Oviatt name removed from CSUN library, lawn effective immediately

In+an+email+sent+on+Friday+afternoon%2C+President+Dianne+F.+Harrison+announced+Oviatt+Library+will+be+renamed+to+University+Library+effective+immediately.

Logan Bik

In an email sent on Friday afternoon, President Dianne F. Harrison announced Oviatt Library will be renamed to University Library effective immediately.

Sloane Bozzi, News Editor

The Oviatt Library will be renamed the University Library, President Dianne F. Harrison announced on Friday. The Oviatt name will be removed from the lawn as well.

Harrison said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White approved of the name change, which is effective immediately. The change is a result of the Students of Color Coalition’s demands to rename the library after accusing Delmar T. Oviatt of being racist.

Students, faculty and administrators formed the Oviatt Library Advisory Working Group and reviewed archives, documents and interviews to determine whether or not the name of the library should be retired. Their research findings were released in September.

The Associated Students Senate and Faculty Senate voted to approve of a library name change in November.

The announcement comes at the end of the fall 2020 semester, as Harrison prepares to retire in January.

“Given the importance of diversity and inclusion to CSUN today, and in order to make the campus as welcoming and inclusive as possible, the President’s Cabinet supported the working group’s recommendation to retire the Oviatt name from our iconic library and neighboring lawn,” Harrison said.