The Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project (CLIP) is an interdisciplinary endeavor that seeks to chart the history of Iowa’s Carnegie libraries by creating a digital library of images and other documentary and statistical information. CLIP represents a partnership among Iowa’s library practitioners and members of Iowa communities. CLIP seeks to document the history and changes in Iowa’s Carnegie libraries by scanning each library’s collection of archival materials. As materials are collected and made available in a database record for each community, it will be possible to more completely study and understand the history of Iowa’s Carnegie libraries in the context of their evolving communities.
CLIP was begun in the Spring of 2002 under the leadership of Dr. Christine Pawley and Dr. James Elmborg, both faculty in The University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Science. In May of 2004, Dr. Shana L. Stuart became the Director of CLIP.
In the Spring and Fall of 2008, three fellows from the University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Science’s Digital Librarianship Program worked to expand CLIP’s digital collections.
Since the fall of 2016, the State Historical Society, Inc., has provided funding that has allowed for substantial expansion of the CLIP website and processing of the digital archival materials. In addition, CLIP’s mission is supported by the State Library of Iowa.
2021, State Library of Iowa CLIP Statement
Director of the Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project
The director of the Carnegie Libraries in Iowa Project (CLIP), Dr. Shana L. Stuart, joined Dr. Christine Pawley and Dr. James Elmborg shortly after the inception of CLIP in the spring of 2002. She became the director in May of 2004.
Shana Stuart received her Ph.D. in Dutch and Flemish Art History in 1992 from the University of Kansas. In the Fall of 2001, she acquired her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa. She served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa from 2004-2023. Since 2018, she has served as a Library Space Consultant under the auspices of the State Library of Iowa. In 2016, she began service on the State Historical Society, Inc. board, and in 2023, she was appointed to the Iowa Historical Records Advisory Board.
In addition to helping Iowa communities preserve their early library history through this digital library, giving talks to share this information is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this endeavor. If you are interested in scheduling an individualized talk for your community, please contact Shana Stuart at: carnegielibrariesiowa@gmail.com
The following graduate students and volunteers have contributed to CLIP research:
Mark F. Anderson, 2002
Amber (Johnson) Hunt, 2002-2003
Sarah English, 2002-2003
Chris Schipper, 2003
Leslie Ross, 2003-2005
Anne Madura Earle, 2005
Elizabeth Engle, 2005-2006
Kate (Pickett) McNair, 2007
Amber Carlson, 2008-2009
Annette Dean, 2008-2010
Jill Wehrheim, 2008-2010
Amy Slowik, 2009
Charissa Loftis
Sarah Luko, 2010-2011
Claire Szeszycki, 2016-2017
Bethany Kluender, 2016-2017
Damien Ihrig, 2017-2018
Willa C. Liburd Tavernier, 2018
Laura Michelson, Fall 2018
Kayla Hodgson, 2018
Hannah Hacker, 2018
Jeanne St. Christian, 2018
Alecs Mickunas, 2018
Ellen Mays, 2018
Kathryn Heffner, 2018
Rachel Rackham, 2018
Alicia Henle, 2018
Megan Dial-Lapcewich, 2018
Cristin Noonan, 2018
Russell Buchanan, 2018, 2019 (Pella history)
Annie Fitzgerald, 2019-2020
Larry Ray Hurto, 2020-
Meaghan Lemmenes, Fall 2020
Bailey Adolph, Fall 2020
Melissa Stewart, Ph.D., Fall 2020
Olivia K. Waller, Spring 2021-Spring 2022
Susan Henricks, Ph.D., 2021 (Dubuque history)
Pam Schnittjer, 2021
Paige Wilkinson, Fall 2021 – Summer 2022
Emily Schartz, Fall 2021 – Spring 2023
Caitlin Matheis, Fall 2022 – Spring 2023