Meet the KSRL Staff: Kate Stewart
This is the latest installment in a recurring series of posts introducing readers to the staff of Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Today’s profile features Kate Stewart, who joined Spencer Research Library in August 2025 as the Curator of the Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements.
Where are you from?
I was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and when I was five, we moved to Merriam, Kansas, where I spent the rest of my childhood. Since I left at 18 for Vassar College, I have moved around a lot all over the country. Most recently, I was living in Tucson and before that, Washington, D.C. It is really great to be back in the area that I think of as home! My older brother and a lot of my high school friends went to KU, so I have many fond memories of hanging out in Lawrence in the ‘90s. Fun fact: I went to Day on the Hill for the first time in 1993 when I was in 8th grade! Unfortunately, that was the year after the infamous Pearl Jam show, but I did get to see MU330 and many other bands in Lawrence.
How did you come to work at Spencer Research Library?
I have been working in archives for almost twenty years, mostly in temporary positions that focused on political and oral history collections. When I saw this job posting, I knew it was my dream job. Not only is it exactly the kind of work I want to do, but I also have been wanting to move back to the area for the past few years. I feel incredibly lucky to be here every day.
What does your job at Spencer entail?
I’m the Curator of the Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements, which has a large number of books, ephemera, and manuscript collections related to left- and right-wing movements in the United States. In particular, it is the premier archive for researchers studying right-wing extremism and one of the only ones in the U.S. that collects that kind of material. My primary job duty is to acquire new items and collections in this area, which means I get to shop online for rare books and ephemera and work with people interested in donating their personal and organizational collections to the Spencer Library. I will also be teaching instruction sessions related to the Wilcox collection for KU classes and researching stories about how politics and libraries are interconnected.
How did you come to work in libraries/archives/special collections?
My mom, aunt, and grandfather were all librarians, so I grew up hanging out in libraries quite a bit, especially when I was in college. After getting a master’s in history at the University of Iowa, I decided to get my master’s degree in library and information science there too and join the family business. As a student, I got to work at the Iowa Women’s Archives, which was a terrific first job for me in this field. From there, I have had many different jobs (including five temporary ones) in archives or libraries, including the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the U.S. Senate, and the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. I have also worked as a freelance writer, ghostwriter, and editor for many years as well, which has been a great joy.
What part of your job do you like best?
Walking through the building, especially the stacks, when I’m alone and it’s dark. I always feel like I’m in the suspenseful part of a horror movie, and it’s quite an adrenaline rush. But when it comes to my actual job duties, I really love working with students. It’s so much fun to blow their minds about what we have at the library and that it’s all here for them.
What do you have on your desk?
I have some duplicate zines from the collection Spencer acquired from the Solidarity Library, including one titled Winning Office Politics Quickly that has been making me laugh. I have a lot of books from Watson Library about the FBI for an article I’m working on about the scandalous publication of Max Lowenthal’s book on the FBI in 1950, which I have been wanting to write for many years. I have also started bringing in ephemera from my own past to decorate my office, and I am glad to get some of it out of my moving boxes and into a good home.
What is one of the most interesting items you’ve come across in Spencer’s collections?
While looking at zines for classes that are coming in this semester, I came across a famous one called Sniffin’ Glue. It was created in 1977 in London by Mark Perry, a punk fan and musician. It has some really great illustrations and photos from that time of bands like the Ramones and the Clash.
What are some of your favorite pastimes outside of work?
A lot of my life outside of work is consumed by reading about politics and participating in political organizations, although I don’t know if I should call that a pastime since it isn’t exactly enjoyable a lot of the time, especially these days. When I really want to relax, I take a long hike or go to a baseball game (I am a Royals and Nationals fan). I am also an obsessive music fan (and musician) and love to play card games.
Kate Stewart
Curator of the Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements
Tags: About Us, Behind the Scenes, Careers in Libraries, Kate Stewart, Meet the Staff, Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements