 Hello, my name is Cassandra Allen and I graduated in the fall of 2020 with my MLIS from San Jose State University. I'm also the 2021 recipient of the Director's Award for Excellence in Innovation. I'm so honored to have received this award, but I'm especially honored to have received this award in the year in which I did. In 2020, innovation became a survival mechanism for libraries. We've always evolved. We've always adapted to meet the changing needs of our communities, but we haven't always had to do it at such a breakneck speed. I believe that innovation is the lifeblood of our profession, so thank you for validating my innovative spirit and the work that I have done and will continue to do in libraries.