In a mixed celebration of the potential of the future and in memorial of the altered past, the Reading Room is reopening to the public under the theme Metamorphosis. Oftentimes this term conjures images of caterpillars emerging from their cocoons with ornate wings as butterflies, and such transition is acknowledged as an inevitably positive and beautiful occurrence, but metamorphosis is not limited to this definition.

When something changes from one state to another, there is an amount of uncertainty, also, as we have to stop and wonder if the caterpillar is entirely sure of what will occur once they indulge in their evolutionary imperative. It is this uncertainty that we find ourselves in post-COVID. While we all welcome the gradual reopening of venues and the reclamation of our spaces, there is undoubtedly an amount of associated trauma and uncertainty that we must also acknowledge.

Welcome back home, beavers. May this transitional period bring you peace, comfort, and the opportunity to emerge as a version of yourself empowered by the challenges that have come before.