University of Maryland Library

The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries; seven are located on the College Park campus, while the eighth library, Priddy Library, is located on the University System of Maryland satellite campus in Shady Grove.

The UM Libraries are a key academic resource that supports the teaching, learning, and research goals of the university. The various materials collected by the libraries can be accessed by students, scholars, and the general public. The libraries feature 4 million volumes and a substantial number of e-resources (including more than 17,000 e-journal titles), a variety of archives and special collections, and a host of technological resources which enable remote online access to the Libraries' holdings and services. The libraries are currently ranked 10th in electronic resources as a percentage of total library materials by the 115-member Association of Research Libraries. Patricia A. Steele currently serves as the Dean of Libraries, taking over the position in the Fall of 2009.

A library/gym building was constructed on campus in 1893, which survived the Great Fire of 1912; the building, which stood where Tydings Hall now stands, was razed in 1958. 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.

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.

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.

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