UW-Madison Libraries

Congratulations to Libraries’ Jessie Nemec and Lee Konrad for their recent UW–‍Madison IT Recognition Awards! The current and former staff members, respectively, received the honors for their dedication and contributions to strengthening the information technology community at UW–‍Madison.

Nemec, Libraries’ web application developer and designer, received the Unsung Hero Award for her leadership in helping the Libraries implement accessibility standards to align with ADA Title II requirements. The success of that project was made possible thanks to her care and collaboration.

“I’m proud to work with so many thoughtful, talented people who really care about making our digital spaces more usable and accessible,” Nemec says.

Konrad, emeritus associate dean for information technology and administration, was awarded this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award after nearly four decades of service at the UW. His legacy is marked by advocating for Libraries’ expertise and seat at every table.

“What stands out to his colleagues most about Lee’s career is not only the scope of what he did, but the way he did it,” said Todd Schechter, chief technology officer at the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), at the May 28 event.

Join us in celebrating Nemec and Konrad in the comments!

In recognition of Frank Lloyd Wright's 159th birthday, we’re taking a stroll through UW–Madison Libraries’ collections to find markers of the famed Wisconsin architect's life, work, and enduring impact.

Born 60 miles northwest of Madison in Richland Center in 1867, Wright is best known as a pioneer in organic architecture, a design philosophy centered on creating a harmonious interplay between manmade structures and their natural environments. His impact looms large across the world, but also in Madison, where his architectural sensibility has come to define neighborhoods and, with the Monona Terrace, even the skyline.

Scroll through and read on to get a glimpse into the iconic Wisconsinite's life and legacy. (Don't forget: You can always find more by visiting UW–Madison Libraries.)

📷 Wright received an honorary degree from his alma mater, UW–Madison, on June 17, 1955. “No honors are sweeter than home-honors,“ the architect wrote to then-UW president E. B. Fred after receiving news of the recognition, according to a 2024 article in On Wisconsin magazine.

📷 A 1930 letter to Albert Gallistel, UW’s superintendent of buildings and grounds, discusses plans for a gathering at Wright’s storied Spring Green estate, Taliesin. “I should like to rise to the dignity of entertaining you but my feet are clay,” the architect wrote in the letter, currently held by UW Archives.

📷 A 1996 artist book created by a UW–Madison art student and held at Kohler Art Library explores the history of the Wright-designed Unitarian Meeting House, which celebrates its 75th anniversary on Madison’s west side this year. The book folds into a triangle, in a nod to the architect’s embrace of the shape that represented structural unity and strength.

On May 20, a group of nearly 20 discophiles from the Madison Record Club took an after-hours spin through Mills Music Library with one goal in mind: Get up close and personal with the Cuca Records Collection.

Cuca Records was an independent record company founded and operated by James Kirchstein from 1959 until the early 1970s in Sauk City, Wisconsin, just a little under 25 miles northwest of the UW–Madison campus. The studio primarily recorded and released polka and ethnic music, but it also issued other musical styles, such as pop, rhythm and blues, folk, and traditional jazz, with most musicians representing Wisconsin or adjacent states.

Led by UW–Libraries' Audio-Visual Preservation Archivist Nate Gibson, the tour gave attendees the rare chance to explore many of the Cuca records 45s and LPs, as well as publishing contracts, pressing orders, and other ephemera from Kirchstein’s collection.

“We didn't expect … the vast other types of items in the archive: documents, recorded conversations between Jim and Lawrence Welk on a wire, a T-shirt from Jim's parents' Kirchstein’s Super Market, puppets made by Madison artist Ken Vogel from Jim's extensive puppet collection, and so much more,” said Jody Berndt, the event’s organizer, adding, “It really gave us a more 3-D view of Cuca.”

Among the attendees were Cuca Records recording artists Marcus Sullivan of the King’s Men Five and Jon Standridge of the Changing Tydes R***e and Bill Allen & the Fugitives, along with Kirchstein’s daughter, Vicki. It was a star-studded group, but the services at Mills Music Library left the attendees equally wowed.

“The overall reaction was one of ‘We had no idea!’ — no idea on so many levels,” said Berndt. “[That includes] the amount of work being done by staff members to archive and transcribe incredibly important collections from Wisconsin and Minnesota; the vastness of the archives held at Mills as a whole, not just the Cuca collection; and the collaborations happening between Mills and organizations like the Numero Group to keep music like Cuca's accessible to new generations."

To explore Mills Music Library yourself — and learn what's in the Cuca Records Collection — check out the Libraries' Locations page: https://www.library.wisc.edu/locations/

When 39 Buddhist scriptures arrived mysteriously at the University of Wisconsin library in 1895, it was the seed of a relationship that would blossom into the creation of the first Buddhist studies program in North America, right here on the UW–Madison campus.

The story of the gifted texts — known as the King of Siam’s edition of the Tipitaka, the first printed Tipitaka in the world — continues today thanks to UW–Madison doctoral student, Napakadol Kittisenee. In fact, he says the Buddhist studies program launched at UW in 1961 was only the beginning of a legacy of learning.

Read about Kittisenee's journey through UW Libraries’ holdings to tell the enduring story of this rare artifact: https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2026/05/15/how-a-rare-buddhist-text-led-to-a-legacy-of-learning-at-uw/

On May 13, Libraries staff from across the UW–Madison campus gathered at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery for a day of connection, gratitude, learning, and even a little magic. Check out some scenes from our annual Staff Appreciation Day.

🧪 The legendary Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri performed a series of chemical demonstrations that inspired oohs and aahs from the crowd.

🎩 James the Magician stumped Staff Appreciation Day chair Christopher Perez with a card trick.

⭐ Libraries staff participated in a series of questions and answers during a speech from Erla Heyns, dean of libraries at UW–Madison.

🪡 A mending workshop was one of many activities coordinated by the Staff Appreciation Day planning committee.

🏆 Some staff also participated in a fierce bout of pub-style trivia. Congrats to first-place winners, Team Hawthorne!