Wyoming State Librarian Jamie Markus and State Archivist Sara Davis were recently awarded adjunct faculty status by the University of Wyoming.
Jamie and Sara will serve as adjunct faculty members with UW Libraries. Adjunct faculty appointments are courtesy appointments that recognize the services of those who have attained recognition in their fields of scholarship, creativity or other distinguished accomplishments relevant to university programs.
“We are delighted to welcome two library leaders to our UW Libraries team as adjunct faculty,” said UW Libraries Dean Ivan Gaetz. “Jamie and Sara have often worked with us on various projects in recent years, so formally adding them to our team will help support their involvement with UW Libraries by widening their access to resources and fostering communication. We look forward to strengthening partnerships with the state government.”
Wyoming State Librarian Jamie Markus
Jamie Markus
Jamie Markus joined the Wyoming State Library in 2005 and was appointed as the State Librarian in 2016. He has a Master of Library Science from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies from Montana State University-Billings.
Under Jamie’s direction, the WSL collaborates closely with UW Libraries on several high-impact projects and partnerships. In 2021, UW Libraries and the WSL partnered to create a digital historic Wyoming newspaper collection. The Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection is managed jointly by UW Libraries, the WSL and the Wyoming State Archives (WSA). Funding for the project comes from UW Libraries, the WSL and National Endowment for the Humanities grant awards for the National Digital Newspaper Project. The digital repository provides access to millions of pages of newspapers for Wyoming residents and researchers worldwide. It is accessible at www.wyomingnewspapers.org
UW Libraries and the WSL also collaborate on collection development to share resources. In summer 2021, UW Libraries partnered with the WSL, Wyoming community colleges and county libraries to provide statewide and university-wide access to e-content provider OverDrive and Libby, a one-tap reading app. Through the partnership, UW community members and Wyoming residents have full digital access to e-books, e-audiobooks, magazines, videos, comics and more. Additionally, UW Libraries provides access to academic articles with shared collections from ProQuest, Gale and other publishers.
“The Wyoming State Library and UW have been collaborative partners on a variety of projects — from digitized newspapers to statewide library research resources,” Jamie said. “This will increase our ability to cooperate on future grants. It’s a great way to further connect our institutions, and I’m pleased to be asked to share both my expertise and the support the state library can offer.”
Wyoming State Archivist Sara Davis
Sara Davis
Sara Davis, who served as the university archivist at UW’s American Heritage Center from 2018-2021, was appointed as the state archivist in 2021. She is the recipient of two bachelor’s degrees from UW: one in English and one in humanities and fine arts. Additionally, she earned a master’s degree in library and information science, with a concentration in archives management, from Simmons College.
Under Sara’s leadership, the WSA collaborates closely with UW Libraries and the university on several projects. The WSA and UW Libraries are the two primary repositories for collections of Wyoming print and microfilm newspapers. Master copies of all microfilmed titles are held by the WSA and are made available for UW Libraries to duplicate and digitize for the Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection. Davis and the WSA are integral partners as UW Libraries continues to develop its archival collections of rare books and special collections.
“As an alumna of the University of Wyoming, it is an honor to be able to give back to a place that contributed to my learning and growth,” Sara said. “I am grateful for this opportunity and hopeful this will foster a stronger partnership between the Wyoming State Archives and UW Libraries to further enhance the services we provide to our diverse community.”