Copley Connects Fall 2025 / Spring 2026

of his story was his recounting of the number of live soldiers with whom he flew to Vietnam, and the number of departed soldiers who accompanied the handful who flew home together. Finally, Joshua Lewis, a 22-year-old medically discharged veteran, shared his experiences of his aggressive recruitment by the Marines and his experiences in training exercises which led to his injuries. Following their

Dr. Kathryn Statler, History Department, in conversation after the presentation with (L to R) Joshua Lewis, Barry Ladendorf, and Gary Butterfield

presentations, the three men answered questions and comments from members of the audience for about a half hour before the conclusion of the event, after which they remained in Copley to speak with audience members well into the evening. Copley Library is proud to partner with the History Department in hosting these veterans each year, and we eagerly look forward to the next event.

UDEM and USD Sign Sister Libraries MOU By Alma Ortega, PhD , Research and Instruction Librarian

After four years of meeting via Zoom and later in person at various American Library Association Annual summer conferences (Chicago 2023, San Diego 2024, and Philadelphia 2025), this past January 26, 2026, Dean Theresa S. Byrd and Director Liliana Briones signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) ensuring five years of future collaborations between the University of San Diego (USD) Copley Library and the University of Monterrey (UDEM) Library. On the day of the signing, Copley Library faculty and staff, who had traveled to Monterrey for the signing ceremony and to visit the campus, had a packed day of activities at UDEM. Well before the signing of the MOU, Copley faculty and staff

L to R: Dean of the USD University Library Theresa S. Byrd and UDEM Library Director Liliana Araujo Briones). Photographer: Alma Ortega

toured the university, including their temporary library location, as well as a glimpse at the new space, currently undergoing renovation, which will open later this year. The new library at UDEM will offer increased meeting spaces for students and more space for collection growth. A highlight of the UDEM visit was a thorough walking tour of the “Gate of Creation,” a brutalist style building, designed by the world renowned self-taught Japanese architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize, Tadao Ando. After the campus tour, representatives from both libraries regrouped in the temporary library to witness the signing of the Sister Libraries agreement between UDEM and USD. After lunch the two libraries’ faculty and staff gathered for a fruitful exchange of ideas session and ended the day with an informal chat with the architects who redesigned the new UDEM library. It wasn’t all business in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon however. Library personnel also had the opportunity to

Copley Library staff pictured in front of the original government building of the Ayuntamiento de Monterrey (Left to right: V. Dozier; Catherine Paolillo; Alex Moran, Dean Byrd, and Alma Ortega). Photographer: Joel Ramirez, Tour Guide.

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