Our Highlights, July 1, 1998 -- June 30, 1999
The University of Maryland Libraries had an exciting and productive year marked
by a number of impressive achievements and events. The following are
especially worthy of note:
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The Libraries for the first time since 1994 moved up in the rankings of the 111
academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries, from 45th to
39th position.
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New University President C. D. Mote Jr., and Mrs. Mote visited McKeldin Library
on October 7, met with the Library Executive Council, toured the Service Plus
area, and participated in an informal welcoming program with staff.
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For the third year in a row, the Libraries received a budget increase, the
additional funds this year being used principally to purchase serials and other
materials.
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The functions, activities and staff associated with reference, instruction, and
collections management were successfully transformed into three
discipline-based teams: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences & Allied
Professions, and Science & Technology.
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The remaining operations of the undergraduate library at Hornbake Library – the
collections, processing activities, and public services – were merged with
services at McKeldin Library.
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Planning an initial work on the renovation and conversion of Hornbake Library
into primarily a Special Collections library continued. Retrofitting and
upgrading of the air conditioning and heating system completed and
architectural and engineering firms were hired.
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In January 1999, VICTORWeb, the Web browser version of the Libraries' online
public access catalog, became accessible. Access to all the Libraries'
electronic resources is now available through Internet browsers like Netscape
and Internet Explorer.
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The migration of electronic resources from networked-CD-ROM to access on the
Web continued at a rapid pace. Most database subscriptions were acquired
consortially through the University System of Maryland.
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The 15 libraries at the 13 state-supported four-year colleges and universities
in the University System of Maryland began a procurement process for a new,
shared Library Information Management System (LIMS) to replace the current
10-year-old mainframe system.
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The Libraries partnered with the College of Arts and Humanities and Office of
Information Technology in a $410,000 National Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH) Challenge Grant to establish the Maryland Institute for Technology in the
Humanities (MITH).
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Wireless technology was installed at McKeldin Library enabling patrons to gain
access to the University's data network with wireless adapters and laptops.
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The Nippon Foundation of Japan awared the Libraries $477.000 and the NEH
provided $300,000 to support the newspaper microfilming of the Gordon W. Prange
Collection.
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Two exhibitions of the Prange Collection were held in Japan, the first in Tokyo
and the second in Kyoto. Japanese interest in the Prange was further evidence
when the NHK Japanese television network filmed at McKeldin Library and
produced a news program carried in prime time throughout Japan.
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The preservation microfilming project involving the Katherine Anne Porter
papers, funded by the NEH, was successfully completed by the end of the year.
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The Performing Arts Library (PAL) continued planning its relocation to a new
facility in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland, with opening
slated for the fall 2000 semester.
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The International Piano Archives at Maryland (IPAM) and Friends of the
Libraries cosponsored a musical celebration marking the establishment of The
Walter Hautzig Collection as well as the gift of The Mieczyslaw Munz Collection
to IPAM, both by Mr. Hautzig, a celebrated concert pianist.
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Nonprint Media Services successfully added DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) to the
list of multimedia formats supported by the UM Libraries.
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The Libraries resumed the tradition of holding a used book sale for the campus
community and the general public. Over 10,000 volumes were offered for sale
and almost $10,000 was raised to support the Libraries.
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The Libraries produced a revised strategic plan that included new mission,
value and vision statements and a number of updated goals and objectives. The
plan also provided an assessment of the numerous accomplishments from the 1996
plan (see: http://www.lib.umd.edu/PASD/SPTF_March_99.html#ASSESSMENT OF
LEVELS).
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The Libraries active participation in the SPARC (Scholarly Publishing &
Academic Resources Coalition) initiative continued throughout the year. The
Libraries subscribed to the first three alternative journals sponsored by SPARC
which has as its goal the creation of partnerships with publishers,
particularly scholarly and professional societies, who are developing high
quality, economical alternatives to existing high-priced commercial
publications.
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The first year of a successful mass deacidification program resulted in the
treatment of 7,700 books.
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The Libraries entered into an agreement to catalog and provide access to the
James McGregor Burns Academy of Leadership's Lucille Maurer Leadership Library
via VICTORWeb.
© 2001 University of Maryland Libraries
Last Revised: 01/24/01