We might not know it by the weather, but fall is fully upon us and it’s been truly amazing to see how busy you all are, and how strongly our academic community has responded to the openness and quality of our spaces and our exceptional programming. I think I’ve counted no less than three international conferences hosted by someone in the Library within a 30-day window!

The busyness will continue and maybe even intensify in October. Among our milestones will be one to celebrate the Library’s 15 millionth volume. Our exceptional collection is, rightfully, a source of great pride to us all, and I look forward to the conversations we continue to have about their future.

Speaking of futures, please hold 3-5pm on October 24 and plan to join us, in person or via Zoom, for the annual visit from the Provost’s office. The planning team has just convened its first meeting and we will share much more about the visit soon, but I’m thrilled that this year, the format will be more of a college showcase, which is an excellent opportunity to help give our new Provost, John Coleman, a sense of the depth and breadth of our programs, collections, and services.

As always, thank you for all you do. Since cold and flu season is fully upon us and there has been an uptick in COVID cases, please take particular care to look out for yourselves and your loved ones. Good work/life balance is particularly important when there are extra stressors like that, so take good care and be well.

Claire Stewart
The Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian