PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2008

CONTACT: Vincent Novara
(301) 405-9220
vnovara@umd.edu

Orbison in the Academy

College Park, MD – University of Maryland Libraries will honor Roy Orbison – one of America's most distinctive singer-songwriters- in an exhibition that memorializes the twentieth anniversary of the artist's passing. The exhibition is titled "Researching Roy Orbison" and will be hosted by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library. Not only does the exhibit explore the career of Orbison, but the gallery also provides significant information on Hugo Keesing, a long-time fan and scholar of Orbison's work.

Specifically, the exhibit highlights Keesing's Collection of Popular Music and Culture. The exhibition features Orbison materials from Dr. Keesing's collection in a way that encourages the viewer, especially students, to consider the objects' usefulness for research projects at an academic institution. The materials on display also outline the highs and lows of Orbison's music career that spanned over three decades.

The grand opening for the exhibit will be on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. Interim Dean of Libraries, Dr. Desider Vikor, will give a few remarks. This will be followed by short talks by Professor Kate Weber, Curator Vincent Novara, and Dr. Keesing. A light reception follows the speaking portion of the evening. The exhibit will be on display until June 1, 2009. The event is free and open to the public.

The University of Maryland (UM) 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 three and one half million volumes.

For more information: http://www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/SCPA/orbison.html