emphasis was placed on collections for schools and farmers. The Traveling Library had a significant increase in popularity during the 1910s.

• During World War I, the State Library organized money drives and book drives.
• During the Nonpartisan League (NPL) era, the state legislature created the Board of Administration in 1919, replacing the Board of Regents, and it assumed oversight duties for the State Library.
• In 1919, to alleviate cramped quarters in the Capitol and to honor the men and women who served in the Great War (World War I), the Legislative Assembly appropriated funds to construct a new building on the Capitol grounds: the Liberty Memorial Building.

• In August 1920, ground was broken for the Liberty Memorial Building.

• In 1924, the State Library, along with other state entities (such as the Supreme Court, Adjutant General, and State Historical Society), moved into the newly constructed Liberty Memorial Building.

• On November 11, 1925 (Armistice Day), the Liberty Memorial Building was formally dedicated in a brief ceremony led by Governor Arthur G. Sorlie.

• The Legislative Assembly granted the Board of Administration more formal authority to manage the State Library Commission.

• In the 1930s, after the completion of the new Capitol, the State Library Commission was granted additional space in the Liberty Memorial Building.
• During the hard times of the Great Depression, the State Library Commission persevered on a reduced budged and experienced an increase in usage and circulation.

• During World War II, the State Library Commission encountered supply issues and labor shortages. Circulation of general books decreased, while the demand for specialized books increased; many unused books were withdrawn from the collection for “paper drives”; and the library provided books and reference material to the conscientious objector camp in Trenton, near Williston, and the Fort Lincoln internment camp in Bismarck.

• In 1949, the Legislative Assembly authorized the State Library Commission to accept and disburse grants of federal funds.

• The State Library Commission maintained a “demonstration bookmobile,” a gift from the Federated Women’s Clubs of North Dakota.

• In 1965, the duties of the State Library Commission were expanded by the Legislative Assembly. The duties included, promoting the formation and improvement of libraries, coordinating the efforts of librarianship throughout the state, collecting reference and reading materials. certifying librarians across the state, maintaining a collection of publications of state agencies and departments, and conducting statewide library planning efforts.
• The Legislative Assembly also bestowed upon the State Library the responsibility of managing the State Document Depository, which collects, preserves, and disseminates all North Dakota state government documents produced for public use.

• The Board of Administration was abolished and replaced with the Director of Institutions, whose office assumed oversight duties for the State Library Commission.
• Executive Order 1969-50, issued by Governor William L. Guy, established the North Dakota Advisory Council on Libraries to advise the library on policy, programs, and library service. 

• In October 1970, the State Library Commission moved out of the Liberty Memorial Building and into what was known as the Randal Building north of Bismarck.

• The agency’s name was changed from the State Library Commission to the North Dakota State Library.

• Having outgrown its space in the Randal Building, the State Library was poised to move back into the Liberty Memorial Building, after the State Historical Society moved into the new Heritage Center. But first, the building underwent a major renovation, which updated systems to modern code specifications. The renovation retained the building's unique architectural details.

• The State Library returned to the newly renovated Liberty Memorial Building, its present location.

• In 1989, the State Library became a division of the Department of Public Instruction.

• After contracting with the South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library for over 20 years, the State Library added Talking Book services.
• In 1997, the North Dakota Advisory Council on Libraries became the North Dakota Library Coordinating Council (NDLCC), which assists in planning, coordinating, and evaluating the services and programs of North Dakota libraries.

The Liberty Memorial Building celebrated its 100th anniversary.

• A history of the State Library (State Archives)
• Biennial reports of the North Dakota State Library
• Book Scandal of 1919 (exhibit from the State Library on LibGuides)
• Engberg, Linda L. 1966. History of the North Dakota State Library Commission and Its Services to North Dakota : A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Librarianship, University of Denver. Denver, C.O.: University of Denver.
• North Dakota Legislative Assembly Legislative Council, North Dakota State Library Commission, and University of North Dakota Bureau of Governmental Affairs. 1982. Legislative History of North Dakota State Agencies : A Compendium of North Dakota State Agencies, Their Organization, Function & Legislative History. Bismarck, N.D.: State Library Commission.