please welcome ann thornton vice provost and university librarian. good evening. it's. good evening and welcome to the bancroft prize program. columbia university library is co-sponsors. this important event with the columbia department of history as our dedicated historians say, the work of historical scholarship is never finished and we reexamine it through present day lenses. today, especially today, it seems it seems important to lift up that critical work of examining and reexamining history. history is happening right now, and i am grateful for all of the hard labor that goes into researching and writing history, including not only the history in, but also the labor of librarians, archivist sites, curators, editors, and other workers whose critical work, work and support deserves to be acknowledged. a jury is chosen each year by our history to award the prizes to outstanding historians of the americas. one of the leading historians and that department is selected to chair a panel of three jurors representing the finest scholars in the field from excellent research