PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2008

CONTACT: Jane Williams
301/405-9124
mjwillia@umd.edu

Librarians Day and Dopp Retire, Gain Emerita Status

College Park, MD – Bonnie Jo Dopp retired in January 2008 after twelve distinguished years with the University of Maryland’s Music Library and subsequently the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library. Betty H. Day retired in July 2008, having spent her entire career as a librarian in various significant roles for the University of Maryland Libraries. Both Ms. Dopp and Dr. Day applied for and were awarded emerita status in the UM library faculty ranks, respectively the first and second ever to gain such status. Emerita status is based on the distinction of an individual’s record in librarianship, service and/or scholarly and creative activity.

Ms. Dopp held positions at the San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County (MD) public libraries prior to joining the University of Maryland. She managed Special Collections in the Performing Arts and then served as a music and ethnomusicology expert for the Libraries. Ms. Dopp’s career was highlighted with participation in several national associations, including the American Musicological Society, the Music Library Association and the American Library Association. Another career hallmark was the publication of numerous reviews of new books, recordings, videos and multi-media materials in music and ethnomusicology.

Dr. Day’s career at Maryland progressed from service as a reference librarian to humanities reference librarian and bibliographer to the emerging field of electronic information resources, which she managed for twelve years for College Park and the consortium, the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions, as well as the Maryland Digital Library. She achieved distinguished records of service and scholarly contribution in her two fields of study: American and English literature and women’s studies, and electronic resource acquisition and management. Dr. Day chaired the University of Maryland’s Library Assembly in 2007-08.

The University of Maryland is the only nationally ranked public university in the Baltimore/Washington area. With a total student enrollment approaching 40,000, the University is supported in its academic endeavors by the University of Maryland Libraries, comprised of eight libraries and more than 3.5 million volumes.