[The Dean's Update is a reoccurring column introducing the Libraries' monthly newsletter In Circulation.] In recent months it seems that more and more people are bringing to my attention their new discovery that 'libraries must really be changing.' They ask me to have coffee, seeking my impressions of what goes on in libraries or sharing newspaper articles, blog posts or other communications. For those of us in the midst of the change, this isn't news, it is simply a continuation of our work. Libraries have seen many changes over the years and we continue to project what drives the need for change and to make sense of transformations that occur.

[The Dean's Update is a reoccurring column introducing the Libraries' monthly newsletter In Circulation.] Anniversaries provide us with an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate milestones. They become significant when shared among those most affected by their impact and when they disclose new insights. Next Friday, the Libraries will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of William Walsh Hagerty who served as Drexel's president from 1963 to 1984. While Dr. Hagerty's birthdate falls during a particularly busy day of commencement exercises, we hope members of our community, visiting parents, families, and friends will be able to join some of the festivities on Friday, June 10th from 1 - 2:30 p.m. in W. W. Hagerty Library. The event will feature a talk, an exhibit, and a custom Cake Boss cake in the shape of the Hagerty Library building. For more information, please visit our event listing.

Access to information is a public good. It enables us to make informed decisions and improve lives. On a global level, communities that have timely and relevant information are better positioned to take advantage of the economic, social, and educational opportunities that access can provide. At Drexel, access to authoritative information and strengthening the community's ability to use it, position the University to improve economic growth, strengthen civic engagement and add to the world's knowledge. Worldwide, libraries are trusted institutions that reinforce and strengthen communities. By first preserving and organizing information, libraries have created places for people to access knowledge. But, libraries go beyond ensuring access to information. They guide people to find information to make better-informed decisions to improve their lives, which subsequently makes for a better society.

[The Dean's Update is a column introducing each issue of the Libraries' monthly e-newsletter In Circulation.] Recently President Obama nominated Carla D. Haden for the position of Librarian of Congress. The action likely went unnoticed by many watchers of this year's political theater, but for a minute it shed light on libraries during diverse speculations about their future. Reflecting on the country's oldest federal cultural institution poses the mind-boggling question of what it takes to lead the largest library in the world. I do not presume to know what the 'right stuff' is, but thought some of our readers might be interested to put academic libraries with which they are more familiar, in context against our country's--and the world's--leading research enterprise.

[The Dean's Update is a column introducing each issue of the Libraries' monthly e-newsletter In Circulation.] To start the New Year, students and faculty returned from the holiday break to find two newly defined library spaces that continue the Libraries' efforts to create learning environments for exploring information and data. One is in Hahnemann Library, while the other is in W.W. Hagerty Library's Bookmark Cafe, and both can be visited by members of Drexel's community.