Jennifer Kirk Receives UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award

Jennifer Kirk, University of Wyoming Libraries marketing and communications specialist, is the recipient of the UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award for her contributions in 2022.

The Outstanding Staff Award, funded by the McMurry-Spieles Excellence Fund, honors a UW Libraries staff member who has “demonstrated exceptional service to UW Libraries and made significant contributions to the university and/or the community.” Recipients of this award are chosen by a committee of their peers.

Kirk has worked for UW Libraries since December 2018, and she has been at UW since June 2013. She oversees all of UW Libraries’ marketing and communications efforts, including promoting programs, writing news releases and managing the libraries’ social media accounts and websites.

She contributed to the success of last year’s “Conversations on Collecting Yellowstone” conference by providing marketing and communications support for the four-day event. UW Libraries and the Montana State University (MSU) Library co-hosted the conference at MSU in Bozeman, Mont.

Kirk’s clear communication and willingness to assist anyone with anything have made her an asset to UW Libraries and all of its partners, her colleagues say.

“There have been many occasions I have taken ideas to Jennifer, and she has worked to make me feel heard while also encouraging me to grow in my ideas,” wrote Sammy Peter, chair of Research and Instruction at UW Libraries, in her nomination letter. “She supports all of the departments and has worked to grow our social media presence for UW Libraries.”

Colleagues say Kirk is a skilled collaborator and respectful to everyone. She is passionate about equity and inclusion, and she has supported many events and committees, including the UW Libraries Diversity Council.

“Jennifer has changed the way the libraries market our services,” wrote Shannon Person, manager of the Circulation Help Desk in Coe Library, in her nomination letter. “Not only did she redesign our website and make it more user friendly, but she goes out of her way to find new and interesting ways to promote services, events and the libraries in general.”