The University of Iowa Libraries honored two staff members with new awards in spring 2025. The recipients were selected by a committee, which reviewed nominations submitted by Libraries colleagues, and recognized during an awards reception.
Kevin Storey
Distinguished Service Award
As a collections and delivery assistant at the Libraries , Kevin Storey plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the Libraries and exemplifies initiative, collaboration, and a service mindset. According to his nominator, Storey is an outstanding ambassador for the Libraries and consistently goes above and beyond, demonstrating a friendly, respectful, and compassionate demeanor in all his interactions with colleagues and community partners.
In addition, Storey’s commitment to customer service is evident in his dedication to ensuring smooth and prompt deliveries and transport of materials, which are essential for many library services. His reliability and effective communication have earned him the trust and appreciation of departments across the Libraries. For instance, his teamwork, dedication, and assistance with several exhibit projects in the Main Library Gallery have been invaluable.
The Distinguished Service Award celebrates a Libraries Merit staff member recognized by their peers who shows initiative, promotes a service mindset, values collaboration, and demonstrates respectful and inclusive behavior. The recipient leads by example, is compassionate, and champions opportunities, making a difference to their colleagues, their work, or community.
Katie Peterson
Early Career Award
According to her nominator, Katie Peterson has demonstrated exceptional accomplishments through competency, initiative, and creativity qualities in her first professional librarian position at the Libraries. She serves as a metadata librarian and electronic resources cataloger and her primary responsibility has been managing electronic resources.
Within Peterson’s first year, she fully cataloged and made available electronic books and streaming videos, reorganized collections to improve user access, and de-duplicated bibliographic records, which significantly enhanced the discoverability of Libraries electronic collections. During summer 2024, she updated the majority of streaming video titles to include more accurate language and accessibility information, and her work even influenced a vendor to adopt more inclusive subject headings.
In 2023, Peterson volunteered as the first chairperson of the Libraries’ MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging) Working Group, refining its responsibilities and guidelines while collaborating effectively with long-standing colleagues. Since February 2024, she has co-chaired the New Hires Interest Group, fostering a welcoming environment for new employees.
The Early Career Award celebrates a Libraries Professional and Scientific staff member recognized by their peers for demonstrated exceptional accomplishment(s) through competency, initiative, and creativity. This award is for early career professional Libraries staff members and mirrors the Arthur Benton University Librarian’s Award for Excellence.