Vaske Receives UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award

The University of Wyoming Libraries has presented its Outstanding Staff Award to Deisy Vaske, senior library assistant in technical services. The award recognized her contributions during 2014.

The Outstanding Staff Award, funded by the McMurry-Spieles Library Excellence Fund, honors a University 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.

Vaske processes U.S. government publications as well as publications from the state of Wyoming. Her attention to details while handling these publications ensures that patrons have reliable and timely access to these materials. She also encapsulates and handles the processing of maps for UW Libraries’ collections.

Fellow employee Pam Mathewson wrote in her nomination letter that Vaske “diligently receives and keeps track of UW Libraries federal and state documents, which is a tedious job and one where attention to detail is critical.”

In 2012, Vaske stepped up to serve as a valuable member of the UW Libraries employee support committee. The committee provides continuing education and development for library employees. Vaske also has served on various other library teams to hire a new library faculty member and to assist with purchasing student artwork at the UW Art Museum’s annual Juried UW Student Exhibition.

Following some water line breaks in Coe Library during the recent winter break, Vaske responded to the call for help. She went to the library and helped protect university property as well as co-workers’ personal belongings.

Janet Woods, a supervisor in the technical services department, noted in her nomination letter that, “The most amazing thing about Deisy is that she handles all of her duties and projects with a calm, positive attitude and is always willing to help where she is needed.”

In addition to her dedication to UW Libraries, Vaske serves as a volunteer mentor for the Multicultural Student Leadership Initiative where she works with students from various backgrounds to get started in college and develop into community leaders. She is an active member of the St. Paul Newman Center and is involved in UW’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences’ honorary society, Phi Upsilon Omicron.