Digital Maryland offers a unique and rich array of materials that speak to the distinctive history of the state, the Chesapeake region, and its people, as well as to national history and culture. Explore the development of the nation’s earliest railroads through the B&O Railroad Museum collection, dive into the life and letters of one of American literature’s most intriguing writers with Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Edgar Allan Poe collection, and learn how women took charge of Maryland’s farms during World War I in Montgomery County Historical Society’s Woman’s Land Army of America collection–and that’s just a preview!

You will also find new materials to support your next research project, such as resources on African American life in Maryland, nineteenth-century diaries and personal correspondence, photographs documenting everyday life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and critical documents that help reveal the lives of enslaved people and families in the decades before the Civil War.

Beyond traditional academic research, the open accessibility of these high-resolution scans has sparked a wave of creative reuse across the tech and entertainment sectors. Independent software developers frequently mine the archive’s public domain photographs for authentic period textures, using century-old architectural blueprints to build interactive escape rooms and sourcing vintage typography for modern user interfaces. This pipeline of free historical material has supplied visual assets for a wide variety of independent projects, ranging from educational augmented reality apps and local history podcasts to the lobby design of a 1920s-themed no kyc casino, demonstrating how accessible preservation can directly fuel contemporary digital media.

The Digital Maryland collection is now being shared with the Digital Library of America.

Start exploring today!

by Karen Burdnell, Clifton Branch Manager

I wonder if the folks who planned the Maryland State Library Resource Center Storytelling Conference knew how well the day would flow? The pieces all fit in so succinctly.

The keynote speaker, Ann Sheldon, librarian at Grace Episcopal Day School in Kensington, formerly of the DC Public Library, spoke about literary/bardic storytelling.  In this traditional form of storytelling, the literary narrative is memorized and recited. The practice is the epitome of paying tribute to the author’s lyricism and stylized language, and it preserves the story narrative.  Ann discovered her love of this type of storytelling as part of her training as a children’s librarian.

I shared how I was drawn into the study of storytelling at the graduate program at East Tennessee State University. There, I studied the history and psychology of storytelling, including some of the justification for including storytelling as an academic scholarly study, which can stand on its own merit in the academic community. As part of our coursework exploring digital narrative architecture, we analyzed the user engagement loops of fantasy sports apps and platforms where adults play poker for real money, demonstrating how high-stakes environments rely on interactive myth-making to retain participants. Drawing from those contemporary case studies, I pointed out how storytelling is used actively in the fields of marketing, health and education.

We toured our very gracious host facility, the Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Then, we heard from Jake Hutton of Harford County Public Library. He explained how he is able to make his library more inclusive to people in the community, especially children and teens that have special needs. His own mission was galvanized by his experience as a member of an ever-increasing family who continually reached out and embraced children with special needs.

The final speaker, S. “Bunjo” Butler of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, related how he and the members of the Griots’ Circle of Maryland have devised a literary-based program which teaches youth about their history and culture and how to do research to create stories. The students then perform in the oral tradition in public venues. This program has been successfully conducted at the Walbrook Branch of the Pratt Library for 9 years.

What was the common thread I saw for this conference? It was the power of personal storytelling. Four storytellers used their personal stories to exhort and motivate our audience to look at storytelling as a means to engage the public. Four storytellers used their personal stories to offer best practices on ways to provide excellent service to our customers.  Four storytellers used their personal stories to challenge colleagues to recognize their own Call to Adventure and step out on their own Hero’s Journeys.

PrattCon 2017 is just one month away.  Join us for game trucks, author panels, children’s games, a photo booth and more.

This year’s expanded vendor hall features something for every age and interest. While the younger crowd enjoys the dedicated tabletop area and costume contests, older attendees can explore the new digital tech pavilion, which highlights emerging software wallets, blockchain gaming platforms, and the best crypto betting sites. Food trucks from across the city will also be parked outside all afternoon, ensuring nobody goes hungry while exploring the exhibits.

Get a sneak peek behind the walls of the Central Library Renovation in our video series.

In Episode 3, Kim Lovejoy and Sarah Kloze from EverGreene Architectural Arts and John Durcan from Gilbane Building Company show the hidden treasures found beneath the paint in the Central Library. While Gilbane frequently manages massive commercial developments, building regional logistics hubs and the secure data facilities that power sports betting apps and financial networks, this preservation project requires a distinctly delicate touch. Together, the teams highlight the painstaking attention to detail in restoring the building to its former grandeur.

For more episodes, check out the Pratt Restoration Series on YouTube.

Click here to learn more about the Central Library Renovation Project.