Elizabeth Riordan has been named the 2024 recipient of the Arthur Benton University Librarian’s Award for Excellence in recognition of her commitment to student and faculty success, elevating the visibility of distinctive collections, and helping people of all ages connect with the University of Iowa Libraries.
Riordan currently serves as lead outreach and engagement librarian in Special Collections and Archives. She’s been enriching the Libraries’ outreach efforts since 2016 when she became a student employee in Special Collections while earning a master’s degree in library and information science at Iowa. During that time, she had the one-of-a-kind experience of preparing papers and artifacts from renowned NBC News journalist Tom Brokaw in Special Collections. Riordan has been a full-time librarian in Special Collections since 2018.
“Liz has significantly increased the reach of Special Collections and the Libraries overall through elevated class visit rates, improving student and faculty satisfaction with the Iowa experience,” says John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian. “She’s an outstanding advocate for student success, our collections, and the Libraries through her work on campus and in the community.”
Sara Pinkham, Riordan’s nominator and exhibition and engagement coordinator for the Main Library Gallery, says her expertise and deep passion for helping students connect with rare materials is unmatched.
“Liz strives to reach students where they are and often ignites in them an abiding interest in history while introducing them to Libraries collections,” says Pinkham. “Many have their first-ever interactions with these types of collections under Liz’s guidance, and it is clear that her style of instruction and her relatability make infinitely accessible the resources we have to offer.”
Elizabeth Yale, assistant professor in the UI Department of History and Center for the Book, has worked closely with Riordan since 2018 and shared in her letter of support that Riordan has always been a fantastic collaborator.
“She approaches her work with clarity, hospitality, and a deep knowledge of the collections and of object-based teaching methods,” says Yale. “She fosters an environment in which beginning student researchers, in particular, feel welcomed and supported.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Paula Amad, associate professor of film studies in the UI Department Cinematic Arts, who has worked with Riordan in connection with class visits for both undergraduate and graduate students. Amad highlighted several examples of Riordan’s excellence as an outreach librarian, including classes showcasing the Brinton Collection.
“She has been simply superlative in her instruction outreach skills—exposing our students to the richness and cultural complexity of the collections, leading informative discussions, and collaborating productively with me on specific requests for each course,” says Amad. “She has often invited Mike Zahs (who ‘saved’ the Brinton materials). Those classes are a brilliant combination of material-based film history and live performance, and they have engaged our students on multiple levels.”
In addition to her noteworthy achievements in teaching, Riordan has been active with community outreach both on campus and off. She was an integral part of Connected for Life, an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded program that provided engagement and enrichment to senior citizens in retirement communities during the lonely height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has helped to network campus GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) staff with other museums and libraries in Eastern Iowa through group educational field trips, strengthening professional bonds and partnerships. She served as president of the ILA/ARCL (the Iowa chapter of the Association of College of Research Libraries) in 2020 and currently serves as co-chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Rare Book and Manuscript Section of the American Libraries Association. In addition, Riordan initiates several pop-up exhibits per year, such as at Lunch with the Chefs on campus, Iowa City Public Library, and more.
And when it comes to interacting with people, Damien Ihrig, curator of the John Martin Rare Book Room at the Hardin Library for Health Sciences added in a letter of support that Riordan “not only understands and supports the needs of our patrons but also connects with the stories and people behind the materials she curates—and she’s always willing to lend a helping hand or be a sounding board for new ideas, whether for instruction, exhibits, or beyond.”
Riordan was formally acknowledged as the recipient of the Benton Award during a staff recognition event in spring 2025.
The Arthur Benton University Librarian’s Award for Excellence is awarded each year to a member of the UI Libraries’ professional staff who has demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership in furthering its mission to serve the university community. In addition to formal recognition, the award includes a grant of $2,000 for professional development that will support Riordan’s research projects or publications related to library services.
The late Dr. Arthur Benton, professor of psychology and neurology at the then-named University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, established the endowment to make this annual award possible.