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📚 What can archival discoveries reveal about history?

MLIS student Nick Gentry ’26 uncovered a rare early draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” while processing an archival collection at Virginia Theological Seminary. His discovery highlights the vital role of archives, preservation, and information professionals in uncovering and protecting primary sources that deepen our understanding of history.

Read more to learn about Gentry’s discovery and the story behind the document in featured in Maryland Today.

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MLIS Student Spotlight: Maryland Today: A Watershed Text Resurfaces (ft Nick Gentry ’26) - College of Information (INFO) MLIS alum Nick Gentry discovers an early draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” during archival internship.

🎤 Professor Jen Golbeck recently took the stage at hashtag 2026 with a keynote exploring AI, followed by an engaging Q&A with UMD communicators!

🌏 From Indonesia to Singapore, Vietnam, Australia and beyond, INFO's Dr. Mega Subramaniam is advancing library and information science through her Fulbright Scholarship.

Along the way, she's sharing expertise in AI literacy, digital inclusion, community-centered librarianship and global collaboration while bringing new perspectives back to UMD INFO. Follow her journey and discover how international partnerships are shaping the future of libraries and information access.

Read more:

Supporting Library Innovation Abroad: Mega Subramaniam’s Fulbright Journey in Indonesia - College of Information (INFO) Follow Dr. Mega Subramaniam’s Fulbright journey advancing library education, AI literacy, digital inclusion, and global collaboration across Asia-Pacific.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘇 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

Co-edited with Samantha Dubrow of MITRE, the 13-chapter book brings together experts from multiple disciplines to examine how is reshaping collaboration, decision-making, leadership, and team performance. In addition to serving as co-editor, Paletz first-authored two chapters, contributing research grounded in psychology and team science.

The ebook launches July 23, with the print edition available August 13.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁: https://bookstore.emerald.com/ai-in-teams-hb-9781836623571.html

𝗗𝗢𝗜: https://www.emerald.com/books/edited-volume/21511/AI-in-Teams

AI in Teams The current wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seemingly reached a tipping point where it is having a real and perceived impact on work and education. The societal impact of the development, use, and recovery from AI is growing, be it from the incre

AI policy is only as effective as the systems that support it. 🌍 As UMD's inaugural AIM Fellow, INFO's Visiting Professor of the Practice, Lee Tiedrich, is helping shape the global standards, governance frameworks, and evaluation systems that turn responsible AI policy into practice. From the classroom to international AI safety initiatives, her work is preparing students and influencing the future of trustworthy .

Read more about her impact and INFO's role in advancing AI governance ⬇️

UMD INFO College’s Lee Tiedrich Leads Global Efforts to Shape AI Policy - College of Information (INFO) Lee Tiedrich advances global AI governance through policy, standards, and risk management frameworks shaping responsible AI deployment.

🏛️ Taking learning on the road! Current INFO MLIS students, a recent graduate, and INFO faculty member Ryan O'Grady visited the MLK Jr. Memorial Library to explore the DC Public Library System.

📚 The MLIS Program had a fantastic time at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago! Alumni, instructors, and students connected with attendees about INFO and our programs, while four MLIS students attended with program-sponsored registration to grow their professional networks.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀. 🚆📁

Through INFO’s 𝗶𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 program, student teams partnered with Amtrak to tackle complex records management and privacy challenges by developing solutions that are now being implemented across the organization. The collaboration gave INFO students hands-on consulting experience while helping one of the nation's largest railroads strengthen its information systems.

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗺𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸🔗 https://brnw.ch/21x3OTC

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢'𝘀 𝗶𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗠𝗗 ➡️https://brnw.ch/21x3OTB

Amtrak Uses INFO Students to Get Electronic Records on Track - College of Information (INFO) INFO iConsultancy students help Amtrak build electronic records governance, retention, and privacy compliance across complex information systems.

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🙌

A professor, researcher, and university leader, John Bertot returns to INFO after first joining the college in 2008. His career has been defined by a commitment to using information and technology to serve people, from influencing national broadband policy to supporting faculty success across the University of Maryland.

As INFO looks to the future, Bertot's vision centers on collaboration, innovation, and preparing students to create meaningful impact across industry, government, nonprofits, libraries, and communities.

Read the full announcement below to learn more about Dean Bertot's journey, his vision for the college, and the values that will guide INFO's next chapter 👇

News Release: John Bertot Returns to INFO to Lead with Purpose as New Dean - College of Information (INFO) John Bertot returns as INFO dean, bringing a people-centered vision shaped by research, leadership, and public impact.