#mckeldin library

[discoholicmusic]

🎂 today is the:

- 7th anniversary of Illusion

- 2nd anniversary of Discoholics Anonymous

- 1st anniversary of Remixholics Anonymous!

thought it'd be fun to look back :)

[luna-eats-books]

Library Tour

I don't know where to start this essay. My relationship to libraries goes back further than I know how to describe. I don't have a story about my first time in a library, but if I concentrate I can feel the crushed loops of carpet. Libraries are, and have always been, my favorite places on earth. It’s interesting that my feelings towards these places are mostly unchanged, feeling the same feeling of relief as I have always felt walking to the library on a Saturday morning. I have felt known and welcome at libraries, and I painted this zine in an effort to create a reciprocity. I want the libraries to feel known by me in some small way. The libraries listed here are the ones I spent most time in, I’m excited to add more to the list some day.

I remember my elementary school library in great detail. I put the dewey decimal system to use, and kept track of the sections of greatest interest to me: animals, mythology, poetry. I'm sure the librarian got along well with every child she met but I kept my eyes glued on her whenever we were in the same room, even as my teacher stood by the projector and explained how to look things up in an encyclopedia. I remember feeling like she set aside books for me. I have no idea if that actually happened or not, but it felt like everything in the library was a special treasure for me to discover, and she was the library's keeper.

She hosted a book club for 4th graders during lunch, in the quiet central courtyard of the "O" shaped school. The only door to the courtyard was nestled in the corner of the library. Extra time in the most special place, I could not believe my luck.

That was also the year I read the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, so the idea of sitting in a shielded Eden kept me up all night before the meetings. The edition of the Secret Garden I bought from the grocery store (?) came with a key pendent on a chain. I wore it every day until one day I felt it slip off my neck into my lap. The clasp had worn through from how often I touched and adjusted it.

Books are emotional and intellectual freedom manifest, for me and for all the weird little 12 year olds across the world. For me, libraries were access to that abstract freedom, but they offered physical freedom as well.

Germantown Library was the first place I was allowed to exist without parental supervision or pressure. I'd get dropped off on a weekend morning, with the expectation I'd spend the day studying, and when my parents returned to pick me up in the afternoon I was sitting on a bench with a stack of books with me. As I got older, I got more "rebellious:" leaving the library to get lunch with friends, or go on long walks by myself, but I was careful to get back to the designated pick up spot early and wait on the bench as always.

July 2015, I walked up to McKeldin Library for a student assistant job. My freshman year of college wouldn't start for another 3 weeks, but I had submitted my application to the assistant job as soon as I graduated high school. Academic buildings line the perimeter of a green grass mall sliced with walking paths in every direction, but McKeldin sits regally at the head of the table, dwarfing the other buildings. I spent some amount of time in that library every day for four years, sometimes it was only a 20 minute powernap between classes but more often it was 4 or 6 hour shifts pacing the quiet aisles or talking to patrons. I feel so proud of contributing to a space like McKeldin. I'd obviously always loved books-- in fact I cried during the interview describing how important books have been to me-- but working at the front desk in particular exposed me to a sense of community and belongingness I had never experienced. I credit that time with my commitment to community building and collectiveness now.

The third and fourth libraries pictured above are newer to me, but no less important. Upon moving to a new state for the first time in my life, I cannot explain the relief I felt signing up for a library card (first at Chapel Hill Public Library, and two years later at the Durham County Library) and plopping into a quiet corner. I am so glad I made the decision to move to North Carolina, but I felt untethered. It was terrifying being in a place where I knew no one, I didn't recognize street signs or landmarks or even really myself. But inside a library, I knew what I valued, I knew why I made the decisions I did. Libraries have made me feel at home over and over.

Holding a book in your hands, knowing that there are innumerable books through history. Clay tablets covered in cuneiform script, stored in temples; board books with bright, round, early learner letters tucked in cubbies; imposing buildings with white columns and austere, scholarly works. They all lead me to the same feeling of awe! Standing in a space knowing you're amongst members of your community; people who care about the same things; breathe the same air; look up at the same sky. Saying to yourself "I'm home."

[tonychenphoto]

McKeldin Library College Park, Maryland, US

[celebrateasimplelife]

McKeldin Mall on the campus of University of Maryland

[nyupreservation]

Over the course of the week, the Preservation Department staff have been delighted to share a wide array of films, images, and writing about our current work in celebration of Preservation Week. Last, but not least, we are introducing a brand-new podcast. Hosted by our very own Ben Moskowitz, Tales from the Archives, explores archival collections and the stories behind those collections through the people who work on them.

In this inaugural episode, Ben speaks to colleague Biff McKeldin about his background and work in the Division of Libraries. They discuss Biff's audio preservation experience, and the particular resonance of the recordings held in the Flaherty Film Seminar Archives held in NYU Special Collections. As today is May Day, it is the perfect moment to celebrate the contributions of one of our longest-standing Preservation Department staff members. Kudos to Ben and Biff and a very special thanks to the Library Lab for the support of this new endeavor! Listen here: Tales From the Archives, Episode 001

[reveal-the-news]

Maryland Today | Terrapin Tech Moves to St. John Center

Maryland Today | Terrapin Tech Moves to St. John Center

Terrapin Tech, the university’s one-stop shop for IT support, technology purchases and device repair, has moved from McKeldin Library to the ground floor of the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center (ESJ 0398). Managed by the Division of Information Technology (DIT), the UMD community will continue to support, educate and deliver on all things technology while engaging with other…

[mikemorganphoto]

Continuing my chronological series of work completed during the pandemic: After my morning shoot on August 10th at Pimlico I hurried down to College Park, Maryland, for a formal portrait of Dr. Adriene Lim, the new Dean of Libraries at the University of Maryland. I set up on the portico of McKeldin Library, the hulking edifice of brick and columns that looms over the lush and sprawling mall in the heart of the my alma mater. For COVID safety my client wanted everything shot outdoors, and I requested the portico location for a number of reasons: in the midday sun I wanted a spot where I knew I'd have shade but wouldn't have to tie down a large overhead butterfly and fight any potential wind; I'd have access to power for my laptop and for multiple lights capable of overpowering the ambient light; and finally, I'd be able to maintain a closed set that would keep the client at ease. I pre-lit a setup that would allow us three radically different shots within a ten foot radius: the main portrait overlooking the mall (a large @chimeralighting softbox on a boom); pivoting to the right for an ambient key light portrait along the columns (with fill from a head shot through a @matthewsgrip silk flag); and finally pivoting right once more for a "studio" shot, in front of the white flag lit from behind, with my trusty Softlighter for the key. Having worked so quickly, we had time to head out to the front of the library for some masked photos with Testudo (safety first of course!). I lit this with a medium softbox on a boom, an overhead flag blocking the sunlight. We had the dean in and out in record time, and happily on to her meetings - all proof that a little preparation and planning goes a long way. (at McKeldin Library, University of Maryland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGXGZJOh2Dh/?igshid=1edeljiwpnff

[weirdnotes2k18]

View from McKeldin

[tairacaseyarts-blog]

Erasable! Improv performance in front of McKeldin Library October 11.

This was my first comedy show I’ve watched in person and it was a pretty good experience. I was impressed with how boisterous and brave the performers were. I would not be able to make things up on the fly in front of a large audience while still being funny. I was also shook because when I arrived to the show, they were doing a strange segment where they chanted something crude about babies and and dicks. College is such an interesting place. As a studio art major, hope I can become as fearless as these people in expressing myself through my paintings and presenting my work 

[charlesnyonga]

at McKeldin Library, University of Maryland https://www.instagram.com/p/BucQH1XnT6a/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=26w7jvtmt6k4

[weedwitch]

offerings to the turtle gods for good luck on finals 📑📖 (at McKeldin Library, University of Maryland)

[mrarchivist]

Testudo. #mascot #umd (at McKeldin Library, University of Maryland)

[pog-with-a-blog]

I fucking love warm weather. Like. Yesterday I had my window open all day and even that was just so energizing that it made it alot easier to clean my room and then I was like “I have to do something fun outside”so I texted my friend and got him and another friend to come play frisbee and it was rad we played for like 2 hours doing various things. Like at one point we were playing monkey in the middle and I would like dive for the frisbee or like deadass knock people over and my leg is all scratched up and I’m super sore but it was so fun I haven’t played like that in years and like. And then I chilled on top of mckeldin w a friend for a bit and then last night I walked to the lake and it was cold but it wasn’t freezing and it was outside and I love outside. I saw beavers and baby deer which was super rad. 

And then today I sat w a friend on the quad and we did hw and listened to music and it was just. Happy. And not stressful. I loved it. Like when I went out for a cigarette and sat on the wall and saw the quad full of people playing sportsball games and some people sitting on blankets talking or doing hw and there was someone playing fall out boy yesterday and then on the other side of the quad there was a guy playing guitar and today someone else was playing like a radio and then when they left I played a happy chill french album but quietly but it was still nice. And just. Being surrounded by people all out enjoying the day doing such wholesome things. I love it. And then sun shining on my skin is something I missed so much too. And then later I was gunna meet my friend at the library to do more hw and I knew she wouldn’t be there yet so I just sat on the grass and looked at the stars and just relaxed and it was so nice and like just there are so many things to do when it’s warm. 

[celebrateasimplelife]

Testudo in front of McKeldin Library, on the campus, of the University of Maryland, College Park, overlooking McKeldin Mall.

[fuckmaga]

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Government Documents

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](https://www.archives.gov/sites/all/themes/nara/images/nara-print-logo.jpg)

* Government documents in the National Archives * Finding aids and indexes to government documents: * Library Resources for Administrative History by Maryellen Trautman, ALIC Government Publications Librarian * Foreign Relations of the U.S. (FRUS) -- Serial Set Correlation List compiled by Maryellen Trautman, ALIC Government Publications Librarian

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The major collections of U.S. government publications in the National Archives are in the Library at Archives II; the Center for Legislative Archives, Archives I; and the Microfilm Reading Room, Archives I.

Publications not in any of the National Archives collections may be found at the University of Maryland’s McKeldin Library and at other Federal Depository Libraries. The latter are also a source for people who cannot visit the National Archives. Sale items still in print may be purchased from the Government Printing Office Bookstore.

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Library Resources for Administrative History (Compiled by Maryellen Trautman, ALIC Government Publications Librarian) Index to administrative history documents by type of document and date. Index to administrative history documents by titles and names.

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Specific government sites:

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Budget of the United States Government Budgets from 1996 forward are available on this FDsys web page.

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[sustainabilityvstheworld]

Part V- Sculpture Garden Plan

Executive Summary

UMD aspires to be a first class campus that focuses on “ the implementation of sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives, and the improvement of landscape and transportation elements to bind the large, sprawling campus into a cohesive whole”. This means incorporating the many values of the UMD community to reflect all of those who encompass the campus. To create a place that mimics our student body, students should be hands on in UMD’s future plans. We have so many places on campus that are being used in new ways and are constantly evolving with the ever changing campus environment. Old areas are being revitalized to match the future. One opportunity to shape our future is to re-imagine a small, unknown courtyard on South Campus. This courtyard is next to the much bigger, and more frequently populated Washington Quad. It is hardly used for its main purpose which is to be a space for students to relax and socialize. The courtyard is underutilized because there’s a better place to do these activities only a few yards away. That means we have a space that is being neglected. I propose turning this nameless courtyard into a sculpture garden that will foster creativity, sustainability, and community.

The vision is for the whole entire courtyard to be renovated into a sculpture garden. The great thing about the project is that the essential elements for a sculpture garden are already present. There is plenty of vegetation currently in the courtyard. There is also an abundance of space for additional vegetation to be installed. A partnership with the Arboretum and Botanical Garden would be ideal for planning out what flora to include in the garden and how to ensure the best conditions in the courtyard for plant growth. UMD has cut down many of its trees and cleared much of it’s open space to prepare for the purple line. It would be nice to see nature brought back to the campus by filling the courtyard with plants and flowers. Also, collaborating with this department would be great in order to work out fundraising for the project. Regarding the art aspect of the garden, collaboration with the many galleries on campus could be done to acquire art from actual UMD students. This would foster the sense of community and sustainable practices. The courtyard also already has sidewalks and benches for students to migrate through the courtyard. My goal is to provide a new innovative space for students to learn and come together.

South Campus Courtyard- A small courtyard next to the well known Washington Quad

Context

Next to the very active Washington Quad is a much smaller quad that is nameless and hardly gets any recognition. I propose turning this courtyard into a sculpture garden in order to bring life to it again. This will give UMD students a new space to interact and learn right in their own backyard.

Funding

Due to this project being something to benefit student life, I would seek out student groups such as SGA to help fund the future garden. This past year, SGA used our Student Facilities Fund to get nap pods in McKeldin Library. It would also be ideal to work with the Arboretum and Botanical Garden on campus to work on deciding what plants to incorporate and where to get them. A collaborative fundraising event selling plants could be done to fund money for both the garden and the department. Also it would be beneficial to collaborate with the Driskell Center or other galleries on campus to get art provided in the garden. 

Approvals

It would be most efficient to submit a project proposal to the Student Facilities Fund. This project fits into UMD’s master plan of, “Leadership in sustainability, both as a laboratory and model for best practices, is a campus-wide goal and a significant component of every section of the Plan.” Also the courtyard has a lot of the essentials for a garden already so there wouldn’t need to be drastic plans for renovating the area. 

Maintenance

We would have to work with facilities maintenance in order to keep up the sculpture garden. Outside of maintenance, the garden would be student run in order to provide learning opportunities. We could create a team of students to organize and regulate work done in the garden. This would teach students sustainability skills and provide actual work.

Marketing

A sculpture garden is both a learning and working opportunity for those on UMD’s campus. Classes could be taught on botany, art, and sustainability. Students would have the opportunity to completely run the garden. There is also the option of providing work opportunities in the sculpture garden. At the end of the day, it’s also a new place to foster community and social engagement.

Lessons Learned

When I first started working on this project, I had a hard time picking a relevant spot on campus that could use improvement. There were so many places I could think of that don’t receive as much attention as they should. Eventually I decided on this small courtyard because it’s a place I use almost everyday. Hundreds of students walk through it everyday, meaning it was conveniently located and had potential. Originally I couldn’t think of a new approach to improving the space, but i thought about what features the courtyard already had, my own passions, and what I’ve learn from this course about sustainability. A sculpture garden was the perfect project that would involve participation from multiple parts of the UMD community and create a place that would always be of value.