Rock Springs resident library “Outstanding Hero” award winner

October 21, 2021 — Rock Springs resident Jana Pastor has received the Outstanding Hero award from the Wyoming Library Association. The award recognizes an outstanding person or group whose hard work has made a difference to a Wyoming Library within the last two years.

Pastor was nominated for the award by Lindsey Travis, assistant director for the Sweetwater County Library System, for her work designing, raising funds, and recruiting volunteers to create the Children’s Discovery Center at the Rock Springs Library. Pastor raised more than $100,000 in cash and donations for the project. 

Travis wrote the following in nominating Pastor for the award:

In what way are they exceptional?

Jana Pastor designed, raised funds, and recruited volunteers to create the Children’s Discovery Center at the Rock Springs Library.  Because of her vision and tireless work, the library system and people of Sweetwater County have an outstanding space to learn, explore and have fun. Jana’s vision, volunteerism, and commitment added something unique to our library system and our community that would not have been possible without her!

What specifically did this person or group do?

Jana had a vision that she made a reality. In the summer of 2019, she came to the library system with an idea for a children’s museum in Rock Springs. She thought it would be a great partnership with the library and a way to add value to the Rock Springs Library. We agreed that it fit perfectly into the library and the library’s mission, specifically “to improve the quality of life in our communities” and “encouraging a lifelong joy reading and learning for all, especially children.”