Beta ‘Woman of Year’ honor to Kirkpatrick

Kristie Kirkpatrick, director of Whitman County Library, was honored as Woman of the Year by Preceptor Beta Beta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, Colfax.

She was recognized for her community involvement and outstanding service as library system director. The Colfax chapter hosted the annual Founder’s Day dinner at Peace Lutheran Church April 25. Chapters from Pullman, Tekoa-Oakesdale, and Moscow-Troy also participated.

Each Beta Sigma Phi chapter has the opportunity to recognize a woman in the community for her contributions and leadership at their annual Founder’s Day dinner.

Kirkpatrick has been with Whitman County Library for 25 years, serving as director for the last 15 years. During her tenure as director, the main library branch has been remodeled to better serve patrons, and Hayden’s Corner has been developed for children. The Endicott branch has undergone a renovation, and the LaCrosse branch is moving into the newly remodeled LaCrosse Market building. In Malden, the library partnered with an internet provider to provide a library and computing center. St. John partnered with the library to build a brand new city hall, library and soon will add a museum.

The library has also been hard at work on the Rural Heritage Project, digitizing historic photos from Whitman County, which are then sent to the state library for storage and displayed on the WCL website. Friends of the Library has provided critical support for the many projects of Whitman County Library.