2013 Honorary Degree Recipient

Nancy Gwinn
Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.), honoris causa

A distinguished graduate of the University of Wyoming, the University of Michigan, and George Washington University, Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn is the embodiment of the modern librarian. 

In a profession where values such as service and stewardship are still honored in light of a tsunami of global and immediately accessible information, this Sheridan native is celebrated for her passion for librarianship and advancing the profession into the 21st century.  Through national and international leadership roles, Gwinn has helped libraries, archives, museums and other cultural memory institutions understand the need for embracing modern library methods and the importance of digitized and electronic collections to future generations.  Her career has taken her from the Library of Congress to the Council on Library Resources to the Research Libraries Group to the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, where she has served as director since 1997.  In all of her roles, Gwinn has earned international recognition for her leadership in the preservation of library collections, application of library technologies, building collaborations and partnerships to identify solutions to the myriad of issues facing libraries today, and enhancing the profile of libraries worldwide. 

For all of your contributions, Nancy E. Gwinn, the University of Wyoming is honored to bestow upon you the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa.