From the Dean's Desk

Stated simply and factually, the US Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively shifts the authority for reproductive decisions from individual women and people who can become pregnant, to state governments.

UMD Libraries is joining USMAI in condemning the recent bomb threats against Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Read the full statement.

“I hope to be a catalyst for a procedural, cultural and operational shift towards a more inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace.” Nneka Chisholm-Edwards (she/her) has been named UMD Libraries’ first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer.

Statement of Commitment to Anti-Racismi and Social Justice by the Undersigned Faculty and Staff at the UMD Libraries The undersigned at the UMD Libraries join in solidarity with campus and community members who seek to promote social justice and to end racism, especially the scourge of systemic anti-Black racism in American society. We affirm the importance of our work together as a library and higher education community, and the need to co-create new knowledge and build a better society, one free from violence, hate, and fear.

On March 16, 2021, we were confronted with another act of horrific violence in our society. This time, after witnessing an alarming increase in the numbers of attacks on Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) people during the pandemic, we learned about the brutal, hate-based murder of eight people in Atlanta, six of whom were women of Asian descent.