What a year this has been! Perhaps it is the coming spring and the knowledge that winter weather will soon be a thing of the past, but I do sense a feeling of optimism among students, staff, faculty and WSU administrators. The last year has been distressing for a number of reasons. Yet I remain all the more proud to be part of a profession that values accurate, rich, timely and well-organized information. And to witness how those values have been applied during these unprecedented circumstances that have involved a global pandemic, extreme political unrest and continuing racial strife. It has been gratifying to learn how librarians and other information professionals have rallied to keep their own clientele and the general population informed about the current medical crisis, politics and social justice issues as well as to ensure that their professional information services continue even while working remotely.

Some of the kinds of initiatives I've seen include:

• Resources about COVID-19 that cover general information about the virus, its symptoms, etc., but also supporting documentation about health care facilities, testing, mental health resources, statistics, and literature, both consumer-oriented and scientific;
• Initiatives to help organizations of all kinds deal with remote work and schooling;
• Programs in colleges and universities to help libraries -- and other kinds of institutional infrastructures -- work with students, faculty and staff to adapt to vastly changed instructional and support environments; and
• The establishment of support systems in libraries, library consortia, library systems and institutions to help library faculty, librarians, staff and student employees continue to provide services to their constituents and to provide positive ways of accommodating their own ways of managing work remotely.

I remain optimistic that our field, in all of its facets, will continue to serve in a multitude of extremely positive and resourceful ways as the world works through this period. If you or librarians (or institutions) you know have had some particular successes, I would enjoy hearing about them very much (tom.walker@wayne.edu) and I have no doubt that many of you have been handling these circumstances with humility, professionalism and grace.

In the School of Information Sciences, we have continued to expand our services remotely, working even harder than before. For many years, we have been teaching courses online, working with student services online, and carrying out administrative functions through email and virtual meetings. We continue those approaches and have been happy to work with others at Wayne State who are relatively new to online instruction or working remotely. I am impressed daily with the dedication of the school's staff, faculty and students. I am aware of some of the struggles of current students (and faculty and staff) and have some challenges of my own. We all do.

The university has designated February 18, 2021, as a Mental Health Day. The purpose of this day is to allow the Wayne State community time to focus on their health and emotional well-being during these challenging times, connect with fellow Warriors, and learn more about the resources available to help them cope and thrive. Please take advantage of the various resources offered by the university, whether dealing with medical concerns, time management, mental health, or reflection and self-care. Find the university's mental health resources here.

Please take advantage of the contacts you make with faculty and staff here in SIS. Please do contact us, even if it is just to informally check in. Best wishes for the remainder of the Winter term and look forward to some relief in the coming months!

- Tom Walker
Associate Dean, School of Information Sciences