Founded in 1891 and established as its own division in 1907, the University of Wisconsin-Extension works across the state to bring the services of the university to the people of Wisconsin. The Extension division has gone through several iterations and included many different programs over the years but has long focused on spreading the Wisconsin Idea through education, cooperative agriculture, entrepreneurship, and media.
Frequently mentioned throughout the collection on material labels is Shirley Johnson, former director of the UW-Extension Library Services and extension librarian. She began working at the library in 1956, was appointed director of library services in 1977, and historian in 1994. Though she retired in 1996, she continued to serve as historian in a voluntary capacity. She died in 2009.
