Desiree Saunders
Desiree Saunders has been hired as the new WYLD Program Manager at the Wyoming State Library. Desiree moves into the position that was vacated when Brian Greene made the jump to Library Development Manager.
“Desiree’s skills, institutional knowledge, and years of experience make her the perfect fit for this position,” said Jamie Markus, State Librarian. “She’s eminently qualified to lead the WYLD team into future endeavors and we’re all excited to have her step into this role.”
Saunders first joined the WSL in 1996 as its first Electronic Resources Librarian and worked in reference. “My first two summers were spent traveling thousands of miles of Wyoming doing training on Internet technologies for library staff,” she said. “I met people all across the state who I still count as friends, 20 years later.”
She moved into the WYLD Office in 1998, working with the then new web-based public access catalog and learning how to support ILS software. During her tenure in the WYLD Office she has had a wide variety of experiences with two different Integrated Library Systems (DRA and SirsiDynix). She’s also managed Electronic Resources and watched the GoWYLD site go from just a handful of databases to the rich content portal that it is today with everything from encyclopedias to ebooks.
“I feel privileged to have worked with everyone in the WYLD group for so many years,” Saunders said. “I’ve benefited immensely from their professionalism and experience. I think we are going to continue to do great things for libraries in Wyoming and I’m excited to see what the future will hold for us all.”
Saunders holds a B.A. in English literature from the University of Montana and an M.L.S. from Indiana University where she worked at the undergraduate library reference desk and managed one of the dorm libraries as part of a graduate assistantship. After library school, she worked at the Mesa County Public Library in Grand Junction, CO for 3 1/2 years as a public services librarian specializing in popular materials. While there, she became interested in automation and emerging library technologies.