Partnerships

The University Library Council (ULC) was the first Council established to provide joint oversight of a University activity by the College Park Senate and by the supervising Vice President. The ULC is advisory to the Dean of Libraries. It is appointed jointly by the Provost and the Senate,and reports to both. Appointees include a faculty chair, six additional faculty members, a library staff member, an undergraduate student, and a graduate student. Ex officio are representatives of the provost and the Dean, and, representing the Senate, the Library staff senator. The ULC meets regularly, usually with the Dean, and advises him/her on all library issues of interest to the University community. 

ULC Minutes

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Consortial Memberships

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) The University of Maryland Libraries have been a member of The Association of Research Libraries since 1962. ARL is a not-for-profit membership organization comprising the leading research libraries in North America. Its mission is to shape and influence forces affecting the future of research libraries in the process of scholarly communication. ARL programs and services promote equitable access to and effective use of recorded knowledge in support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service.

The Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance (CIRLA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization of educational and research institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Maryland, which are members of the Association of Research Libraries and which have been accepted for membership. The purpose of CIRLA is to enhance education and research at member institutions through collaborative development of library collections and service programs and expanding use of information technology.

The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is a consortium of North American universities, colleges, and independent research libraries. The consortium acquires and preserves newspapers, journals, documents, archives, and other traditional and digital resources for research and teaching and makes them available to member institutions through interlibrary loan and electronic delivery.

PALINET is a cooperative membership organization of hundreds of institutions that collect, preserve and provide access to the record of humankind. These institutions include libraries, information centers, museums, archives, and other similar organizations situated in Delaware, the Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and neighboring states. The Network was formed in 1936 to promote library cooperation and resource sharing. Since then, PALINET has provided services in response to the growing and changing needs of libraries and related organizations of all types and sizes. 

The University System of Maryland (USM), a public corporation and a charter system, is one of the State's most valuable assets and adds immeasurably to the quality of life in Maryland. The nation's 12th largest university system, the USM's network of 13 institutions enrolls nearly 130,000 students worldwide in 600 degree programs delivered in classrooms, laboratories, education centers, and online. The USM's nationally ranked programs, leading-edge research collaborations, and innovative business partnerships provide opportunities that support the USM mission and the goals of the USM Strategic Plan as they prepare students for both the promises and demands of the new century. 

The University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI)
The University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions is a consortium of thirteen libraries on the campuses of eleven state supported four year colleges and universities in Maryland. USMAI currently shares in the use of a Library Information Management System (LIMS) and a gateway architecture utilizing the OCLC Site Search software (MdUSA) which integrates access to a number of both locally hosted and remote electronic information services. The Council of Library Directors is responsible for managing the business and affairs of  LIMS, and includes representatives from liaison institutions St. Mary's College, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland at Baltimore Health Sciences and Human Services Library.