kicks off on Sunday (April 19-25), and to celebrate, we asked , associate professor and program director for the program in the , to share her favorite, lesser known, services and resources that local libraries offer their communities.

“Libraries are so much more than books and audiobooks; though they are two of my favorite perks,” Patin says.

The modern public library, she says, is community infrastructure, as essential to its functioning as roads or schools.

“What strikes me most is that public libraries are one of the few remaining truly public spaces,” Patin says. “Places where you don’t have to buy anything to belong. A teenager doing homework, a job seeker updating their resume, a new immigrant learning English, a senior researching a medical diagnosis, they’re all welcome, and they all get the same quality of professional help.”

The librarians, too, are doing far more than just organizing their collections, Patin says.

“They are trained information professionals who help people find, evaluate and use information in ways that change their lives,” she says. “Librarians don’t just connect people to information: they connect people to each other, to services and to a sense of belonging in their community. That’s not a side function. That’s the whole point.”

Patin says she wants library science students to understand the work they’ll be doing is relational, not just technical, since the best librarians are not just retrieving information. They are building trust, “meeting people where they are, listening deeply and advocating fiercely on behalf of their communities” she says.

Patin says the best way to support your local library and librarians is to use the library “loudly and often.”

“Usage data matters enormously when library budgets are being debated,” Patin says. “Check out books (physical and digital), attend programs, bring your kids, bring your neighbors. Beyond that: advocate. Show up to your local library board meetings. Contact your elected officials and tell them you value library funding.”

Headed into National Library Week, Patin says she hopes people not only appreciate their local library, but take steps to actively protect it, say thank you to a librarian and engage with the materials, programs and services they offer.

Below, Patin shares the five services and resources she wants every community member to know about at their local library.

Park and Nature Passes—Borrowable Like a Book

Cardholders at (OCPL) can to county parks like Beaver Lake Nature Center, Highland Forest, Jamesville Beach and even the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Library patrons can also get New York State Empire Passes for state parks across the state.

“It’s one of my favorite examples of libraries providing access to experiences, not just information,” says Patin.

If OCPL isn’t your local library, don’t worry. Most public libraries offer similar options to check out passes for cultural or natural resources like museums, parks, zoos, aquariums or even theaters. Ask your local librarian!

Makerspaces and Technology Access

It’s not uncommon now to find access to technological tools and makerspaces—collaborative workspaces that offer access to resources like 3D printing, laser cutters or audio/video equipment—at your local library.

“ give community members access to equipment, from 3D printers to adaptive technologies, that most people couldn’t afford on their own,” Patin says. “The Central Library also has a Preservation Lab and specialized adaptive technology resources for people with disabilities. You can also record your next album there!”

A ‘Library of Things’—Not Just Books and Media

While libraries have always been in the business of lending, Patin says that idea has expanded in remarkable ways.

“At Syracuse University Libraries, you can borrow laptops, cameras and other tech gear,” Patin says.

Public libraries around the country have taken the “library of things” even further, lending cake pans, seed libraries for gardeners, musical instruments, tools, board games, sewing machines, telescopes and more to patrons.

“The underlying principle is the same one that has always driven libraries: why should everyone have to own something they only need occasionally?” she says. “Access over ownership is a radical and quietly revolutionary idea, and libraries have been living it for over a century.”

Adult Literacy, GED Preparation and ESOL Programs

Public libraries also remain an important lifeline for adult learners offering a range of educational programming, Patin says.

“OCPL offers adult literacy tutoring, GED/TASC preparation, and English for Speakers of Other Languages programming,” she says. “This is workforce development, family stability and community building happening right at the branch level.”

Programming That Brings People Together

“Libraries are community living rooms: places where things happen, not just places where things are stored,” Patin says.

As such, many libraries run seed swaps, art supply exchanges, maker workshops and language learning circles for their communities. OCPL regularly hosts book clubs, storytimes, author talks, art events and technology help sessions.

“This programming serves every age and stage of life, and it’s all free,” Patin says. “That matters enormously in communities where paid entertainment and enrichment are out of reach for many families.”

is offering an end-of-semester opportunity for students to help others while reducing their library fines. “Food for Fines” will run from Monday, April 20, through the end of the spring semester.

All Libraries patrons with overdue circulation fines can reduce their fines by donating healthy, nonperishable food and hygiene items to the . Donations will be accepted at the circulation desks of Bird, Carnegie, Law, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and King + King Architecture Libraries. Fine reductions exclude interlibrary loan and lost book fees. Even those without library fees are encouraged to donate!

Fines will be reduced by:

• $1 per item for canned beans and vegetables;
• $2 per item for soap, canned fish/soup, single serving cereal or oatmeal, lip balm, pasta, sauce, tissue, toilet paper or toothbrush;
• $3 per item for baked beans, cereal, canned meat/fruit, oatmeal, ramen noodles, rice, shampoo/conditioner or toothpaste;
• $4 per item for granola bars, deodorant, jam/jelly, hot chocolate, peanut butter or tea; and
• $5 per item for coffee or lotion. Contributions should not be open or expired and single-use items are preferred.

Bird Library is a donation point for contributions to the Coach Mac Food Pantry year-round to support its mission to serve individuals who experience hunger, food insecurity and a lack of resources. The Libraries will accept any sealed, non-expired and non-perishable food or personal care items at the first floor checkout desk at Bird Library during regular . Visit the for more information. With questions, email circulation@syr.edu.

The University is once again taking part in “,” the long-running celebration of visual arts organized by CNY Arts that spotlights the creative talents of avocational artists across the region. This year marks the program’s 53rd anniversary.

Active, full-time or part-time faculty and staff who paint, sculpt, photograph, weave, weld or create using a number of other media are invited to submit original work for the campus exhibition, “On My Own Time — Celebrating the Artistic Talents of Syracuse University Faculty and Staff.” The show will be on display at Bird Library from May 28-June 11 during regular library hours.

Artists must by May 15 and be able to submit finished pieces on or before May 28. Colleagues are encouraged to visit the exhibition and vote for their favorite piece in the People’s Choice Award.

A selection panel that includes a CNY Arts representative will also choose standout works to advance to the “On My Own Time Grand Finale,” a five-week exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art running Oct. 3-Nov. 8.

A reception for artists, University colleagues, family and friends will be held Oct. 8. Finale tickets will go on sale in September.

If you have questions or would like to volunteer to assist with the exhibition at Bird Library, email OMOT@syr.edu.

Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) is for the 2027-2028 academic year. The SCRC Faculty Fellows Program supports innovative curricular development that fosters new ideas about incorporating focused use of archives and special collections in pedagogical practice.

Each fellow will receive a stipend, as well as an introduction to SCRC’s collections relevant to their course inquiry, primary source analysis skills, and designing a syllabus that centers activities and assignments that make creative/critical use of archival/special collections materials. Applications are being accepted for the development or revision of a three-credit course to be taught in the Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 semester from any discipline on campus.

SCRC’s primary sources span over 4,000 years—from the 21st century BCE to the 21st century CE—and represent an array of topics and perspectives relevant to the study of human culture and knowledge. They include various formats, from written and printed material, art, architecture and design to music and recorded sound. Engaging with SCRC’s rare and archival collections allows students, faculty and researchers to explore and question historical evidence and testimonies while connecting with the innovative and enduring ways people have communicated, documented their experiences, and recorded personal memories throughout history.

For questions or additional information about the , contact Jana Rosinski, SCRC instruction and education librarian, at jrosinsk@syr.edu.

George Bain G’06, a member of the Library Associates, and William F. Gaske ’72, a member of the Libraries Advisory Board, provided generous funding towards the SCRC Faculty Fellows Program. The original funding for the program was made possible through the generosity of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, which promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions that transmit our cultural heritage. For more information about how to financially support a faculty fellow for the upcoming academic year and beyond, contact David Seaman, University librarian and dean of libraries, at 315.443.5533 or via email at dseaman@syr.edu.

recently announced the spring 2026 recipients of the Orange Innovation Fund, awarding $5,000 grants to a cohort of student inventors and entrepreneurs advancing high-potential ventures across health care, financial technology, consumer products and enterprise software.

The Orange Innovation Fund is designed to accelerate student-led startups beyond the idea stage, supporting founders who have demonstrated meaningful progress through customer discovery, prototyping and early validation.

The fund emphasizes deep research and development work, along with comprehensive proposal development, and recognizes ventures that show strong execution, real-world traction and a clear path toward commercialization. Funding supports critical next steps such as product development, regulatory readiness, pilot testing and go-to-market strategy.

“The Orange Innovation Fund plays a critical role in SU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling student founders to move beyond concept and into execution,” says David Seaman, dean of Libraries and University Librarian. “By supporting ventures at a pivotal stage of development, the fund helps transform promising ideas into scalable businesses with real-world impact.”

Spring 2026 Winners

Celes Buffard ’27 (School of Information Studies) for SecondWave

SecondWave is a financial wellness platform that helps users build personalized roadmaps to manage and grow their finances. The platform combines education, tools and vetted resources to guide users toward financial independence. Funding will support minimum viable product (MVP) completion, user testing, cloud infrastructure and trademark registration, as well as continued customer discovery.

Jayson Bromley (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) for Bromley Bio Med LLC – InDeazy

InDeazy is an integrated incision and drainage device designed to improve efficiency, control and safety in urgent care and emergency settings. Funding will support final design refinement and pilot manufacturing, including engineering updates, simulated workflow testing and Food and Drug Administration pre-submission readiness.

Nicholas Davis ’26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science [ECS]) for Ethyra

Ethyra is an AI-native auto-grading and classroom analytics platform that helps educators save time and better understand student performance. Funding will support MVP completion, a version 1.0 launch and pilot testing at Syracuse University, the University of Washington and Eastside Preparatory School, along with learning management system integration and a study on grading efficiency.

Haley Greene ’26 (Newhouse School of Public Communications) for Miirror

Miirror is a clinically guided, peer-led, tech-enabled platform redefining eating disorder recovery. Offering free, inclusive and stigma-free tools, support circles, crisis resources and therapy matching, the platform connects underserved communities with accessible recovery pathways. Funding will support completion of the MVP, regulatory compliance, technical infrastructure and a campus pilot at Syracuse University.

Ronan Hussar ’26 (Whitman School) for MacroFlow

MacroFlow is an Excel add-in that automates macro creation, saving users significant time and increasing productivity. Funding will support development of secure AI implementation, full local functionality and enterprise-grade validation of macro generation capabilities.

Yasmin Madmoune G ’27 (Whitman School) for Yas Apothecary

Yas Apothecary is a Moroccan-inspired body care brand with a long-term vision of building a cooperative-based production infrastructure. Funding will support equipment upgrades, production scaling, wholesale market entry and supply chain development.

Nathan Brekke ’26 (ECS), G ’27 (Whitman School) and Joshua Varkey ’26 (ECS) for Phloat

Phloat is a magnetically attachable flotation device that deploys to bring a submerged phone back to the surface. Funding will support the first commercial-grade production run, field testing with beta users and development of a scalable manufacturing supply chain. The company has recently filed for a patent.

Jack Venerus ’27 (School of Information Studies) for WingStat

WingStat is a business-to-business platform for aircraft transaction data in the pre-owned business jet market. Funding will support the transition from a no-code MVP to a production-ready platform, including backend infrastructure, authentication systems and automated data workflows.

About the Orange Innovation Fund

The Orange Innovation Fund was initially established through a gift to the Libraries from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill ’98, an alumna, a member of the Board of Trustees and an operating partner at Silicon Valley Quad (an angel investing syndicate). The program is administered through Syracuse University Libraries as a Universitywide initiative, run in collaboration with multiple campus innovation and entrepreneurship programs. Proposal reviewers include entrepreneurial faculty and staff, along with alumni who have come through the ecosystem and are venture founders or in C-Suite roles at leading innovation companies.

Syracuse University Libraries has upgraded its New York Times Digital subscription to New York Times All Access. In addition to News and Cooking, campus authorized users can now access Games, Audio, Wirecutter and The Athletic using their syr.edu email.

New York Times All Access allows University affiliates to stay up to date on the news, get in-depth personalized coverage of sports, explore games and puzzle archives, discover recipes and podcasts, and search consumer product reviews to shop confidently and understand markets.

The New York Times’s homepage, designed to connect journalism with key areas of study for students and faculty, is curated weekly during the school year.

Current campus account holders will see their New York Times access automatically upgraded to All Access at their next login to the app or website. New users can visit the  and follow the instructions to set up their login. Access is available to all current Syracuse University NetID holders with an @syr.edu address.

Heather Hendry, senior paper conservator at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, will present at Syracuse University Libraries’ annual Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation. Hendry’s hybrid lecture, titled , will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 from 3–4:30 p.m. in the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons (Bird Library Room 114) and on Zoom. Registration is required for the Zoom webinar and is encouraged for in-person attendees. Interested attendees can .

A on Dacron lining maps will be held the following day, Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on the 6^th floor of Bird Library in the Antje Bultmann Lemke Seminar Room and the Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68 Conservation Lab. The workshop is limited to 15 people, and advance registration is required. To register for the workshop, please email Max Wagh, SCRC administrative coordinator, at mlwagh@syr.edu.

All events are free to attend and open to the public.

The annual is endowed through a generous gift by William J. ’65, G’ 68 and Joan ’67, G’68 Brodsky. The series features prominent library conservators that promote and advance knowledge of library conservation theory, practice and application among wide audiences, both on campus and in the region.

Hendry specializes in challenging conservation treatments of works of art on paper of all eras. Current projects include conservation of Jacob Lawrence’s Toussaint L’Ouverture paintings; early maps and founding documents of the United States; and a collection of Civil War drawings. She teaches conservation treatment techniques to other conservators, including a “Blackened Lead White” workshop, and has presented and published internationally on conservation of iron gall ink, lead white pigments, historic maps, Asian screens and pressure sensitive tape.

She studied conservation at Queen’s University in Canada, and she has worked as a conservator at the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Yale Center for British Art, the Harvard University Weisman Center and in private practice.  She is a fellow and a professional member of the American Institute of Conservation and will be co-chairing the Art on Paper Discussion Group on “Washing” at the 2026 AIC Meeting.

and the have partnered to launch an , a new self-paced credential designed to help business students evaluate sources, identify misinformation and apply research skills in a professional landscape increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI).

The program, offered in collaboration with the Office of Microcredentials, is open to both Whitman undergraduate and graduate students and encourages the development of core skills in information literacy, which is a crucial competency for academic pursuits, and one that employers also describe as being essential. The skills learned also connect to the University’s of Information Literacy and Technological Agility and Critical and Creative Thinking.

“For Whitman students, the certificate fills a meaningful gap between classroom learning and professional readiness,” says Assistant Director of Experiential Programs Roshawn Kershaw. “It increases a student’s ability to find reliable information, assess its credibility and apply it with confidence. This is important for a business environment increasingly shaped by excess data and AI content. It sets them apart from others before they even realize. The certificate is now available to both undergraduates and graduate students, which means it can meet Whitman students wherever they are in their academic journey, reinforcing skills that will serve them from their first internship to the boardroom.”

To earn the certificate and digital badge, students take online self-paced tutorial modules that introduce them to key information literacy skills and library resources:

• Identifying Bias and Misinformation
• Types of Sources
• Evaluating Information
• Research as Process
• Search Basics, Part 1
• Search Basics, Part 2
• Syracuse Libraries Resources
• Student Guide to AI

“I am so excited to have these online tutorials become an official certificate and digital badge that is now available to both grads and undergrads,” says Librarian for Business, Management and Entrepreneurship Steph McReynolds. “We’ve offered the tutorials as part of the program for years, and students have asked for a certificate to show employers their accomplishments in this area, and now we can provide that digital credential.”

Information Literacy Librarian Kelly Delevan sees this certificate as an excellent template for the development of information literacy badges for other schools and colleges at Syracuse. The certificate is even serving as a model beyond our institution, as a librarian from another university has recently reached out to use the certificate module categories at their own library.

Molly McConnell, a Ph.D. candidate in composition and cultural rhetoric in the (A&S), was selected as the 2026 winner of the prestigious Mary Hatch Marshall Essay Award for her work titled “Working with Microbes: The Collaborative Nature of Techne.”

A&S and the Syracuse University Library Associates will host a on Wednesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. Anyone interested in attending can register by emailing libevent@syr.edu by April 3.

McConnell, this year’s recipient, will receive a $1,000 prize. Her essay explores what it means to consider a domestic, small-scale fermentation practice as a techne. She frames techne as a collaborative effort and questions what that collaboration means for the practice itself as well as the actors involved. McConnell relies on work in the field of more-than-human studies and in the social study of microbes, along with various work on fermentation as a practice, to think about how humans collaborate with microbes and what power dynamics are at play in that situation. This article asks about the temporality and intimacy in the collaboration when fermentation is viewed as techne.

McConnell’s essay was chosen from those submitted by A&S graduate students currently enrolled in African American studies; English; art and music histories; languages, literatures and linguistics; philosophy; religion; and writing studies, rhetoric and composition.

McConnell will be graduating in May. She serves as an editor for , an organization that publishes creative work of people impacted by the carceral system, and she volunteers for .

Professor Mary Hatch Marshall was a founding member of the Library Associates and holds a distinguished place in the college’s history. In 1952, she became the Jesse Truesdell Peck Professor of English Literature —the first woman appointed a full professor in the college— after having joined the faculty four years earlier.

Library Associates established the annual Mary Hatch Marshall Award to honor and help perpetuate her scholarly standards and the generous spirit that characterized her inspirational teaching career, which lasted through her retirement in 1993. Members of Library Associates, Marshall’s friends and family, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and the Central New York Community Foundation all contributed to the endowment, established in 2004, that funds the award.

Library Associates are a group of dedicated Syracuse University Libraries supporters who help to raise funds and accessibility for the Libraries’ special collections, rare books and manuscripts through opportunities like the Faculty Fellows program.

The ten women stand together in the gymnasium, faces serious, hands on their hips. With their shoulders squared, right feet turned in a split stance, their eyes stare into the camera in an unmoving challenge.

That’s the photo that accompanies an April 15, 1895, article titled “Women’s Gymnasium Work” in the University News, describing the activities of the Syracuse women students playing a unique sport on campus—battle-ball.

“We, too, have our college athletics,” the article reads. “You have doubtless heard of the basketball teams of Wellesley, and other women’s colleges; but do you know that in our own University we have two teams of young women, not playing basket-ball but the splendid game of battle-ball? Vigorously do we practice on Tuesday and Thursday of each week, and so expert have we become that we quite belie the accusation that ‘a girl can’t throw a ball.’”

What exactly was battle-ball? According to the , there’s no other information on the game in the library’s collections.

But the article’s author Carrie S. Romer wrote that battle-ball was only “a part of our work in the gymnasium.”

“Our eyes have long since wearied of the statement—or we might almost say epitaph—so often seen in our college papers, ‘Miss — has been obliged to leave college because of ill-health,’ and we have determined that we, the members of the women’s gymnasium classes, will prevent, as far as we can, the possibility of such remarks concerning ourselves,” she wrote. “Hence, two, three, or four times each week we repair to the gymnasium to enjoy our exercises and games.”

A Higher Stakes Game

, professor of history and senior associate dean for academic affairs in the , reviewed the article for Syracuse University Today. She says the piece gives a glimpse of the experience of women attending college in the late 19th century.

Women’s education and college athletics both expanded dramatically in the United States after the Civil War, she says.

“Americans worried that men might become weak without the testing ground of war,” Faulkner says.

There was particular concern at the time about “neurasthenia”—a nervous disorder for both men and women, she says.

“As the article makes clear, there was concern that college might be too mentally (and physically) taxing for women, which could also be an argument to exclude them from education, careers, political and legal rights, etc.,” Faulkner says.

According to the University News article, the women used “traveling rings, horizontal bars and ladders” during those gym sessions in the University’s , which was built in the early 1890s and demolished by 1965.

“We strengthen the various muscles of our bodies, and acquire a courage that we should not have dreamed of possessing a few years ago,” Romer wrote.

In the 1895 article, the students made clear that their exercise wasn’t a chore.

“We should not be college women if we did not mingle a bit of fun with our work, and one of our chief pleasures has been to invent names for our various exercises,” Romer states. “Perhaps you have heard of our ‘gymnastic hop,’ ‘chicken walk,’ ‘ostrich walk’ and ‘flying angel,’ but if you do not know what they are, we invite you to come and see for yourself—if you may. Should you be so unfortunate as to belong to the sex seldom admitted during ‘ladies hours,’ we can give you no better advice than to follow the suggestions given by the names and learn for yourself what we mean.”

Faulkner says the article and accompanying photo make clear the women exercised separately from their male classmates, which is likely why their skirts are shorter. During the 1890s, women’s activities were “severely proscribed” by fashion (corsets and long skirts), modesty and propriety of the Victorian era.

The 1890s saw those standards giving way to the era of the “new woman,” Faulkner says, in which women discarded those restrictions as they embraced sports for the health and social benefits.

“I love the picture because their choice of clothing, especially the short skirts, shows how much athletics challenged the still powerful views that women should be modest,” she says. “Women’s fashion did not allow shorter (above the ankle) skirts for everyday wear until about WWI. Earlier, in the 1850s, women’s rights activists stopped wearing the ‘’ because they were mocked so severely.”

Beyond the Gymnasium

The article that follows the story on battle-ball also focuses on the experience of women in higher education at the time, titled “What is the College Woman Doing in the World?”

“We can hardly imagine a woman who has had the inspiration of four years of college life as going out into the world and leaving behind her all the life and stir that have been hers for four years,” the article by M.S. Coon says.

The second article delves into ways female graduates were making careers for themselves, namely with social activism or social work. Specifically, it mentions women college graduates founding and working in , which functioned as community-based centers in poor neighborhoods.

The two articles, side-by-side, give a clear look at how women on the Syracuse campus were advocating at the time for their own athletics, education and careers after graduation.

“The author and her fellow athletes were asserting their physical health along with their academic capabilities in hopes of creating or advancing post-college opportunities at a time when careers were still very limited for women and most women would still marry and have children,” Faulkner says.

The articles from the University News are housed in the in the University Archives. Anyone can visit the Special Collections Research Center and request to see them.

Syracuse University Libraries is now accepting applications for the Spring 2026 round of the Intelligence++ Ventures initiative, a funding program that supports student innovators working to develop and commercialize solutions that improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

The initiative was launched through a generous gift from Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09 and the Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence. It is designed to help promising student-led ideas move from early-stage concepts toward real-world impact.

“This competitive program is a valuable tool for student innovators to help commercialize products, services and technologies that will help people with intellectual disabilities,” says Zaccai. “It is intended to accelerate the transfer of inclusive and entrepreneurial design research to the marketplace. It will help students create innovations that can be used by early customers, to gather real-world feedback and to accelerate solutions for people who will benefit from their ingenuity. Our goal is to attract students from a wide range of disciplines who are working in multidisciplinary teams.”

Intelligence++ Ventures builds on the success of the that began in fall 2020 at the . The program was created in partnership with the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education’s and the (VPA). Since its launch, Intelligence++ has encouraged students across disciplines to apply inclusive design principles to create products, technologies and services that support individuals with intellectual disabilities.

A cornerstone of the program is the inclusive design research course, which invites students from across campus to imagine and build solutions for people with intellectual disabilities.

The course introduces students to inclusive design and entrepreneurial thinking and provides a framework for developing innovations that are both functional and meaningful to the communities they are intended to serve. Registration for the course is currently open (contact Professor ) for the fall 2026 semester. While participation in the course is recommended for students interested in applying for the Intelligence++ Ventures grants, it is not required.

Submit an Intelligence++ Ventures Proposal

“The Intelligence++ Ventures grants assist student research and entrepreneurial initiatives emerging from the Intelligence++ program in collaboration with other campus innovation partners,” says , Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian. “The program helps move student research in this important area to proof of concept and commercialization.”

Eligible projects may include technological, educational, organizational or other creative innovations designed to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as their families and communities.

Students applying for the grants must identify a specific need related to the discovery, testing, development or launch of a product, service, technology or creative work. Projects may originate from coursework, research labs, independent studies  or other innovation-focused programs across the University.

Applicants are asked to submit a proposal as a single PDF that includes a cover letter outlining the funding request, use of funds, timeline and project milestones. In addition, proposals must include an executive summary describing the problem or opportunity being addressed, the proposed solution and how it works and the customer discovery research that supports the concept.

Proposals should also outline the project’s target market, particularly how the innovation will benefit people with intellectual disabilities or their families, along with any traction achieved to date, the team and advisors involved and the partners needed to move the idea forward.

Students are encouraged to clearly describe the scope of the project they are proposing, including details about any prototype they plan to build, how it will be tested, who will participate in the evaluation process and how results will be measured. Applicants should also outline potential next steps if the prototype and testing prove successful.

Submissions will be reviewed based on several key criteria. Successful proposals will demonstrate innovative research or entrepreneurial projects that have moved beyond the idea stage and show strong potential to become a commercial product, service or technology capable of making a meaningful impact. Reviewers will also evaluate the feasibility of the proposal, the strength of the research and development plan and the quality of the written submission.

In addition, proposals will be assessed on the strength of their commercialization strategy, including a clear product development roadmap and expected outcomes such as prototype development, early sales, additional investment or licensing opportunities. Budgets should be realistic and well researched, demonstrating that grant funding will meaningfully advance the project.

The grant program is administered through Syracuse University Libraries in collaboration with the VPA School of Design and InclusiveU. Additional collaborators include the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the College of Engineering and Computer Science and partners throughout the University’s broader research and commercialization ecosystem.

To submit your proposal or request additional information, contact orangeInnovation@syr.edu.

Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center’s (SCRC) 2026 exhibition, “We Demand!: A Legacy of Activism in America,”  is now open on the sixth floor of Bird Library.

The exhibition includes examples of resistance and perseverance in the form of publications, posters, protest signs, photographs, demands, newsletters and more representing the critical role of activism in challenging injustice and securing greater freedoms in the United States. Exhibition curators are Courtney Hicks, SCRC lead curator and curator of plastics and historical artifacts; Jana Rosinski, SCRC instruction and education librarian and Lindy Smith, SCRC assistant director.

Since the country’s founding, the American people have shaped—and continue to shape—a more just and a fairer future. For decades, SCRC has collected materials related to histories of activism and reform in America that illustrate how advancements in rights were made possible by those who came before. This pursuit and work of individuals and collective groups who have come together to push for change in the face of extraordinary challenges and circumstances is documented within this exhibition.

“We Demand!” is free and open to campus and the broader community and will be on display until December. In concurrence with the exhibition, SCRC will host programming throughout the year, including an exhibition reception on April 23 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the sixth floor of Bird Library.

Syracuse University Libraries’ LaunchPad awarded prizes to several student entrepreneur teams as part of its annual Afropreneurship Celebration and Pitch Competition held in Bird Library on Feb. 6.

The event included a panel discussion featuring student and alumni entrepreneurs, followed by a pitch competition open to student teams across campus. Students pitched in either the Concept/Idea Track, where participants delivered a 90-second pitch on their idea for a chance to win $250-$500, or the Proof of Concept/Prototype/In-Market Track, where participants delivered a 4-minute business pitch and question and answer for a chance to win $1,000-$2,500.

Winning teams in the Concept Track were:

• Yuqian Di ’26 (School of Architecture), founder of ReBoot, won 1^st place ($500). ReBoot is a specialized on-campus service to save students’ winter boots from salt damage through professional restoration, extending the lifespan of expensive footwear.
• Yuxin Chen ’26 (School of Architecture), founder of PlateMap, placed 2^nd and was awarded $250. PlateMap is a visual meal-mapping system that eliminates decision fatigue by aligning food planning with a user’s actual schedule to make healthy, cost-effective eating effortless.

Winning teams in the In-Market Track were:

• Edouard Agbor G’26 (School of Information Studies), founder of GritGateway won 1^st place ($2500). is an ethical human-centered AI-powered global opportunity platform with active users across 20+ African countries that helps ambitious African students turn their life stories into verified profiles of grit, resilience and potential that universities can trust.
• Imaad Maqsood ’29 (College of Arts & Sciences), founder of Upstate Pressure won 2^nd place ($1500). Upstate Pressure is a residential and commercial pressure washing service that restores and protects exterior surfaces such as concrete walkways, driveways, decks, siding, fences, patios and more.
• Dylan Bardsley ’26 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Clarity won 3^rd Place ($750). Clarity is a transparent, AI-powered platform that instantly gives students clear, hyper-personalized credit card recommendations.
• Naheem Cadiz III ’28 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Coveted won 4^th place ($250). Coveted is a mobile fashion marketplace app designed for independent and emerging clothing brands and the consumers who discover them.

Syracuse University Libraries has a new collection of loanable items, referred to as its “Library of Things,” available for borrowing from the check-out desk in Bird Library.

This collection offers recreation, home goods, career and presentation, wellness and academic support items to the University community. Some items are reservable and others will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. A is available online, and a flip book at the check-out desk is also available for perusing. To make a suggestion for future items for borrowing, complete this .

New items in the collection include:

• Button maker
• Crochet kit
• Crochet needles
• Display easel
• Folding utility cart
• Garment bag
• Ghost hunting kit
• Kan Jam 2
• Glue gun
• Karaoke machine
• Knitting kit
• Knitting needles
• Leather portfolio
• Portable air compressor
• Portable Cornhole game
• Sewing kit
• Sewing machine
• Steamer
• SU necktie
• Toolbox
• USB fan

This new collection is made possible through the Libraries’ Staff Innovation Fund and a generous donation from Libraries Advisory Board member Laurence G. Bousquet G’80.

Go back in time with this selection of historic images from the . The photos capture the evolution of the campus, student life and the community that has defined the University through the years.

To learn more about materials and photos in the University Archives, part of the in the , visit its .