Beloved children's book author Maurice Sendak has passed away at age 83. Here is a tribute to his life and work, in the New York Times.

A small measure of Sendak's prominence in the literary landscape can be seen by doing a quick search on his name in UMUC Library OneSearch: numerous interviews, biographies, book reviews, and critical interpretations of his work have been published and are available through the library.

Maurice Sendak will be missed by children of all ages! Luckily, we will always have his books.

Image source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/maurice-sendak/about-maurice-sendak/701/

The following UMUC students claimed top prizes in the 5th Annual UMUC Social Science Essay Contest!

(Click on an essay title to read the essay in the UMUC Digital Repository.)

1st Prize
Giles Oji
"Benefits and Implications of Globalization and Post Modernization on the Operations of Multinational corporations in the United States and Abroad"

2nd Prize
Kelly Hurn
"Madagascar and Globalization: Take the Good with the Bad?"

3rd Prize
Megan Kluge
"Childhood Obesity: Relationship to Fast Food"

The essay contest is open to all UMUC students and invites them to demonstrate their social science knowledge and critical thinking skills. Essays must examine a contemporary social problem or issue and analyze it from a theoretical perspective or approach of one or more disciplines in the social sciences.

A panel of UMUC faculty chooses the winning essays. This year's winners received the following prizes:

First place: A student membership in the academic organization of his or her choice (up to $100), a plaque and a $100 prize
Second place: Social science book(s), a certificate and a $50 prize
Third place: Social science book(s), a certificate and a $25 prize
 
The contest is proudly sponsored by Maryland Theta, UMUC's chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society for the Social Sciences. The winning authors are encouraged to submit their essays to Pi Gamma Mu's flagship journal, International Social Science Review, for publication.

The Library joins the entire UMUC community in congratulating this year's winners!

Enjoy images of extraordinary public-library architecture at the Web site Flavorwire.

With UMUC students, faculty, and staff living all over the world, we wouldn't be surprised if some of you have seen these amazing libraries in person!

Some interesting origins of the history of May Day are provided by the University of Kansas Medical Center
courtesy of http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/

Congratulations to Stevenson University Archives and the Maryland Bible Society for their partnership in curating a collection of the Society's Bibles, most significantly a rare first edition of the King James Bible, dated 1611, of which only 175 copies exist worldwide.

Copies of the first edition are typically valued at six figures, though they seldom go on the market for sale. A first edition can be identified because it contains an error in the Book of Ruth, where Ruth is referred to as "he" rather than "she." That is why these rare first-editions are known as "He" Bibles.



Image source: www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
 

The American Library Association helps you celebrate your library all this week--and all year--with fun, interactive things to do at their National Library Week Web site.

Activities include:

• Share your library story
• National Bookmobile Day
• A family activity guide for library fun
  

We hope that you take the time to celebrate all that libraries do, everyday, for children, teens, and adults, providing so many services--from good old-fashioned books to computer access to community programming--that enrich our lives through enjoyment and education. And it's all for the price of a library card, that is, for free!

That is the opening line of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, arguably the greatest poem in the English language. Chaucer celebrates the reawakening of nature in April, when "folk long to go on pilgrimages."

April is also the time for you to celebrate your favorite poetry. The Academy of American Poets originated National Poetry Month 16 years ago, and they've come up with 30 fun ways to help us make the beauty of poetry more a part of our everyday lives.

Researching your favorite poem or poet? Try the UMUC Library's Guide to Literature Resources, where you will find recommended databases and other great resources.

USA Today has an informative article about the 1940 U.S. Census. The Census contains a wealth of data that will be publicly available for the first time on Monday, April 2.

Genealogists, historians, and curious family members looking for info on loved ones from 72 years ago are sure to be digging through the records at a special National Archives Web site.

The type of information that will be available--people's addresses, occupations, income, marital status, etc.--is protected by law for 72 years after the census is taken. Detailed records of the latest census, taken in 2010, will not become public until 2082!

Kudos to University of Maryland Baltimore County's Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery for digitizing the Hughes Company Glass Negatives Collection. The collection offers a unique view on Baltimore history, with images of people, buildings, industry, and more. As you peruse the photos, if you recognize a person, place, or thing, you can contact the library to share your knowledge and contribute to this lively history project.


Image source: The Photography Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County,
Hughes Company Glass Negatives Collection, Accession no. P75-54-1254g