From the Dean, October 2026

Poke Pride is sweeping through campus, and Coe Library is no exception. UW Libraries’ new exhibit, 133 Years at 7220 Feet: A Celebration of Wyoming Cowboy Football, features more than 100 items that chronicle the program's history, including historic materials from Special Collections and vintage football gear on loan from UW Athletics. Stop by Level 3 of Coe Library now through December 23 and take in the history of Wyoming football. 

This fall at the Libraries, we are celebrating authors and their work, and we invite you to join us for three events: 

- Percival Everett, author of James, will deliver a public talk on October 29, 2026, at 4 p.m. in the College of Education Auditorium. Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and a two-time Booker Prize finalist, Everett is truly one of our finest authors. His book Erasure was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. UW Libraries and the Honors College are sponsoring a viewing of the film, American Fiction, on Tuesday, October 26 at Studio City movie theater prior to Everett’s campus visit. Thank you to the Library Advisory Board and the McMurry-Spieles endowment for making this event possible. 

- The University of Wyoming Press has released twelve titles since its founding in 2022. The first ever UW Press Author Showcase will take place in the Coe Library McMurry Room on November 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Hear authors Daniel Fetscoe, Jennifer Tabler, and Amanda Giguere discuss their work and the publication process.  

- Save the date: Wyoming author Craig Johnson will join actor A. Martinez of the Longmire television series for a reading and talk on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Union Ballroom. A Q&A and book signing will follow. The Libraries are pleased to host these two Longmire favorites with the University Store. Stay tuned for more information about this event.

I’m also excited to report that our joint exhibit “The Natural Archive: Glimpses into the University of Wyoming’s Scientific Collections” is hitting the road this month. The exhibit is a partnership between UW Libraries and seven natural history collections housed across campus, including the Biodiversity Institute, UW Museum of Vertebrates, UW Geological Museum, UW Insect Museum, Williams Conservatory, Rocky Mountain Herbarium and Wyoming Natural Diversity Database. It highlights and documents Wyoming’s biodiversity and natural heritage. You can see it at one of 25 libraries in Wyoming now through October 2028.  

We love to support the intellectual life of campus from the UW Libraries, whether it is providing exhibits and events or just maintaining a cozy, fun place to study and meet up with friends. All of this work benefits from the support of our friends and alumni. On this year’s UW Giving Day, we ask you to remember the Libraries in your giving plan. Each donation helps us maintain a collection that supports an R1 research university and also create a welcoming space for students to learn and relax. This year we once again have a generous 2:1 match from Lee and Sue Milner of Torrington, Wyoming for the UW Libraries Literacy Excellence Fund. Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support of the work of the libraries in supporting literacy and critical thinking for all of Wyoming.

See you in the stacks,

Cass Kvenild
Dean of Libraries