John Anderson Award Recipient - Taylor Schmidt

The University Libraries is excited to announce that Taylor Schmidt is this year's winner of the John Anderson Community Spirit Award .

Schmidt, a native of Waupaca, is currently a Junior majoring in English and History with a certificate in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. When she graduates, she hopes to find a career in the editing field. "I'm thrilled to have received this award because it will help more people to be aware of this interesting history in my community, but also because it may inspire them to look for equally interesting histories in their own towns. I firmly believe that every place has a story worth telling--It's just a matter of finding it."

Schmidt's work, "No Drones in the Hive, but a Strong Army of Workers: A Brief History of the Women Behind Waupaca's Carnegie Library," exhibits the perseverance and community-engagement of the Women’s Club of Waupaca and the Monday Night Club that led to the creation of the Waupaca Public Library. Schmidt highlighted the fundamental and essential role of the women of Waupaca in bringing long-lasting resources and education to their broader community for generations to come. 

The annual $500 Anderson Award is given to a UWSP undergraduate who displays excellence and creativity during the information research process in a writing piece or creative work. 

This award honors John Anderson who was the director of news and publications at UWSP for 27 years. He was a community activist, and a university, local, and state historian who believed in the spirit of community by telling the stories of local people who we may not hear about otherwise. 

In addition to the $500 award, Schmidt also received a copy of Anderson's book, "The County Sampler," and you can find a copy of Schmidt's work,"No Drones in the Hive" in MINDS@UW, the UW System's institutional repository.

Congratulations, Taylor!