Welcome to a New Semester

The past six months have been unlike any that most of us have ever experienced, and as ODU Libraries strive to enrich the academic research and learning experiences of the Monarch community, the challenges brought on during 2020 have provided us with a lifetime's worth of raw material for study, all while at an intersection of health, commerce, politics, history, and justice. To contribute to collectively reimagining and remaking our institutions and community, the Libraries will approach the new academic year by sharpening our focus on applying core principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion across our operations and services. We will center them at the heart of our conversations and actions.

President Broderick and Provost Agho have recently called on us to remain strong this semester in our stand against racial injustice and violence. The pressures and responses vary with the individual, but, undoubtedly, we feel the impact one way or another. I encourage you to make ODU Libraries' resources, expertise, and spaces part of that effort to develop understanding, community, and a more equitable and just society.

This is our way of making a difference!

Stuart Frazer,

Interim University Librarian