Martha Adeline (Woods) Dirks was born in Newton, Kansas, on July 29, 1922. She graduated from Newton High School in 1940 and married Dr. Arthur W. ("Doc") Dirks (1920-1997) on August 26, 1942, in WaKeeney, Kansas. They couple had three children. She received her Bachelor of Science in Education degree with distinction from Fort Hays State College in 1963 and a Master of Library Science degree from Wayne State University in 1969.

In 1969, she was hired as a librarian at Fort Hays Kansas State College (later Fort Hays State University), where she taught courses in library science and technology as an associate professor. She led the School for Librarianship (later the Information School and the School Library Media Specialist Program) until her retirement in 1992. She also served as the Director of the Rarick Education Instructional Resource Center starting in 1982, which became the largest computer resource facility on campus by the time of her retirement.

She was involved in numerous local and professional organizations throughout her life, including Delta Kappa Gamma, Phi Kappa Phi, and the Kansas Association of School Librarians, in which she served one term as president from 1982 to 1983.

After her retirement, she remained active in in the development of the new WaKeeney Public Library, where she assisted with cataloging and other tasks. In 2002, the WaKeeney Public Library named the Martha Dirks Special Collection Room in her honor. She died in Colorado Springs on May 28, 2009.