October 14, 2021
Ivan Gaetz
Dean of Libraries
This year the University of Wyoming moved our “Giving Day” from post-Thanksgiving
to Homecoming week, taking place from noon to noon, October 20 and 21, 2021. Giving
Day also presents an excellent opportunity to reflect on and thank our amazing library supporters of
recent months.
It was earlier this year that the McMurry Spieles Foundation topped up their remarkable
gift, “the Carol J. McMurry Distinguished Librarian for Academic Excellence Endowed Fund,” completing the annual contributions two and a half years ahead of the planned five-year
process. The University and UW Libraries cannot thank them enough. This spring and
summer we were able to recruit and hire Janice Grover-Roosa, former Library Director at Western Wyoming Community College, to this position. Janice
is one who truly represents in many ways the “distinguished” nature of this position.
Throughout the months of 2021, we worked with John Cooke on a gift-in-kind of his
noteworthy personal library from the Cooke home in Los Angeles. Consisting of some
4,000 volumes, mostly hardcover and all in excellent condition this collection has
been appraised at $133,000. These books are on campus now and will be processed over
the next several months.
About a year ago we were all saddened by the passing of long-serving library staff member, Linda Waggener, who worked for many years in our Interlibrary Loan department. She earned an MLIS
degree from Simmons College and an MA in American History from the University of Wyoming.
Later we learned that UW Libraries received a monetary gift from Linda’s estate to
support the professional development of our staff and faculty. What a wonderful, additional way
we have to remember Linda and the Waggener family.
Early this summer, UW Libraries was offered a model of the noted schooner the “S. S. Wyoming”, a beautifully crafted work of art, to scale, done by former UW professor, Dr. Francois Dickman. Given
the connection of the Dickman family to UW Libraries, the University, and the visual
appeal of the item, we gratefully accepted. The S. S. Wyoming can be viewed now on
level two of Coe Library near the Alma Doke McMurry Reading Room. Information about
the ship will soon be on display as well.
We heartily thank our UW Libraries supporters mentioned above and all those who contribute in
so many ways to the success and sustainability of libraries’ resources and services
at the University.
Dean Ivan Gaetz
igaetz@uwyo.edu
