diff --git a/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/blocks/hero-section/render.php b/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/blocks/hero-section/render.php
index abd61e5a..5029b747 100644
--- a/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/blocks/hero-section/render.php
+++ b/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/blocks/hero-section/render.php
@@ -6,21 +6,22 @@
  * @var string   $content    Block default content.
  * @var WP_Block $block      Block instance.
  */
-?><section id="hero" role="img" aria-label="Two notebooks opened to show yellow graph paper; the top one has a black and white photo of a boat crew, and the bottom one shows handwritten text." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/07/hero-image-edgerton.png);">
-	<div class="overlay">
+?><section id="hero">
+	<div class="hero-bg" role="img" aria-label="Graphic illustration of a spiral in purple, black, and white." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/hero-image-noise-reduction.jpg);"></div>
+	<div class="overlay">	
 		<div class="content-wrapper">
 			<div class="hero-content">
 				<h1><?php echo wp_kses_post( $attributes['heading'] ); ?></h1>
 
 				<?php
-				// Search widget area for homepage. Uses Unified Search v2 for this page's search form.
-				if ( is_active_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' ) ) :
-					dynamic_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' );
-				endif;
+					// Search widget area for homepage. Uses Unified Search v2 for this page's search form.
+					if ( is_active_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' ) ) :
+						dynamic_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' );					
+					endif; 
 				?>
-
+				
 			</div>
-			<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/603">Harold E. Edgerton papers</a></span>
+			<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/244">Muriel Cooper personal archives</a></span>
 		</div>
 	</div>
 </section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/build/hero-section/render.php b/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/build/hero-section/render.php
index abd61e5a..075725f0 100644
--- a/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/build/hero-section/render.php
+++ b/web/app/plugins/mitlib-blocks/build/hero-section/render.php
@@ -6,21 +6,22 @@
  * @var string   $content    Block default content.
  * @var WP_Block $block      Block instance.
  */
-?><section id="hero" role="img" aria-label="Two notebooks opened to show yellow graph paper; the top one has a black and white photo of a boat crew, and the bottom one shows handwritten text." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/07/hero-image-edgerton.png);">
-	<div class="overlay">
+?><section id="hero">
+	<div class="hero-bg" role="img" aria-label="Graphic illustration of a spiral in purple, black, and white." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/hero-image-noise-reduction.jpg);"></div>
+	<div class="overlay">	
 		<div class="content-wrapper">
 			<div class="hero-content">
-				<h1><?php echo wp_kses_post( $attributes['heading'] ); ?></h1>
+				<h1>Welcome to the MIT Libraries</h1>
 
 				<?php
-				// Search widget area for homepage. Uses Unified Search v2 for this page's search form.
-				if ( is_active_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' ) ) :
-					dynamic_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' );
-				endif;
+					// Search widget area for homepage. Uses Unified Search v2 for this page's search form.
+					if ( is_active_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' ) ) :
+						dynamic_sidebar( 'sidebar-search' );					
+					endif; 
 				?>
-
+				
 			</div>
-			<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/603">Harold E. Edgerton papers</a></span>
+			<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/244">Muriel Cooper personal archives</a></span>
 		</div>
 	</div>
 </section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home.css b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home-v001.css
similarity index 98%
rename from web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home.css
rename to web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home-v001.css
index f29e6607..4e920877 100644
--- a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home.css
+++ b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/pages/home-v001.css
@@ -39,11 +39,20 @@ body.v2-page {
 #content > #hero {
   padding: 0;
   position: relative;
-  background-size: cover;
-  background-position: center center;
   color: var(--color-text-on-color);
 
+  /* Decorative background image, kept out of the focusable/overlay content so role="img" has no children */
+  .hero-bg {
+    position: absolute;
+    inset: 0;
+    z-index: 0;
+    background-size: cover;
+    background-position: center center;
+  }
+
   .overlay {
+    position: relative;
+    z-index: 1;
     padding-top: calc(var(--content-section-vertical-padding) + var(--sp-600));
     padding-bottom: var(--content-section-vertical-padding);
     background: linear-gradient(90deg, #1A1A1A 24.52%, rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.50) 70.67%, rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.00) 100%);
diff --git a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/v2.css b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/v2.css
index f65159b3..0272ed0c 100644
--- a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/v2.css
+++ b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/css/v2/v2.css
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@
 @import url('partials/footer.css');
 
 /* Page-level styles */
-@import url('pages/home.css');
\ No newline at end of file
+@import url('pages/home-v001.css');
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/style.css b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/style.css
index b1dacae0..ea097eab 100644
--- a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/style.css
+++ b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/style.css
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
 Theme Name: MITlib Parent
 Author: MIT Libraries
-Version: 0.15
+Version: 0.17
 Description: The parent theme for the MIT Libraries' Pentagram-designed identity.
 
 */
diff --git a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/templates/page-home-v2.php b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/templates/page-home-v2.php
index 282b8798..e461c29b 100644
--- a/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/templates/page-home-v2.php
+++ b/web/app/themes/mitlib-parent/templates/page-home-v2.php
@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@
 			// If the page's content is empty, render the default static markup instead
 			?>
 
-			<section id="hero" role="img" aria-label="Two notebooks opened to show yellow graph paper; the top one has a black and white photo of a boat crew, and the bottom one shows handwritten text." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/07/hero-image-edgerton.png);">
-			<div class="overlay">	
-				<div class="content-wrapper">
+			<section id="hero">
+				<div class="hero-bg" role="img" aria-label="Graphic illustration of a spiral in purple, black, and white." style="background-image: url(https://libraries.mit.edu/app/uploads/2026/09/hero-image-noise-reduction.jpg);"></div>
+				<div class="overlay">	
+					<div class="content-wrapper">
 						<div class="hero-content">
 							<h1>Welcome to the MIT Libraries</h1>
 
@@ -41,13 +42,10 @@
 							?>
 							
 						</div>
-						<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/603">Harold E. Edgerton papers</a></span>
+						<span class="hero-image-credit">from the <a href="https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/244">Muriel Cooper personal archives</a></span>
 					</div>
 				</div>
 			</section>
-
-			<?php //get_template_part( 'inc/alert-local' ); ?>
-
 			<section id="todays-hours">
 				<div class="content-wrapper">
 					<h2>Today's hours</h2>