UW Libraries, Campus Partners Launch ‘Natural Archive’ Exhibit at Library Annex
Published October 22, 2025
A close-up image shows fairyfly wasps, among the smallest flying insects in Wyoming. The species Tinkerbella nana is one of the tiniest known flying insects, developing as a parasite inside the eggs of other insects. The image is part of ‘The Natural Archive: Glimpses into the University of Wyoming’s Scientific Collections’ exhibition. (Jennifer Read Photo)
University of Wyoming Libraries and the UW Natural Science Collections Partnership
have joined forces to showcase the university’s diverse scientific collections in
a new exhibition titled “The Natural Archive: Glimpses into the University of Wyoming’s
Scientific Collections.”
Installed outside of the Library Annex, located in the basement of the Biosciences
Building across from the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium and SCI DIY Makerspace, the
exhibit highlights the work of eight UW collections and libraries that contribute
to research, teaching and stewardship of Wyoming’s biodiversity and natural heritage.
An open house and reception for the exhibition is Monday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. in the
basement of the Biosciences Building. The event is free and open to the public.
“The University of Wyoming collections are an extraordinary resource for understanding
our natural world, but so much of our work goes on behind the scenes that people often
do not know we are here for them to access,” says Beth Wommack, staff curator and
collections manager of vertebrates at UW. “The installation started with the idea
of providing a brief glimpse into each collection, with the hope that this view would
then spark curiosity and a direction for accessing the digital and physical collections
that are available.”
The project includes contributions from the Biodiversity Institute, UW Museum of Vertebrates,
UW Geological Museum and Geological Collections, UW Libraries, UW Insect Museum, Williams
Conservatory, Rocky Mountain Herbarium and Wyoming Natural Diversity Database. Each
image is accompanied by a caption and, in many cases, a QR code that links to digitized
materials and related resources via a curated LinkTree collection.
“Man on Horse Next to Tree,” part of the Far West Library of Howard H. Hays. The lantern slide is part of the WyoDigital Collection and is featured in “The Natural Archive: Glimpses into the University of Wyoming’s Scientific Collections” exhibition. Hays was a lifelong advocate for travel and tourism in the national parks of the American West.
Featured specimens and collections include fairyfly wasps, one of the smallest known
flying insects; the rare Wyoming desert yellowhead; fossils from the White River formation;
Wyoming’s state flower and butterfly; and research initiatives ranging from tracking
Wyoming deer and bison to the Wyoming BioBlitz.
The exhibition underscores UW’s land-grant mission by opening windows into the university’s
diverse collections for campus visitors and championing statewide engagement in science,
history and culture.
“Our museums and libraries capture the rich history and diverse natural ecosystems
of the whole state,” says Deborah White, digital collections librarian at UW Libraries.
“They also preserve the specimens and data for future researchers.”
For more information on the exhibition and UW’s scientific collections, visit https://linktr.ee/uwyolibraries.
