The Library is named for Magnus Wahlstrom, who was born in 1903 in Surahammar, Sweden.
Mr. Wahlstrom was a founder of Bridgeport Machines, Inc. and served as a University trustee.
The University Library had its beginning in 1927 in one room in Fairfield Hall, site of the newly-chartered Junior College of Connecticut. In 1947, when the Junior College was reconstituted as the University of Bridgeport, the Library was moved to the University’s seaside campus. In 1955, after a period at Fones Hall, the library at last occupied a home of its own in the newly-constructed Carlson Library. A new east wing was added in 1961. In 1972 groundbreaking took place for a new building and in 1974 staff and collections moved into the new Magnus Wahlstrom Library.
Home of Eureka! Federated Search
In 2007, the Wahlstrom Library was one of the first 5 libraries in the world to go live with the Ex Libris Primo® discovery solution (the Library’s ∑ureka! searching interface). A case study discussing the effect of ∑ureka! on Information Literacy by Ex Libris, as well as the November 2007 edition of the Ex Librian provides more information on Wahlstrom Library’s integration of this new product.