A great privilege of working at MIT is seeing how the Institute serves as a launch pad for new generations of scholars, researchers, leading thinkers, and problem-solvers. At the MIT Libraries, everything we do to increase access to information is driven by our mission to empower and inspire humanity. This issue of Bibliotech offers several examples:

• For two years, the MIT Prize for Open Data, presented jointly by the Libraries and the School of Science, has recognized MIT-affiliated researchers who use or share open data, create infrastructure for open data sharing, or theorize about open data. The prize is aimed at trainees to encourage open data practices with the next generation. As the 10 winning projects from 2023 demonstrate, the future looks very bright.
• In this issue, Sylvia Figueroa-Ortiz shares her experiences as our inaugural MIT Libraries-ACRL Diversity Alliance Administrative Fellow. Through mentorship with Associate Director Alexia Hudson-Ward and contributions to our Community Engagement program, Sylvia gained firsthand experience of leadership in practice, equipping her to succeed as an upcoming academic library leader.
• The goals of our Women@MIT archival initiative are manifold – to elevate the work of marginalized individuals, to provide rich resources for researchers, and to enhance understanding of the history of science and technology. Hopefully these stories will also “encourage more women to become engaged in science, technology, and engineering,” in the words of Shirley Sontheimer, whose generous gift helped launch the initiative.

Your support allows the Libraries to impact generations to come and to continue to supply one of the greatest resources a library can provide: inspiration. Thank you.

All the best,

 

 

 

 

Chris Bourg
Director of Libraries