Kenneth Spencer Research Library

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 Centennial Newby, who joined Spencer Research Library in August 2025 as a Public Services Associate.

Where are you from?

I am a lifelong Midwesterner! I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, but throughout my childhood, I came to Lawrence regularly to visit my older sister (who is also a librarian!) and fell in love with the town. I ended up going to KU for my undergraduate degree, stayed through graduate school, and have lived here ever since. Lawrence is truly a special place and I’m proud to call it home. 

What does your job at Spencer entail?

As a Public Services Associate at Spencer, I’m a sort of jack of all trades. I staff our Reading Room desk multiple times a week, assist with answering our reference emails, tackle reproduction requests, create digital exhibits, and offer an extra set of hands with our classes & events. There’s something new every day!  

How did you come to work in libraries/archives/special collections?

I knew I wanted to be a librarian from a very young age. I was always a bookish library kid – my parents took us to our public library weekly to check out an exorbitant number of books. To me, there was nothing more magical than sharing this treasure trove of stories for free, and that sense of gratitude & wonder for libraries has stayed with me. I started my career in libraries at the one and only Lawrence Public Library in the Youth Services Department as an assistant in both the children and teen areas before eventually becoming the Teen Services Librarian. While my origin story is with public libraries & I loved my time there, it’s been incredible to start a new adventure at a special collections library like Spencer!  

What part of your job do you like best?

My favorite part about my job is going down a research rabbit hole for a reference question. Some folks might think otherwise, but there’s nothing like the thrill of the chase for an obscure reference or a long-thought-lost document! Even something as simple as connecting families to a great-grandmother’s KU yearbook photo brings me a lot of joy. I love being the connecting point between our patrons and our vast sea of archival material.

What is one of the most interesting items you’ve come across in Spencer’s collections? 

There are so many unique items in our collections, but the one that sparked the most joy was this absolutely delightful photo I came across while looking at a 1910 family photo album / scrapbook from the Jane Comstock Clarke collection. The photos are mostly of the human members of the family, but there is one photo of a kitten wearing a monocle, posed at a desk with a book as if the sweet furry baby can read. Upon discovery, I immediately showed it to practically every coworker in the building – how could I not? And now, I share this joy with you! 

What do you have on your desk?

I try to keep my desk itself pretty bare bones, but on my corkboard I have: 

• Postcards from our sister institution, the Spencer Museum of Art, featuring art from Konoike Tomoko & their current exhibit of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani 
• Practice medieval calligraphy from an event hosted by Digital Humanities Librarian John McEwan in collaboration with our Makerspace 
• A bookmark from the Poison Book Project which has color swatches to help identify the distinct pigment of bright emerald green used in 19^th century bookmaking 
• A reproduction of a cyanotype photograph of the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot from the early 20^th century, which featured in my recent short-term exhibit on the building & its dedicated decade-long preservation campaign. 

What are some of your favorite pastimes outside of work? 

I am, of course, an avid reader, mostly of the historical and fantasy genres. (Currently reading Moonbound by Robin Sloan.) Sparked by playing Animal Crossing during the pandemic with the rest of the world, I developed a love for cozy video games – although these days I prefer indie gems. Less frequently but still passionately, I love all things crafty, especially fiber art. But as we head into summertime, you’ll most often find me picnicking at Lone Star Lake or on the pickleball courts in North Lawrence! 

Centennial Newby
Public Services Associate

In 1984, the Union Pacific Railroad (UPR) made the decision to abandon its Union Pacific Depot in Lawrence and announced that they would demolish the building due to potential liabilities. The Depot had once been a shining gateway to Lawrence, with a tall steeple and busy railway line, but in the years prior, the passenger service had been discontinued, and the Depot building itself had fallen into disrepair. 

Lawrence residents swiftly jumped into action to campaign for the preservation of the building. Citizens from the recently formed Lawrence Preservation Alliance, fresh of the success of their first project to save a historic home at 947 Louisiana St, jumped into action to preserve this Lawrence landmark. Members from the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, University of Kansas Rowing Club, and other concerned citizens banded together to form the “Save the Depot Task Force.” With the original plan to use the Depot as a headquarters for the rowing team, they were able to negotiate with the UPR to stall the demolition and began coordinating and raising funds for potential restoration. 

There was one sticking point: the UPR was unwilling to permit the Depot to stay in its current location due to the building’s proximity to the railway line. With no other options, the Save the Depot Task Force began its “Move It or Lose It” campaign. The group hired a contractor to conduct a study to see if it would be possible to move the entire building in either one or two pieces on a hydraulic lift to a nearby lot. 

After years of negotiation and much back and forth, in 1990 the UPR agreed to let the Depot stay where it was, with the provision that the City of Lawrence would provide a protective iron fence protecting the building from the railway tracks. In the end, the UPR sold the Depot to the city for $1. 

Renovations began under architect John Lee officially in 1991, with construction happening in three phases & ongoing fundraising assistance from the “Save the Depot” task force. The Union Pacific Depot was officially rededicated as a community center in 1996. 

Learn more about the restoration of Lawrence’s Union Pacific Depot at our short-term exhibit in Spencer’s North Gallery! The exhibit is free and open to the public in the North Gallery through March 31, 2026. 

Centi Newby
Public Services Associate