News

The University of Maryland Libraries will host a virtual dialogue on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, from 3:00-4:30 pm ET, to explore actions that can be taken to ensure libraries remain bastions of intellectual freedom for all. American librarians are increasingly becoming the latest targets in the political and cultural wars spreading across the country, part of a growing movement to ban books, censor ideas, and restrict educators’ ability to discuss race, gender, identity, and LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom.

The University of Maryland Libraries is pleased to announce the generous commitment of Sarah M. Pritchard ‘75 to establish both the Sarah M. Pritchard Endowment and the Sarah M. Pritchard Fund for Librarian Professional Development. These gifts will support the professional growth of UMD library faculty and their engagement in a wide range of scholarly activities. Preference will be given to faculty members’ research initiatives and continuing education related to promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and interdisciplinarity within their practice of librarianship.

The University of Maryland Libraries is pleased to share the latest issue of our annual Illumination magazine. Read about some of the creative ways we’re advancing the university’s public service mission and supporting our community’s pursuit of excellence.

On Wednesday, May 3, a group of faculty, staff, students, and alumni gathered in Hornbake Library for an alumni panel reflecting on the campus’ protests against the Vietnam War in 1970. The “30 Days in May: Reflections on the Antiwar Movement at UMD” panel, hosted by UMD Libraries, invited five alumni back to the university marking 53 years since the historic protests.

The University of Maryland Libraries is excited to announce the acquisition of Ford’s Theatre records. The Ford’s Theatre records will be archived with Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) and located in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.

Jordan Sly, Head, Humanities and Social Science Librarians, and School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Librarian for German, Italian, and French, has been elected as the Chair-Elect of the University Senate for the 2023 - 2024 term after which he will become Chair of the Senate and then Past Chair serving for a total of three years in these positions.  

Through the University of Maryland Libraries, Africa Commons: History and Culture is now available to UMD faculty, staff and students. This resource, produced by Coherent Digital, is made available as part of our participation in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Collective Investment Program (CIP, formerly Large Scale Acquisitions program). Africa Commons provides access to millions of pages of full-text primary source content to all BTAA member libraries, including the University of Maryland Libraries.

The University of Maryland Libraries have signed a new agreement extending access to Elsevier ScienceDirect through December 2024. Through ScienceDirect, users can search for peer-reviewed literature, including journals, books, conference proceedings, and other Elsevier-published research.

In a new article for Research Information, “Publication and Data Surveillance in Academia,” UMD librarians Jordan Sly and Joseph Koivisto discuss the complex issues at play in an increasingly data-driven world.  

“It’s okay to be different. You are special and important just because of who you are.” from "It’s Okay to be Different" by Todd Parr Celebrating differences  was a key theme throughout the Libraries’ first-ever Storytime in Drag event on Monday, April 24. Students, faculty, and staff gathered in McKeldin Library to celebrate the university’s recognition of Pride Month with performers D’Manda Martini and Bella Naughty, who read from banned children’s books (see list below) as well as other books featuring LGBTQ+ affirming themes.