From the Dean

Lizabeth (Betsy) Wilson Dean of University Libraries

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

We at the University Libraries are agents of change; we are guardians of the past, with a focus on the future.  Being at the crossroads of a leading research institution, we not only lead change, but anticipate the needs of our users and make the wisest use of resources—staffing, funding and technology—that we can.

Our library shelves have long been filled with published and bound dissertations and theses. These are part of our academic record, and the basis for discovery and creating new knowledge.  What’s important is the content – the ideas and the knowledge—that reside in those pages.  The paper itself is merely the transmitter of knowledge.

In partnership with the Graduate School, Libraries has moved toward digital storage and electronic submission of theses and dissertations for all graduate students. As with any method of publishing scientific, artistic, or literary discoveries, issues are continually being addressed.

I am excited at the prospect of sharing the University’s collective discoveries through an open access model and making this information available to curious minds all over the world. Knowledge is power, and strengthening the infrastructure with the best-available technology furthers the Libraries’ mission of “connecting people with knowledge.”

Best,

Lizabeth (Betsy) Wilson,
Dean of Libraries

* Photo by Cass Redstone