University of Maryland Libraries

University of Maryland, College Park campus

University of Maryland Libraries

The University of Maryland Libraries constitute the largest public research library in the state of Maryland. Seven libraries are located at University of Maryland, College Park campus, plus an additional library and media center located off-campus.^[1] A map showing the locations of the seven on-campus library branches can be seen here.

The UM Libraries support research by students, scholars, and the public. The Libraries feature over 3 million volumes, more than 50,000 journal titles, numerous archives and special collections and a host of technological resources which enable remote online access to the Libraries' holdings and services.^[2] Patricia A. Steele currently serves as the Dean of Libraries, taking over the position in the Fall of 2009.^[3][4]

History

The Shoemaker Building, formerly the campus library.

A library/gym building was constructed on campus in 1893, which survived the Great Fire of 1912;^[5][6] the building, which stood where Tydings Hall now stands, was razed in 1958.^[7] A new library building, called Shoemaker Library (now known as the Shoemaker Building), was constructed in 1931 (named for Samuel M. Shoemaker, chairman of the Board of Regents from 1916 to 1933), and served as the university's main library until the construction of McKeldin Library in 1958.^[8][9]

The university's library became a Federal depository library in 1925, a status it has held since. In 1965, the library system became the Regional Depository for Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.^[10]

Administration

The Office of the Dean serves as the executive administrative unit of the University of Maryland Library system, headed by the Dean of Libraries. Below the Dean's Office are five additional administrative units, each led by a director: the Collection Management and Special Collections Division, the Information Technology Division (ITD), the Planning & Administrative Services Division, the Public Services Division, and the Technical Services division.^[11]

Planning and policy decisions for the Libraries is made by the Library Executive Council (LEC), which is composed of the Dean of Libraries, the Assistant Dean for Organizational Development, Directors of the five Library Divisions, and the current chair of the Library Assembly.^[12]

The Library Assembly (LA) is primarily an advisory council for the Dean of Libraries and LEC. Faculty, staff, students, and administrators are all free to serve on the Library Assembly.^[13]

McKeldin Library

McKeldin Library.

McKeldin Library is the main branch of the University of Maryland Library system. Constructed in 1958, the building is named for Theodore McKeldin, the former Governor of Maryland.^[14] McKeldin Library is one of the largest buildings on campus,^[15] consisting of seven floors and a basement.^[16] Located at the western end of McKeldin Mall, the library houses the university's 90,000 volume East Asia Collection,^[17] serves as a regional Federal depository library, housing the U.S. Government Information, Maps & GIS Services collection,^[18] and hosts the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH),^[19] to go along with the university's General Collection.^[20] Also housed in McKeldin Library is a computer lab, copy shop, and Footnotes Café.^[21]

Front view of McKeldin.

McKeldin Library remains open 24 hours a day during most of the Fall and Spring semesters, in order to provide late night study hours for university students; A UM (College Park) identification card is necessary to gain access to the building during the study hours.^[22]

Terrapin Learning Commons

Dean of Libraries Patricia Steele announced plans to gut the second floor of McKeldin during the summer of 2010 in order to make room for a new "Terrapin Learning Commons;" Steele hopes to "reevaluate" all seven of the library's floors, with the ultimate goal of (gradually) transforming McKeldin into a study-oriented, laptop-friendly central library for the university and perhaps creating a floor specifically designed for graduate students.^[23][24][25] The new laptop-friendly learning commons opened for the Fall 2010 semester, with plans to add multimedia workstations and lockers which can recharge laptops in between classes. A graduate-only study room is planned to open during the fall semester.^[26]

Hornbake Library

Hornbake Library.

Constructed in 1972, Hornbake Library was named for R. Lee Hornbake, the former Academic Vice President of the University of Maryland.^[27] Hornbake Library is home to the College of Information Sciences, the Human-Computer Interaction Lab, the Gordon W. Prange Collection ^[28] the Broadcasting Archives which includes the Library of American Broadcasting and the National Public Broadcasting Archives), the Nonprint Media Services Library ^[29] the central campus audiovisual research and instructional library facility; the Katherine Anne Porter Room; and the Maryland Room, which houses numerous special collections (including the National Trust for Historic Preservation Library Collection).^[30] Hornbake Library is located in Hornbake Plaza, which sits east of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.

Other Libraries

The Mathematics Building houses the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library.

The other libraries located on the University of Maryland campus include the Architecture Library, located in the School of Architecture building, which holds 65,000 titles in the areas of architectural history, design, and theory, historic preservation, landscape architectural design, real estate development, and urban studies and planning;^[31] the Art Library, located in the Art/Sociology Building, which houses 100,000 volumes in the areas of art history, archaeology, decorative arts and the studio arts (including photography and graphic design);^[32] the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL), located in the Mathematics Building, holds 400,000 volumes in physics, engineering, mathematics, geology, computer science, environmental sciences, water resources, and aerospace science;^[33] the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, located in Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, is home to the university's music, theatre, and dance materials (including the Special Collection in Performing Arts);^[34] and the Charles E. White Memorial Chemistry Library, located in the Chemistry Building, which houses 80,000 volumes in chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, enzymology, immunology, microbiology, and molecular genetics.^[35] The off-campus Shady Grove Library & Media Center is located in Rockville, Maryland, as a support library for nine institutions in the University System of Maryland.^[36]

Criticism

Currently, Maryland's libraries are considered to be below the standards set by the university's own designated peer institutions - UCLA and University of Michigan are two such schools. Further compounding this problem is a cut in the budget of the libraries at the school.^[37] The university's student newspaper, The Diamondback, has criticized this decision.^[38]

During 2010-2011, the front facade of McKeldin Library was featured in a series of television advertisements promoting the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal.

Library websites University of Maryland Libraries Website McKeldin Library Architecture Library Art Library Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) Hornbake Library Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library Shady Grove Library White Memorial Chemistry Library

Significant collections East Asia Collection Gordon W. Prange Collection International Piano Archives at Maryland Katherine Ann Porter Room Library of American Broadcasting The Maryland Room National Public Broadcasting Archives National Trust for Historic Preservation Library Collection Special Collections in Performing Arts U.S. Government Information, Maps, & GIS Services

References

1. ^ UM's Eight Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-16.
2. ^ UMD Undergraduate Admissions Site Retrieved 2010-6-16.
3. ^ Office of the Dean, Univ. of Maryland Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-17.
4. ^ Wells, Carrie. New libraries dean works to revamp and expand McKeldin’s study spaces. The Diamondback. October 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-6-17.
5. ^ UM Libraries Digital Collection: Old Library/Gym Building, 1893 Retrieved 2010-6-16.
6. ^ UM Libraries Digital Collection: First Library's Exterior, 1912 Retrieved 2010-6-16.
7. ^ "Architectural History of the Maryland Agricultural College". 2008-08-01. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=9772. Retrieved 2010-06-22. 
8. ^ MAC to Millennium, University of Maryland Archives Retrieved 2010-6-16.
9. ^ MAC to Millennium, University of Maryland Archives, List of Class Gifts Retrieved 2010-6-16.
10. ^ UM Libraries, U.S. Government Information, Maps & GIS Services, About Us Retrieved 2010-6-17.
11. ^ Office of the Dean, Univ. of Maryland Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-17.
12. ^ Library Executive Council, UM Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-17.
13. ^ Library Assembly page, UM Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-17.
14. ^ UM Campus Buildings Index, McKeldin Library Retrieved 2010-6-16.
15. ^ Edward Gunts. "Bringing the arts together at UM Center." The Baltimore Sun. September 26, 1996. Retrieved: 2010-6-18.
16. ^ UM Libraries, McKeldin Library Floorplan pdf. Retrieved 2010-6-18.
17. ^ UM Libraries, East Asia Collection, About Us. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
18. ^ UM Libraries, U.S. Government Information, Maps & GIS Services, About Us Retrieved 2010-6-16.
19. ^ Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities Retrieved 2010-6-16.
20. ^ UM's Eight Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-16.
21. ^ UM Libraries, McKeldin Libraries: Services Retrieved 2010-6-16.
22. ^ UM Libraries, Late Night Study in McKeldin Library Retrieved 2010-6-17.
23. ^ Office of the Dean, Univ. of Maryland Libraries Retrieved 2010-6-17.
24. ^ Wells, Carrie. New libraries dean works to revamp and expand McKeldin’s study spaces. The Diamondback. October 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-6-17.
25. ^ Brown, Lauren. McKeldin Library Reads Future with New Learning Commons. Between the Columns. Retrieved 2010-8-09.
26. ^ UM Libraries, Terrapin Learning Commons Retrieved 2010-9-28.
27. ^ UM Campus Buildings Index, Hornbake Library Retrieved 2010-6-16.
28. ^ Gordon W. Prange Collection, About Us. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
29. ^ "Nonprint Media Services Library",About Us Retrieved 2010-6-16.
30. ^ UM Libraries, The Maryland Room, Retrieved 2010-6-16.
31. ^ Art and Architecture Libraries, About Us Retrieved 2010-6-16.
32. ^ Art and Architecture Libraries, About Us Retrieved 2010-6-16.
33. ^ Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL), About Us. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
34. ^ Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, About Us. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
35. ^ White Memorial Chemistry Library, Collection and Location. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
36. ^ Shady Grove Library & Media Center. Retrieved 2010-6-16.
37. ^ Lowe, Brendan. Funding losses hit univ. libraries hard. The Diamondback. September 22, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12.
38. ^ Editorial. Library budget needs rescuing from critical levels The Diamondback. September 26, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12.

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