UWSP Libraries

Please join us in congratulating Darcy on receiving UWSP's Outstanding Work Performance Award! A well-deserved recognition of her creativity, dedication, and behind-the-scenes magic in the library! Whether she’s tracking down rare resources, scoring Open Access articles, or starting dance parties with her kids, Darcy brings heart, humor, and a collaborative spirit to everything she does. Find out her go-to way to unwind and which classic duo she vibes with most in our full interview below. Name: Darcy Hannon-McFarland Title: Library Specialist Hometown: Go Point! Education: B.S. Environmental Education and Interpretation Years at the Library: 6 What does receiving this award mean to you? Receiving this award has left me a bit speechless. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to all my coworkers. I absolutely cannot do what I do without each and every person here. What do you love most about working in the library? What I love about working in libraries spans everythin...

The Women Who Built UW-Stevens Point by Shane Olsen, Archives Assistant March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of women and acknowledge their vital contributions to our communities. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how history is recorded - whose stories are told, whose voices are amplified, and whose labor is too often overlooked. Archival theorist Terry Cook reminds us that the historical record is not neutral; written histories often privilege the experiences of white male property owners at the expense of marginalized groups. [1] This erasure is evident in the history of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The university’s official published histories have often highlighted male university presidents and chancellors. However, women have always been essential to the functioning of the university, and they have ensured that the campus fulfills its mission to students and the state. Women at the Heart of UW-Stevens Point’s Founding W...

Our librarians proudly represented the library at this year’s UWSP 29th Teaching Conference , focusing on High-Impact Practices: Enhancing Student Learning, Retention, and Success. Prof. Troy Espe, Prof. Dave Dettman, and Library Director, Mindy King, presented on: Undergraduate Research Opportunities: Empowering students to engage in hands-on scholarship. High-Impact Practices in Teaching: Innovative strategies to enhance learning outcomes. Open Access & Open Educational Resources: Making educational resources more affordable and accessible for all. We’re proud to support student success through these vital initiatives and to collaborate with our campus community to advance impactful teaching practices.

Here are a few reminders for faculty for the start of the spring semester:  Library Instruction Help your students develop critical research skills by scheduling a  customized library instruction  session. Our librarians can tailor the content to fit your course objectives. Submit your request in the link above or contact  Dave Dettman at x4206 or   ddettman@uwsp.edu. for more information. Reference and Research Help Encourage your students to reach out for help via email, phone, online chat, or in person at the Reference Desk (CCC 104). Consider including a reference to library services in your syllabus or even assigning a visit to the Reference Desk for extra credit. You can also have students schedule a research consultation with a librarian here   Course Reserves  Ensure your students have access to required course materials with our Course Reserves service: Physical Reserves: Place physical materials like books or DVDs in our Reserve Collection (...

Meet Katie DeRuyter, our new Library Systems Assistant at UWSP! Katie brings a fresh perspective and strong commitment to support our library services. She is helping with course reserves, assisting with our library system and e-resources (including videos and ebooks), and she contributes to our collection maintenance.  Here are some fun facts we discovered in our interview with Katie.  Can you tell us a little about your background and your current position?  I have been working in libraries since 2021 when I decided to go back to school to get my master’s degree. I have worked for Brown County Library, Appleton Public Library, and the Seeley G. Mudd Library at Lawrence University. I have been with UWSP since August and am looking forward to all I will learn from my wonderful colleagues. For nearly 20 years, I have been working with various community theater groups in my spare time and have either been the sound designer for...

Meet Shane Olsen, the Archives Assistant at UWSP. Shane is dedicated to connecting the community and campus with historical resources. From managing collections to writing newsletters, he strives to make the archives accessible and welcoming.  Here are some fun facts from our interview with Shane.  Background and Current Position: I’m the Archives Assistant at the UWSP Archives, where I engage with faculty, staff, students, and community members to answer reference questions, both in-person and via email. My role also includes managing Area Research Center transfers, setting up instruction sessions, and processing archival collections. Recently, I’ve taken on the task of writing The Primary Source newsletter and contributing to the UWSP Libraries’ blog focusing on posts related to the history of UWSP. I became interested in archives during my time as a student employee and intern at UWSP when I was a student here. After graduating, I pursued a MLIS program with an archiv...

Meet Prof. Ryan O’Leary, the Academic Success Associate at UWSP Marshfield. You may know Ryan as a professor, teaching courses in critical thinking and religious studies. His specialization is philosophical theology, focusing on the interplay between religion and culture. Ryan also received the 2024 UWSP University Award for Excellence in Teaching. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from University of Iowa. Here are some fun facts from our interview with Ryan. Where is your hometown? I grew up in northern Wisconsin. I currently live in Marshfield with my wife and three cats, whom we adopted from a local farm. They have no idea how lucky they are! How do you continue to contribute to our library’s mission and campus community? I work as the Academic Success Associate at the Marshfield campus’ Hamilton Roddis Memorial Library. In that role I assist in library services, provide academic coaching, and oversee the Marshfield Tutoring-Learning Center. How do you like to spend your...

Meet Laurie Petri, the new Collection Development Librarian at UWSP. While she may be stepping into this new role, Laurie is no stranger to the University of Wisconsin library community. Learn more about her and her new role.  Q: Can you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to our library? A: I’ve been involved with libraries since I was in third grade—shelving books. I came to UWSP after many years at UW Colleges, and I feel like this new position is the perfect fit for my interests and experience. Q: Where is your hometown? A: I’m from Footville, WI, a quaint little town with a population of about 750, located near Janesville. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Illinois. Q: What’s one thing you’re looking forward to learning or achieving in your new position? A: I love hearing from students about their passions and research topics. It really expands my knowledge. I hope to provide them with the books they need for their assignments and maybe recomme...

Students! We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to be part of our offsite library team in Plover.  Your role will include assisting with shelving, processing books, and helping us prepare for our move to our brand-new library building! Having a driver’s license and your own transportation is strongly encouraged. Ready to apply? Simply click the link below, enter the job ID#, and complete the application form. Working at the library is not just rewarding—it’s fun! Link to sign on portal:   https://mypoint.uwsp.edu/sieo/sieo005/student/default.aspx Job ID #  32973

Remembering Louie Crew by Shane Olsen  As we celebrate Pride Month this June at the UWSP Archives, it’s an opportune time to reflect on our collections and consider how well they capture the history of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff at UWSP. While we hold several collections detailing the LGBTQ experience on campus, this history is often fragmented and incomplete. These gaps can be partly attributed to the hostility LGBTQ individuals have faced both on campus and in the community over the years. Due to the constant threat of harassment, many in the LGBTQ community may not have felt safe creating and sharing records that would later become part of UWSP’s historical record. Traditional archival practices often exclude LGBTQ histories. Archival theorist Terry Cook explains that archivists historically were not trained to actively seek out records to include in their institutions’ collections. Rather, archivists were instructed to simply accept records as they were transferred fr...