With in-person learning in full swing this spring, the MIT Libraries continued to support the full range of teaching, learning, and research needs of MIT faculty and students – in person, online, and often both. Our physical spaces continued to be some of the most popular spots for MIT community members to gather, collaborate, and study. Library staff also continued to  digitize unique materials for remote use and provide virtual research consultations and other remote services. Our fall MIT Reads talk with Sexual Citizens authors Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan welcomed students for an in-person discussion, while an additional audience of 80 people participated online. Providing robust access to digital collections and remote services, while also maintaining an essential core of physical spaces, collections, and services, has never been more important.

This issue of Bibliotech also provides a balance of the digital and the tangible. Hear from Tina Pappas, head of Discovery and Engagement Platforms, as she talks about our vision for creating a platform for open, equitable digital access to information. Read about the Libraries’ Community Engagement program, which has hit its stride in part thanks to Hayden’s new spaces. Explore messages of thanks from our community that show the impact of both physical library spaces and materials and the digitization services that allow research to continue, wherever our users may be.    

Our vision for libraries commits to maximizing digital access and recognizes the enduring value of physical spaces and materials. In today’s world, it’s critical to provide both, and essential to our ability to support MIT’s core mission. Thank you for continuing to make that possible. 

All my best,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Bourg, PhD