The State Library Commission (SLC), initially called the Public Library Commission, was established by an act of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly in 1907 to "add to the educational reference library and the system of traveling libraries, and shall continue the same, and, as its funds permit, shall increase the number and usefulness of the libraries."
The commission consisted of three members:
On March 14, 1907, the members of the commission met for the first time and adopted rules and regulations. The original members were Frank J. Thompson, (President of the North Dakota Library Association), Walter L. Stockwell (Superintendent of Public Instruction), and Minnie Clarke Budlong (governor appointee). At the meeting, officers were also determined: Thompson became president, Stockwell was vice president, and Budlong was secretary.
Thompson, along with being the Director of the Fargo Public Library, had been an instrumental advocate for the library commission bill.
Budlong had previously worked as a clerk in the State Land Department. In early March 1907, she was appointed by Governor John Burke to the commission and confirmed by the North Dakota Senate.
The commission hired Zana K. Miller to serve as the first State Librarian, and she assumed her duties in October 1907. Miller would serve as State Librarian for about one year. Citing health reasons, she submitted her resignation in October 1908 and moved back to Wisconsin.
Within the first two years of the SLC (or Public Library Commission at the time), other staff members included:
The SLC occupied a single room in the State Capitol and had an annual appropriation of $1,500.
In 1909, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly amended the library commission law. The commission was expanded from three members to five:
In April 1909, Budlong was appointed State Librarian, and she would serve in this role for 10 years.
Under the leadership of Budlong, the SLC prospered. The SLC expanded its collections and services, and its appropriation increased significantly since its creation in 1907. The SLC was also given more space at the Capitol and additional employees were added. Traveling libraries were a particularly successful initiative. Through this, collections of books could circulate throughout the state to groups or individuals. Special emphasis was placed on collections for schools and farmers.
Between 1909 and 1915, several notable North Dakotans were members of the commission:
In 1915, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly created the Board of Regents, consisting of five members appointed by the governor, to administer all state colleges and universities. The commission or board overseeing the State Library Commission (SLC) was also abolished. The SLC would now report to the Board of Regents.
As the SLC expanded its services and collections, demand also increased, and the SLC was being stretched thin. In 1916, Budlong reported the SLC needed "more books, more help, more room, more equipment."
Additionally, many of the books in the traveling libraries had become worn and needed to be replaced. Demand for the traveling libraries had continued to grow. In her biennial reports from 1912, 1914, and 1916, Budlong repeatedly stated the "demand for these libraries exceeds the supply."
In the early months of 1917, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly met for its regular session. The Nonpartisan League (NPL) majority in the House pushed for several reforms, particularly a new constitution (House Bill 44). However, the NPL did not have control of the Senate, which blocked some of the NPL's bills. The legislature did heed the SLC's pleas for help and increased its appropriation.
By July 1, 1918, the SLC, after celebrating its 10th anniversary in 1917, underwent an internal reorganization. In the SLC's 1918 biennial report, Budlong said it "has been an important period for the [SLC] in addition of new libraries, growth of extension work, increase in staff and appropriation, and progress in professional standing."
By this time, the SLC had over 300 traveling collections containing more than 10,000 books. In the SLC's 1918 biennial report, Budlong stated this service remained popular, and there had been very few issues. However, in a little over a year, the traveling libraries and their contents would face intense scrutiny from the state legislature and the public.
Public Library Commission exhibit/ booth at the North Dakota State Fair in Fargo, 1910 [North Dakota State Library collection]
Portrait of Minnie Clarke Budlong, circa 1919
In the 1918 biennial report of the State Library Commission (SLC), Minnie Clarke Budlong (State Librarian) reported in the 10 years the traveling library collections had been circulating only 5 challenges or objections to books had been received. Budlong explained the SLC examines some books before purchasing, but many are purchased by recommendation or from lists by industry experts. In the case of children, Budlong said it is the responsibility of the borrower to review the books before putting them into their hands. Budlong ended this section of her report by saying: "With the utmost care and judgment, opinions are bound to vary, as the books objected to in one station will in another have the largest circulation."
A "modern novel" (title not given)
The Calling of Dan Matthews by 
Paths to Power by 
Pigs is Pigs by 
The Taming of the Red Butte Western by 
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