Congratulations to our 2026 YU Student Library Research Award winner Aden Lyons!  Aden, YC 26, is a double major in history and political science – and is our first student to win this award two years in a row!  His paper, “The Broader Symbolism in Philbert-Louis Debucourt’s Republican Calendar” was written for Professor Jeffrey Freedman’s course on Emancipation Revolutions. 

Aden examined a 1794 engraving called Republican Calendar and described how its imagery promoted reason, science, liberty, and anti-monarchical values while encouraging citizens to abandon traditions of the old regime. The calendar became a tool for teaching revolutionary ideology to the public. Aden made use of various primary sources, with the goal of analyzing history through the lens of people who lived through the events. 

Our committee of seven readers reviewed 24 entries. We were particularly impressed by the depth and originality of his paper, and by the quality and variety of resource materials. Mazel tov once again, Aden, on a job well done!

–Wendy Kosakoff, Public Services and Outreach Librarian