WSU Libraries

Since she was 7, Aiko Yamada has always been known as the “plant person.” When a family friend and biologist visited her from Honduras, her mother’s home country, Yamada knew for sure that plants were her path. Trying to make conversation with Yamada, the friend asked about her favorite color, to which she replied, “blue.”  […]

By Kaitlyn Hellriegel As the fall semester picks up, it’s the perfect moment to take a stroll down memory lane. While the new school year promises exciting adventures and academic pursuits, there’s something about pausing to ponder the transformation our beloved campus has undergone over the years.  In this enchanting photo series, WSU Libraries invite […]

Yes, she wears a cardigan. Yes, she owns a cat.  But Emily Cukier also has purple hair, which sets her apart from the librarian stereotype, she said.  Science Librarian Cukier always felt comforted by libraries growing up, surrounded by the musty smell of old books and basking in silence. She said it drove her to […]

Flying home to Corvallis, Ore., from a political news panel at WSU’s Foley Institute, Lorena O’English had an epiphany.  She realized she had a passion for connecting people with knowledge — it was what made her tick.  Years after receiving a question about accessing political information at the panel, she joined WSU Libraries on Nov. […]

In Tuscaloosa, Ala., a crimson flag — seemingly out of place with its white cougar symbol — floated above the heads of excited fans on ESPN game day Nov. 9, 2019.  Puzzled, Erica England asked her nephew about the flag. She realized it was the same logo as the university job she recently applied for, […]

Growing up in southwestern Ohio surrounded by corn and crickets, Science Librarian David Luftig always saw agriculture as home.  In 2019, Luftig joined the Owen Science and Engineering Library as its first science librarian in two years. Transitioning from an engineering and physical science librarian at the University of Dayton to his current position opened […]

Pam Bredberg Fire extinguishers filled with water lined the third floor of Stephens Hall, where the women without dates laid in wait for the women who did.  Returning from their dates, women entered the hall and were greeted with blasts of water from Pam Bredberg, ‘70 double major in education and speech pathology, and her […]

Alongside her love of travel, history, and microfilm, humanities librarian Erin Hvizdak holds a special place in her heart – and her research – for preserving stories of everyday women that are often lost in archives.  “There’s so much we don’t know about the history of women because the sources haven’t been preserved, they haven’t […]