Initiatives & Events

Statement Against Censorship

The Congress of Academic Library Directors of Maryland (CALD) is united against censorship wherever it takes place, especially within our state. Academic, public, and school libraries and their personnel are dedicated to serving all their patrons’ information needs, maintaining collection development policies and practices to provide a wide range of resources, and guaranteeing unfettered access to library materials, regardless of their format. CALD respects individual choice, guided by parents in the case of children, in deciding what to read or view, and objects to attempts by outsiders to subvert that right. Current book banning efforts contradict Maryland’s and our country’s commitment to the freedom of expression and must be vigorously challenged.

Annual Meeting

Each year an annual meeting is held for CALD members  to attend. The day consists of various sessions designed around a theme in regards to a pertinent professional topic. The annual business meeting is held that day. Past annual meeting themes have included: 

2023- Together into the Future

2022-  Show Your Value: Promoting the Academic Library

2021 - “When things return to normal...”: Discerning the post-pandemic future of academic libraries

2020 - Navigating Continuous Change

2019 - Shifting Our Perspective

2018 - Managing Ourselves While Managing Others

2017 - Library Buildings

2016 - Looking Toward the Future 

2015 - Assessment: Doing It and Using It

2014 - Flipping Collection Development: From Standalone to Collaborative

2013 - Assessing and Communicating Library Value

2012 - Consortia: The Power of Partnerships and Sharing

2011 - Library Evolution Revolution: What Are You Doing to Keep Up?

2010 - Collection Management & Staffing in Difficult Economic Times

2009 - Designing and Implementing an Academic Library

Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T)

M.O.S.T is led by the University of Maryland's Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation with a mission of supporting " long-term, statewide scaling and sustainability of fully accessible, openly licensed course materials by providing collaborative infrastructure Maryland's public higher education institutions need to support effective and efficient OER adoption, adaptation, and creation. (USMD)" CALD is a partner with M.O.S.T for their 2019 OER Summit.

For more information about M.O.S.T., see the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation web site.

Nettie B. Taylor Maryland Library Leadership Institute

The Nettie B. Tayor Maryland Library Leadership Institute (MLLI) is a professional development program organized by the Maryland Library Association’s Library Leadership and Training Committee.  The Institute is held every other year. As our budget permits, CALD awards a scholarship to an employee at one of the CALD member libraries toward the cost of participating in MLLI.  For more information about the Institute, see the MLLI page on the MLA website.

Academic Library Groups in Maryland

CALD sometimes partners with other academic library groups in Maryland on joint initiatives. As a new librarian to our state it can be difficult to understand who all the academic library groups are and what their purposes are. CALD has put together an Academic Library Groups in Maryland Guide to help you navigate.