By Sophia Yodice

The University of Maryland Libraries hosted an open reception on Oct. 24 to introduce Unboxing Innovation, a new exhibition by the Special Collections and University Archives. The event celebrated the creativity, preservation and archival research conducted by the university’s faculty and staff.

UMD’s Dean of Libraries, Holly Mercer, commented on the exhibit. 

“When we talk about Unboxing Innovation, that title isn’t just a clever metaphor for opening archival boxes,” Mercer said. “It’s a celebration of the ways faculty and staff are expanding access, growing collections and strengthening collaborations.” 

Running from October 2025 through July 2026, the exhibit explores the university libraries’ evolving role as a space for innovation and collaboration. It features restored artifacts, historical documents and multimedia displays that highlight how UMD’s archives contribute to scholarship and community storytelling. 

The gallery spans topics from student activism and campus architecture to cultural heritage and digital preservation. Outreach and Engagement Librarian in Special Collections and exhibit curator Jeannette Schollaert agrees with the sentiment. 

“The gallery is our chance to tell our story ourselves,” Schollaert said.

Behind each display in Unboxing Innovation are months to years of meticulous research by faculty, archivists and staff. Curators work closely with primary sources by analyzing letters, photographs, administrative records and rare publications to contextualize them within Maryland’s social and academic history. 

This process not only preserves the physical materials, but reinterprets them for new audiences, showing how the past continues to inform present-day conversations about education, diversity and innovation.

“We are not forgotten things, just dusty things, relics of time no longer relevant,” Lae’l Hughes-Watkins, the acting director of Special Collections and University Archives, said.

Schollaert explained how this meticulous process has breathed new life into long-shelved materials. One of the most notable pieces is the original taxidermied Testudo, which was polished for the first time in 25 years and is now on display in the exhibit, according to Schollaert. 

A major highlight of the exhibition is the Filipino American Community Archives, a collection curated by author and archivist Rita Cacas. Cacas, who wrote “Filipinos in Washington, D.C.,” has dedicated her career to uplifting Filipino American voices and preserving their often-overlooked history in the nation’s capital. 

Her collection documents the social, professional and family networks of Filipino Americans from the early 1900s onward, tracing how the community adapted and thrived following the U.S. annexation of the Philippines.

“I’m just so grateful to Maryland for giving me a chance to give a voice to this community,” Cacas said.

The Filipino American Community Archives comprises family photographs, immigration papers and records from Filipino professional and social organizations in Washington, D.C. Together, these materials tell a story of resilience, belonging and identity within the broader American narrative, dating back to memories Cacas’ father shared with her and her personal experiences.

Students are urged to further engage with the collections and recognize the impacts of archival research. Willow Whitaker, a senior studying American studies and English, works in the Library’s Outreach Department and notices the valuable impact of this exhibit. 

“I think there’s so much material here that’s relevant to current campus life,” Whitaker said. “I hope people come to see it all the time.”

The exhibition is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with guided tours and educational programs throughout its run. It is also part of UMD’s most ambitious fundraising initiative to date, aiming to surpass the previous campaign’s goal by $1.5 billion to expand access and support archival preservation so more research can be funded and conducted.

Through Unboxing Innovation, UMD Libraries invites the community to see history not as something static, but as a living force continually rediscovered and redefined.

“Together we are not only preserving history, but shaping what comes next,” Mercer said.

Featured Image: The outside of R. Lee Hornbake Library. Photo by Miller Rogers-Tetrick.