News

As a member of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium, the University of Maryland Libraries are pleased to announce that it will be migrating to a new integrated library management system in summer 2024. UMD Libraries will migrate to the Alma and Primo systems from Ex Libris®, part of Clarivate, after having been on the Ex Libris Aleph system for over 20 years.

The University of Maryland Libraries will grant up to four $1,000 awards to undergraduates who make impressive use of library materials in their research. The Undergraduate Research Awards aim to promote the value and use of library services and information resources in original research projects.

With finals approaching, the Libraries are here for you. Whether you're studying for an exam or working on a final project, we have the services, resources, and spaces to help you succeed. The new "Find a Space" tool on the Libraries' website allows you to search and filter library spaces by campus location, noise level, whether the space can be reserved, the type of equipment and technology available, adn what kinds of activities are suitable in the space, such as presentation practice or virtual meetings.

Harmful language statements are being created in academic libraries and archival spaces across the country to help contextualize why harmful language, such as racial slurs, exists in library catalogs. This fall, as you browse through our collections or search Worldcat, you may notice a link to the Libraries’ new harmful language statement. 

In honor of National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Tuesday, November 8, the Libraries has partnered with the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Immigrant and Undocumented Student Life Office to compile a First-Generation Students Resource Guide. 

Applications for UMD Libraries’ Research and Teaching Fellowship Class of 2024 are now open. Applications will be accepted through November 27, 2022.

In an effort to promote and support voting in the upcoming elections, the Libraries will print mail-in ballots and proof of residency documents for voter registration at no cost. Those wishing to make use of this service can come to the Library Services Desk located on the first floor of McKeldin Library.  Learn more about voting resources available to the UMD community at terpsvote.umd.edu.     

The Libraries’ latest progress report highlights significant achievements in the four major strategic goal areas of the “Living Our Values, Leading the Field” strategic plan: user-centered excellence and innovation, social justice, partnerships, and organizational capacity.

The influence of marching bands, specifically those from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), on American pop culture is undeniable. Even more undeniable is the influence Dr. William Patrick Foster had on shaping the style of HBCU bands and elevating them to the national and international stage. Having been discouraged from a career in conducting because of a lack of jobs for Black conductors, Dr. Foster resolved to “develop a band that would be better than any white band in the country.”

McKeldin Library is throwing it back this Halloween to the nostalgic days of the classic video rental store Blockbuster. The first-floor service desk is masquerading as “MckBuster” and renting out (er, lending) movies from the Libraries’ physical and streaming collections you can watch at home with friends and family. The helpful MckBuster staff has even curated a Movie Guide to help you find something to suit your movie-viewing sensibilities.