The D’Azzo Research Library (DRL) staff gathers for the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFIT-AFRL) celebration of 25 collaborative years of research and innovation on Aug. 04, 2025, at the DRL at AFIT, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.  In 2019, the DRL was named the “Federal Library of the Year” for its innovative support to the government, business, scholarly communities and the American public. (U.S. Air Force photo)

WRIGHT-PATTERSON, AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently celebrated 25 collaborative years of research and innovation at the D’Azzo Research Library (DRL) at AFIT, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.

The event included opening remarks and a coin exchange by AFIT Director and Chancellor, Dr. Walter Jones and AFRL Deputy Commander, Col. Karl Seekamp. It concluded with a poster session with posters from AFIT students and faculty in collaboration with AFRL.

“The AFRL/AFIT D’Azzo library empowers brilliant minds, fosters professional collaboration and provides space and resources for technical research – the impact of which we see in the unique mission capabilities of our United States Air and Space Forces,” said Seekamp.

The DRL was established to support the information needs of AFIT and AFRL and provides access to more than 1.3 million items for the critical knowledge that warfighters, researchers and students require to maintain the edge in air, space and cyber domains.

In July 2000, AFRL’s technical library holdings and AFIT’s academic holdings merged and saved the Air Force nearly $300,000 in shared journal use in its first year. The following year, the AFRL Virtual Library Consortium brought nine site libraries together to share digital tools and licenses.

Nearly a decade later, the libraries were officially unified under the name D’Azzo Research Library in 2009 to honor Dr. John D’Azzo, an engineer, educator and technology leader who served WPAFB for nearly 64 years.

Throughout the past 25 years of collaboration, the DRL has weathered budget cuts and transitioned from print to digital. 

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) celebrated 25 collaborative years of research and innovation on Aug. 04, 2025, at the D’Azzo Research Library (DRL) at AFIT, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. The celebration included a poster session that featured the joint research between AFRL and AFIT students and faculty.  Pictured is Lt. Col. Robert Bettinger, Ph.D. (left), associate professor of aerospace engineering at AFIT discussing an AFIT/AFRL research topic with Capt. Chris Francis (right), AFIT student.   (U.S. Air Force photo)

In 2017, the Joint Purchases Task Force, led by Dr. Ellis Beteck and Annette Sheppard, saved more than $350,000 through collaborative journal subscriptions. This enabled access to numerous digital resources and officially made the DRL a 24/7 location for warfighters worldwide.

Because of these achievements, the DRL was named the “Federal Library of the Year” in 2019.

“AFIT and AFRL made the very wise decision to merge efforts that have a lot in common,” said Jones. “We are both extending the boundaries of knowledge and helping people learn, thrive and apply what we learn to Air Force and United States Space Force systems. There have been a lot of changes over the years.

But what hasn’t changed are the dedicated professionals who work in these libraries. I enjoy watching their enthusiasm for helping students, faculty and researchers find the detailed information they need. This help is one of the reasons why we are celebrating a very successful 25 years of partnership, and we hope it continues.”

The DRL’s official beginnings date back to more than a century at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, in 1918, as a small team collected technical materials to support flight research. Despite the DRL’s growth, numerous transitions, relocations and name changes, the DRL’s mission of supporting the warfighter to “fly, fight and win” has remained constant.

To learn more about the DRL visit https://www.afit.edu/LIBRARY/ or https://www.afrl.af.mil/wrslibrary/.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

About AFIT

AFIT is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. AFIT’s mission is to educate defense professionals to innovatively accomplish the deterrence and warfighting missions of the USAF and USSF. AFIT’s vision is to lead defense-focused education, research and consultation to accelerate military superiority across all domains and is accomplished through operationally relevant advanced academic education, research, and professional continuing education. For more information, please visit the AFIT webpage https://www.afit.edu/