The gift of discovery
October 29, 2026
Author: Jeremy Gustafson
For Wil Tabb and Vera Dauffenbach, supporting the University Library is a way to share the wonder and curiosity that shaped their lives
Wiil Tabb and Vera Dauffenbach know the drill. When they take their grandchildren to the library, a search for one book rarely yields just one book. A trip to find information about a favorite athlete leads to unexpected discoveries on nearby shelves.
Dauffenbach has a word for it: serendipity.
“They might be looking for one thing, a book about baseball,” she explained. “And right next to it is a book about something else that they are curious about.”
Watching those moments brings the couple joy — not only because they share a lifelong love of learning with their grandkids, but also because they see the next generation developing the same curiosity that has shaped their lives and inspired their support of the Iowa State University Library.
Lifetime of love
For more than 50 years, Tabb and Dauffenbach have built a life together — a partnership that has weathered joys and hardships while remaining grounded in a commitment to learning and generosity. Their love of libraries began long before they met.
As a sixth grader, Tabb’s local library needed help putting books back on shelves and keeping the area clean. The job paid 25 cents an hour. The real payoff was the discovery.
“I looked at every book we had there,” Tabb remembered. “I said, Wow, I don’t know anything about that. That might be something fun to learn about.”
For Dauffenbach, libraries were woven into everyday life. Her mother wanted to be a librarian. “Reading was always a part of my life,” Dauffenbach said.
They married in 1975 and never lost their love of learning. They have at least one library card from every community they’ve lived in. At points early in their marriage, those cards felt like all they had.
Making ends meet
Tabb and Dauffenbach met in 1969 while both were attending Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their parents came of age during the Great Depression, and after saying ‘I do’ the newlyweds didn’t have much besides a shared commitment to living within their means.
Shortly before their ceremony, Dauffenbach’s mother gave the couple advice that would become a guiding principle: You will have everything you need, some of what you want, and you will learn to know the difference.
Tabb took it to heart. He bought a pencil and notebook and tracked every nickel they spent.
“We came to see how you manage money and match what you make to what you want,” Tabb said.
As they built their lives together, both pursued careers centered on service. The couple moved to Des Moines in 1976, where Dauffenbach, already a registered nurse, joined the faculty at Grand View College. Tabb preached at area congregations while pursuing a master’s degree in history at Iowa State. When he graduated in 1981, he began a full-time ministry career and taught locally as an adjunct college professor.
“Iowa State played a very important role in my life,” Tabb said. “It helped me learn to be a better teacher.”
Iowa State broadened Tabb’s intellectual interests and a curiosity that sparked years earlier was reignited at Parks Library.
“The library was a wonderful complement to what I was doing,” he said. “I enjoyed the discovery, the wonder that I had there.”
One memory that stands out: while browsing through journals Tabb stumbled upon a United States Naval publication named Proceedings. It was unrelated to his studies, but he remembered stories from his father’s military service. Drawn in by his family’s connection, he found himself immersed. The experience embodied what he loves most about libraries — the introduction to ideas he didn’t know he was searching for.
“Libraries are not a place to learn answers,” Tabb said. “They’re a place to learn questions.”
