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Merrill Library Newsletter | |
NEWS
Stay updated on events, resources, and projects at Merrill Library and across UMaine Libraries. Discover what’s new and exciting in our library community!
| | Campus Town Hall at Merrill Library | |
On Wednesday, November 5, Merrill Library was host to a Campus Town Hall with Chancellor Dannel Malloy and President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. Dean Megan Walsh welcomed faculty, former faculty, and staff members who gathered to hear updates from university leadership and share their perspectives on key initiatives and campus priorities. It was a valuable opportunity for open conversation and community connection. Thank you to the organizers and everyone who joined and contributed to the discussion!
(Image, left to right: President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Dean Megan Walsh, and Chancellor Dannel Malloy at Merrill Library)
| | Share Your Voice: Faculty Survey! | | |
Have you ever wished your students could access textbooks and course materials for free—right from day one of class? That’s the idea behind Open Educational Resources (OER), and we’d like to learn how Merrill and Fogler Libraries can better support you in using them.
Tom Hardy, the new Open Educational Resources Librarian at Fogler Library, is gathering input from UMaine Machias faculty about their awareness, experiences, and interests related to OER. Your feedback will help shape future workshops, resources, and support designed with UMM faculty in mind.
What is OER?
Open Educational Resources are teaching and learning materials that are freely available for anyone to use, adapt, and share. Unlike traditional textbooks, which are often expensive and restricted by copyright, OERs are published under open licenses that allow educators to revise and tailor them for their students.
Examples include:
- Videos, readings, and open-access articles available freely online
Using OER helps make education more affordable, accessible, and flexible—allowing you to teach with materials that truly fit your course.
How you can help
Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey (less than five minutes):
OER Faculty Survey
Your responses will directly inform how we support OER use at UMaine Machias and across the University of Maine System. To make sure Tom can tailor his resources for UMaine Machias, in the "Department" section, indicate your department and "UMM".
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Learn more
Tom will be hosting an OER Information Session on Tuesday, December 2, from 4–5 p.m. via Zoom. Your survey feedback will help him tailor this session to our faculty’s interests and needs.
Have questions? Want to learn more about OER or how it could work in your courses?
Contact Tom Hardy, OER Librarian at Fogler Library, or reach out to ummlibrary@maine.edu.
Together, we can make course materials more affordable and accessible for all UMaine Machias students!
| | Merrill Library Hosts Maine State Library Listening Tour | | |
On October 28th, Merrill Library was proud to host one of the Maine State Library’s in-person Listening Tour sessions, a statewide series of conversations bringing together libraries from across Maine to share experiences, challenges, and ideas. Attendees included library directors, staff, and Friends of the library.
The Washington County session created space for local librarians to discuss the unique realities of serving small and rural communities—where libraries often act as vital community hubs for learning, connection, and access.
Common themes emerged during the discussion, including the need for continued support for technology access, staffing and training opportunities, and collaborative ways to strengthen services across the state.
The Maine State Library’s Listening Tour continues to gather insights from libraries of all sizes, helping shape statewide priorities and initiatives that reflect Maine’s diverse library communities. Merrill Library was honored to help support this initiative to encourage and cultivate these essential conversations.
(Image: Maine State Library Listening Tour organizers at Merrill Library)
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FEATURED RESOURCE
Find unique databases and online resources available through the UMaine Catalog to enhance your research, teaching, and learning. Explore something new each week!
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Oxford Bibliographies is a collection of disciplined-based subject modules in which leading scholars recommend and summarize the most important and significant sources in each subject. Citations link out to our online catalog and other sources.
Fogler Library has access (or will have access when published) to the modules for Atlantic History, Buddhism, Education, Hindu Studies, International Relations, Islamic Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work. Updated quarterly.
| | | In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5703 Alumni Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System) |
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