From the Director

photo of Steve Gass, Interim Director of the Libraries

Steve Gass, Interim Director of the Libraries

The arrival of fall in New England is always a special time of year. The days turn cooler, the nights crisper, and the light accentuates the changing colors. It also signals a new beginning at MIT. Each year at this time a new class of students joins the MIT community, committed to inquiry and discovery, bringing a renewed sense of enthusiasm to this special place. This year’s annual sense of renewal has special meaning for the Libraries as we have embarked on a number of renewal initiatives ourselves. Maybe most obvious to you is that we’ve given the Bibliotech newsletter a new, fresh design that reflects the energy and vitality of what’s going on in the Libraries, and presents our latest news, events, and activities in a visually pleasing format. This also coincides with a redesigned library website launched this summer. The website enhancements, informed by focus groups, interviews, and usability testing, greatly improved the site’s ease-of-use, look, and mobile accessibility.

But what might have the most significance in the long run, is the exciting new project to develop a plan for a phased renovation of Hayden Library and create design concepts for further improvements in both Barker and Rotch Libraries. More details on this can be found inside this issue.

You will also find detailed inside the progress we’ve made to date with the rich and large archive of Noam Chomsky, the unveiling of our new Digital Sustainability Laboratory, and the work we’ve been doing to contribute to campus wellness through our therapy dog program. And you will find a profile of the newest member of our senior leadership team.

The work the Libraries do wouldn’t be possible without the strong support of the MIT administration, MIT faculty and students, and our loyal donors. As is our tradition in the fall issue of the Bibliotech, we acknowledge all the wonderful people who have been generous to us over the past year. We also highlight the exceptional generosity of two of our most prominent donors — Andrea and Gary Gregory. So please enjoy this issue, and let me know what you’re thinking about our renewal efforts and the Libraries at MIT.

Steven Gass
Interim Director of the Libraries
617–235–7058
sgass@mit.edu