We have big changes at the Wyoming State Library, with three of our staff members leaving: Marc Stratton, Karen Kitchens, and Robyn Hinds. We wish them well in their new adventures!
Marc Stratton
Marc Stratton
Marc Stratton, Systems Manager in the WYLD Office, is retiring from the WSL after more than 33 years. His last day will be July 16, 2021.
Marc joined the State Library before Wyoming had a statewide integrated library system — before WYLD even went by that name. His career began when individual libraries were just beginning to go on the Geac system. He saw WYLD through the DRA years when the system went truly statewide and now the Sirsi/Dynix ILS that every Wyoming public and community college uses.
“I will miss working for Wyoming libraries and with my fellow WSL workmates,” Marc wrote in an email to the WYLD network. “ There were some tough challenges over the years but with teamwork in the WYLD office, other colleagues at WSL, and great cooperation among the Wyoming library community, we have always triumphed. Keep up the good work.”
Karen Kitchens
Karen Kitchens
Karen Kitchens, State Publications Librarian in Information Services, will have her last day at the WSL on May 5, 2021. She has been at the State Library since September 2009. Prior to her current position, she was the Federal Documents Librarian and the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Representative. From 2002 until she joined the WSL, she worked at the Laramie County Library System in reference, adult programming, and interlibrary loan. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Akron and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University.
A longtime member of the Wyoming Library Association, Karen was named as the organization’s Outstanding Librarian in 2017. She served as Reference Interest Group (now defunct) Leader, Special Interest Groups Board Representative, and on the audit committee. She also has had national involvement as the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association Vice President, President, and Past President.
She’s not just leaving the State Library, but also leaving Wyoming. “I look forward to new adventures in the state of New Mexico,” she said, “but I will greatly miss the wonderful Wyoming library community – a dedicated and hard-working group of professionals who care so deeply about the citizens of Wyoming. Thank you all for the privilege of working with this extraordinary library community.”
Robyn Hinds
Robyn Hinds
Robyn Hinds, Interlibrary Loan Technician in Information Services, has left the State Library to move to Bentonville, Arkansas. Her last day at the WSL was March 26, 2021.
Robyn assisted with daily interlibrary loan duties and provided support and training to other interlibrary loan staff employed at Wyoming libraries within the WYLD network. She worked with physical processing of library materials, primarily serials, and maintained the WSL’s patron database. Robyn provided support for eBook databases, such as cloudLibrary and RBdigital.
Robyn first joined the WSL in September 2015 as a Library Technician. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Wyoming with dual bachelor of arts degrees in anthropology and religious studies with a minor in museum studies. In college, Robyn did work study in library special collections in the University of Wyoming Emmet D. Chisum Reading Room, which led to her interest in libraries.
She will be working for the University of Arkansas, and she and her husband plan to start a business growing mushrooms and microgreens.