--- title: A Fearless University Needs a Fearless Library date: 2026-10-01T11:16:00-04:00 author: Ella LaGrange canonical_url: "https://forward.umd.edu/news/fearless-library" section: News --- # A Fearless University Needs a Fearless Library *October 1, 2026* — by Ella LaGrange > The Libraries is poised to be a driving force at the center of the institution’s most ambitious aspirations. Across three interconnected priorities, the UMD Libraries is demonstrating what it means to move Fearlessly Forward. By the UMD Libraries’ Staff, Faculty, & Leadership. One day last fall, seven larger-than-life red letters appeared on the lawn in front of McKeldin Library seemingly out of nowhere: F - O - R - W - A - R - D. Standing at 6 feet tall and spanning nearly 40 feet wide spread out, they were impossible to miss. The letters had been popping up at a new destination each day for a week — first at the School of Engineering, the next day outside Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, and then the courtyard by the art and sociology building before arriving at McKeldin. As the 75-pound foam letters travelled around campus, they sparked the curiosity of students and passersby. What could they mean? The answer was on a scale even larger than the letters themselves — they marked the launch of the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history: Forward: *The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless*. It was fitting that the letters made a stop at McKeldin Library — at the heart of campus both physically and metaphorically — where UMD’s mission to discover new knowledge, innovate for the public good, and build inclusive communities comes to life every day. Libraries have always been catalysts for creativity and connection, and that role is more important than ever in our rapidly changing society. At Maryland, an expert team of librarians and staff work to advance open scholarship, engage communities near and far, and manage the essential physical and technological infrastructure on which every discipline depends. Libraries are where a first-year student finds confidence in a research consultation with a subject librarian, where a doctoral candidate uncovers new insight in the archives, where faculty access the resources to tackle society’s most pressing challenges, and where communities engage with history and share their stories. With a goal of $2.5 billion, the Forward campaign aims to accelerate momentum and impact across three major aspirations: to advance bold and brave solutions for the world’s most pressing problems, to build stronger communities and do good on our campus and beyond, and to empower tomorrow’s trailblazers by enhancing students’ academic and personal growth. At the Libraries, we’re advancing these ambitions by driving support for three key priorities: expanding access to knowledge, strengthening connections between the Libraries and the broader public, and supporting student success through technologies and spaces they need to thrive and do their best work. ## Forward for Bold and Brave Solutions *Students and a professor stand over a table reading and analyzing books.* ## Forward for Stronger Communities *Students sit at tables conversing with one another.* > "Every aspiration of the Forward campaign depends on knowledge — creating it, preserving it, sharing it, and putting it into action. That’s the work of the Libraries, and it’s why investing in libraries is an investment in Maryland’s future." — Holly Mercer, *Dean of Libraries* ## Forward for Tomorrow's Trailblazers *An image of a library with high ceilings, red chairs at desks, and hanging lights.* **THE POWER BEHIND THE MISSION** — The Libraries' role within the Forward campaign is ultimately about more than buildings, collections, or technology. It is about enabling the university’s larger mission to transform lives on campus, in our state, and across the world. Every major aspiration articulated in Maryland’s campaign — advancing discovery, preparing future leaders, strengthening communities, and expanding opportunity — depends on the ability to access, create, share, and preserve knowledge. That is the work of libraries. Indeed, a fearless university needs a fearless library