UWSP Wausau and Marshfield Libraries - Feature Story

As we celebrate National Library Week’s, “The Library at Your Place,” we wanted to feature librarians Renee Wallin (UWSP Wausau campus) and Laurie Petrie (UWSP Marshfield campus), our branch campus librarians who do amazing work and are actively committed to enriching the lives of their campus communities. 

We highlight the work they do in this short interview and the contributions they make to their students, faculty, and staff in supporting them during these challenging times.

UWSP Marshfield Library - Therapy Dogs from Previous Semester

How many library staff do you have?

WAUSAU (Renee) – I serve as the academic librarian and Maxine Beam serves as the library services assistant and accommodations proctor.  We also typically employ 5-6 student workers a semester. I’ve been the librarian on the Wausau campus for 11.5 years, and Max has had several positions on campus for the past decade, but was permanently hired in the Library a year and a half ago.

MARSHFIELD (Laurie) – We have an academic librarian (Laurie), and Marie Janz is our Academic Success Associate. Marie works with the library, our Tutoring-Learning Center and does testing for students with accommodations. We usually hire 2 students to help us out. In October I will be starting my 19th year at Marshfield. Marie has been with us since 2019.

Do you teach information literacy sessions on your campus?

WAUSAU (Renee) – We do. I teach across all disciplines on campus, and I teach around a dozen sessions per semester. We also produce and publish research guides (LibGuides) to compliment instruction sessions.

MARSHFIELD (Laurie) - I teach several classes over the semester for different disciplines. I tend to do several one on one sessions as well as online sessions with individuals. Marie also does study skills sessions and facilitates sessions sent from the main campus.

You are a small library and carry a lot of duties compared to a larger library like Memorial Library at UW Madison. What do you like about being a smaller academic library?

WAUSAU (Renee) – I like being part of a small library.  I get a chance to do various things instead of being hyper-focused on one area.  I also like that I get to know everyone on my campus as opposed to focusing on certain departments and subjects. 

MARSHFIELD (Laurie) – I love doing a variety of things. Another thing I love is that we not only know our colleagues, but we really get to know our students. I get visits often from alumni who can’t wait to tell us how they are doing. Those are really special.

UWSP Wausau Library - We Miss Our Students

What is one of the strangest reference questions you’ve had over the years?

MARSHFIELD (Laurie) – I had a high school class come through that had a student wanting credible information on kuru which is a disease you get from eating human brains.

How are you celebrating National Library Week?

WAUSAU (Renee) - We are doing a "Library Fun for Everyone" email series highlighting some library resources and programs that might be helpful and possibly entertaining while we're stuck in quarantine. 

MARSHFIELD (Laurie) – Librarians love to share so I have been sampling Renee’s emails and have been posting virtual museum tours on Fridays on our Facebook page. The campus has been reposting those during the week. Come check them out!