LIBRARY

Personnel Changes

In July 2024, Jeni O’Connor was promoted to Library Services Specialist, reflecting both her dedication and the evolving needs of our library.

Kendall Award Given to Library Staff Member

Irene Münster received the 2025 Kendall Award for Outstanding Service to the USG Community. The Kendall Awards recognize faculty, program leaders, and staff who have provided outstanding support to students, as well as staff who have demonstrated exemplary service to the USG community. The Outstanding Service to the USG Community is awarded in recognition of a faculty or staff member who works across departments to provide high-quality support services that enrich the USG campus, advocates for improvement in services that benefit the USG Community, and assumes responsibilities beyond the call of duty.

Irene (left) with fellow Kendall Service Awardees

Irene has made the Priddy Library the hub of academic activity on campus. A whiteboard wall encourages visitors to share their thoughts on weekly questions, frequent workshops help students with the intricacies of building research strategies and following citation guidelines, ample computer terminals provide support for those seeking research questions and answers, and rotating exhibits invite viewers to reflect on how past and present shape their worlds. All of this has emerged as the result of collaborations, as Irene and her staff have worked with classes, organizations, and individuals from throughout the programs at Shady Grove to build a library that invites participation from all visitors in learning how to use information to further their goals and ensure their academic success.

Community Wealth Building Scoping Review & Subject Guide Project

As a part of USG’s ongoing commitment to furthering Community Wealth Building (CWB) initiatives, Priddy Library is developing a comprehensive subject guide on CWB resources. The project goal is to develop a subject guide that identifies existing CWB initiatives and academic literature, providing a central hub for the USG community and beyond. The aim of the guide is to help users understand CWB concepts, see the breadth of examples of enacted initiatives, and to be inspired to participate in community wealth building initiatives in their regions. The team of Franklin Ofsthun (librarian), Ralph Hall (Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Virginia Tech, and Joann Boughman Innovation Fellow at USG), and Jaini Jain (intern, student of UMB pharmacy) is employing a scoping review approach to gather, assess, and categorize the scholarly literature on CWB.

Franklin Ofsthun and Ralph Hall presenting progress from the CWB subject guide project at the Social Equity Leadership Conference in June 2025.

Access Resources to Elevate Your Business

As an effort to enact USG’s Community Wealth Building (CWB) vision, Priddy Library developed a USG Entrepreneurship & Small Business Services Flyer. Priddy Library connects businesses and entrepreneurs to powerful research tools and databases that can give them a competitive edge, whether launching a startup or expanding their business. The flyer is available in both English and Spanish.

AI and the Library

Two new workshops were developed on the in-demand topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence in Business which features the benefits of AI for small business, and features a few free AI tools for small business owners/entrepreneurs; and Using Generative AI for Learning, which explores responsible uses and limitations of text-based generative AI in the classroom. Additionally, librarians Greta Ober-Beauchesne and Franklin Ofsthun developed presentations on AI for entrepreneurs and educators, which were very well-received at a statewide library conference in December.

Code of Conduct

The Library developed its first official code of conduct with the assistance of Michael Wahl of USG Security, Erin Fernandez and Rose Jackson-Speiser of the USG Policies Committee, Michael Keeney (CFO and COO), and the UMD Office of General Counsel. It codifies the library’s commitment to fostering a scholarly environment that supports learning, research, scholarship, creative production, and collaboration, and outlines the appropriate conduct and expectations for campus and external users.

Full implementation of

Alma/Primo

The USMAI System’s new ILS (Alma) and discovery tool (Primo) have now been fully incorporated into library workflows, further streamlining the process of requesting items from the USMAI academic library consortium and back-end processes. Communication of how these changes impact USG patrons is an ongoing process. Due to temporary constraints with the new Integrated Library System (Alma), we are unable to generate reporting on loans for FY25. We are collaborating with our partners at UMD Libraries to develop new processes for circulation analytics in the coming months, which we will incorporate as soon as possible.

Workday

The implementation of Workday as the primary HR and financial infrastructure software suite introduced steep learning and adoption curves at the end of 2024. However, with the assistance of USG HR, we have successfully migrated almost all related functions.

Study room updates

With the support of OIT, the library has orchestrated a significant update to our reservable study rooms, bringing in new wall-mounted TV screens, a more user-friendly and accessible screencasting system, and exterior-mounted screens that allow patrons to determine at a glance whether an open room will remain available or is about to be occupied.

Engagement Hub

Priddy Library has a new space for hybrid learning and collaboration. The large touchscreen display and the Polycom X30 camera and audio system have allowed librarians to seamlessly include in-person and virtual attendees in active learning during our workshops. The space is both highly visible in the front of the library, and has added opportunities to host student events, such as the Student Council Game event, where students connected with each other over a friendly competition of Mario Kart and Super Smash Brothers.

Students using the Engagement Hub for group study.

Student Council's game tournament.