UVA Today is highlighting the winners of the 2013 Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Awards, the highest U.Va. honor staff members receive for their dedicated service to the University. Today: Kimberly Marshall from U.Va.-Wise. To see all of the stories, click here.

Patrons of the John Cook Wyllie Library at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise think of Kimberly Marshall when they hear the words “interlibrary loans.”

The Norton resident and recipient of a 2013 Leonard Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Award has been handling the interlibrary loan program at the College at Wise for nearly 30 years. She took on some of the duties when first hired in the fall of 1984 and assumed full-time responsibility a few years later.

“I guess you can say I am the Interlibrary Loan Department,” she said. “I’m the only one who works in the program, but I have backup when I need it.”

Associate history professor Brian McKnight, one of the people who nominated Marshall, said it is difficult at smaller colleges to gather the books and articles necessary for students and professors to do their work, especially for a campus that is located far away from Richmond and other urban areas. Marshall makes it possible, he said.

“She has earned a reputation as devoted to providing excellent customer service to library patrons and has demonstrated a commitment to giving the best possible interlibrary loan service,” he wrote in the nomination letter. “People like Kim guarantee that our institution continues to thrive in the face of modern challenges.”

Marshall said she has enjoyed her years at Wise and her work with faculty and staff, but her interaction with students makes it fun.

“Being around the students is such a treat,” she said. “We have a diverse group of students, and I enjoy getting to know them. They keep me young.”

Getting attached to many of the 2,100 students on campus can be bittersweet as commencement nears, she said.

“It is always sad to see them go, but many come back to visit or send postcards,” Marshall said.

When not working in the library, Marshall loves to spend time outdoors. She enjoys cultivating a small vegetable garden and working in her flowerbeds. However, on the spur of the moment, Marshall and her husband, Montie, enjoy taking motorcycle trips.

“When we ride, we don’t have a care in the world,” she said.

Winning the Sandridge Award was a surprise. “I was shocked when I found out,” she said. “I never dreamed that it would happen in a million years.”

Each year, one classified staff member at U.Va.-Wise is selected to receive the award along with colleagues from the University of Virginia. Letters of nomination are accepted from faculty and staff, and an awards committee selects the winners.