Report of the Oviatt Library Advisory Working Group

Abstract

For over 47 years the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) main library has carried the name Delmar T. Oviatt as approved by the Board of Trustees of the California State University (CSU). Then, as now, the BOT retains authority for the naming of major campus buildings. Almost since its inception, the Oviatt Library has been one of the most used buildings/facilities on the entire CSUN campus. During 2018-19, the Library hosted 3,451,824 total patrons, including 1,342,082 visitors and 2,109,742 transactions on line. Few would disagree that the Library has long been viewed as the signature and iconic physical representation of CSUN. It is a sure stop for touring visitors, especially middle and high school students. Further, its adjoining Oviatt lawn is the site of major student gatherings from New Student Convocation to Commencement and Honors Convocation, and it is often the site for expressions of free speech and assembly, including rallies and demonstrations. It is simply the heart of our university. Until recently, the Library's name had (to our knowledge) gone unchallenged, benefiting from a common presumption that it would only have been named for someone whose background and public record would stand the test of time. A person free of actions that might be deemed unacceptable in the eyes of the campus community and beyond. That changed when, during Spring 2019, members of the Students of Color Coalition (SCC; an umbrella organization representing various activist student groups) presented a series of demands to the University administration. One of the demands called for the Library to be renamed based on their belief that Oviatt was a "racist and oppressive figure" who was "...a persistent opponent to the creation and existence of cultural studies during the period of his tenure as President." Although startling, on today's college campus, such accusations about a former high-level campus administrator do not go without serious review. During her 2019 Welcome Back Address delivered on August 16, 2019, President Dianne Harrison announced her intention to commission a group comprised of the broader CSUN community to review the allegations and make recommendations, as appropriate. Members of the Oviatt Library Advisory Working Group were appointed in September 2019 and they were provided with a written charge to guide their work (See Appendix A).