Welcome (Back) to UD Library, Museums and Press!

Greetings! As we kick off another exciting fall semester, I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome everyone—whether you’re just joining us or returning for another year—to the University of Delaware community. All of us here at the Library, Museums and Press are absolutely delighted to be part of your academic journey and can’t wait to support you in all your learning adventures, research discoveries, and creative projects throughout the 2025-2026 year.

We’ve been busy behind the scenes, and I’m excited to share that we’ve focused our efforts around three key areas that will help us serve you even better:

Enhancing research support – We’re strengthening our services, expertise, and spaces to help every student, faculty member, and researcher thrive and succeed.

Expanding experiential learning – Think hands-on opportunities, collaborative projects, and immersive experiences that bring your studies to life.

Advancing open scholarship – We’re working to make scholarly content and educational materials more accessible to everyone, including expanding open educational resources.

These priorities aren’t just buzzwords—they reflect our genuine commitment to evolving with your needs while fostering innovation in how we all approach scholarship, teaching, and learning together.

What’s New and Exciting

When you stop by Morris Library, you’ll notice we’ve been busy! We kicked off an exciting renovation of our Special Collections over the summer. Yes, you might spot some construction walls and hear the occasional drill, but don’t worry—Special Collections and all the surrounding spaces are still open and ready for you. The whole project will be wrapped up by spring, and we think you’re going to love the results.

Our Student Multimedia Design Center on the lower level is transforming into a brand-new Research Data and Design Commons. While this means we’re making some adjustments to current resources and services, it also opens up incredible new possibilities. You’ll still get all that great multimedia support for videos, and podcasts, plus expanded services for data visualization, management, and analysis. It’s going to be your new go-to spot for both research and creative projects.

We’re also launching something we’re really proud of: the inaugural Open Data Impact Awards! This program celebrates UD research that uses open data in truly transformative ways. We can’t wait to honor our first awardees and show off the amazing power of open scholarship. And while we’re celebrating, let’s recognize the recipients of our 2025 Open and Affordable Teaching Materials (OATM) grants—you’re making education more accessible for everyone.

Come Hang Out With Us!

We don’t want to just be here when you need us; we want to be part of your regular campus experience. So please, make yourself at home and visit us often!

Check out our exhibitions in the Library and gallery spaces—there’s always something fascinating to discover. Join us for one of our nearly 20 workshops this semester, covering everything from Photoshop basics and online privacy protection to finding those elusive funding opportunities. And definitely don’t miss Banned Books Week, where we’ll be reading excerpts from our favorite banned and challenged works of literature among other engaging activities.

And here’s how you can help shape our future: please take a moment to complete our AI research pilot survey. Your input will directly influence how we develop AI services at UD, so your voice really matters.

We’re Here for You

From everyone on the Library, Museums and Press team, I wish you the most successful, creative, and inspiring semester yet. Our doors are always open if not physically, certainly virtually, our staff is here to help, and we genuinely can’t wait to welcome you into our spaces and support the amazing work you’re doing.

Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Warm regards,
Trevor A. Dawes
Vice Provost for Libraries and Museums
May Morris University Librarian