Get ready to lock in and boost your research and writing skills! Join us during any of the following library workshops that are scheduled throughout the semester. From citation management and grad student resources, to tips on how to give your academic research poster the ultimate glow up, you’ll find the tools you need to succeed and ace your semester! 

Follow us on the AOK Library's myUMBC page for updates on registering and more info on our events!  

• Monday, August 31, 12pm–1pm: Library Services for Graduate Student Success

• Wednesday, September 2, 12pm–1pm: Navigating the UMBC Library: Resources and Support for International Students

• Tuesday, September 15, 4pm–5pm: How to Prepare a Social Science/Humanities Literature Review 

• Monday, September 21, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Introduction) 

• Tuesday, September 22, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Technical Writing

• Monday, September 28, 12pm–1pm: Using Citation Management Tools for Your Research and Writing

• Monday, October 5, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Canva

• Thursday, October 8, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Advanced)

• Monday, October 19, 4pm–5pm: Navigating the Use of AI Tools in the Research Process

• Monday, October 21, 12pm–1pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Advanced Research Strategies

• Monday, October 26, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Google Slides

• Tuesday, November 10, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Managing and Organizing Your Research 

These workshops are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.

Not only is Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July each year  the earlier 504 disability civil rights movements of the 1970s which is chronicled in the documentary, Crip Camp -   The Capitol Crawl in March of 1990 created momentum for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act later that year. This July marks the 36th anniversary of the ADA, and many cities across the country celebrate disability pride with parades and festivals.  Let's work together to support access and inclusion so more people can say it loud, "I'm disabled and I'm proud!" 
The Disability Pride flag strives to be inclusive of all disabilities, the colors/stripes represent:

• Red: physical disabilities.
• Gold: neurodiversity.
• White: invisible disabilities and undiagnosed conditions.
• Blue: emotional and psychiatric disabilities.
• Green: sensory disabilities, including deafness, blindness, and other sensory disabilities.
• Faded Black Background: mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse.

Celebrate the Anniversary of the ADA on July 26 (a Sunday) on Monday July 27 by stopping by UMBC's Office of Disability Accesss and Resources in Math/Psychology Building, rooms 212-222, or going on one of theAccessibility Walk and Roll UMBC Tours at 9:00or 11:00.
Learn more about the lived experience of people with disabilities:

• Stream, view or host a screening of The Ride Ahead film to appreciate the perspective of emerging adults with disabilities as they consider their future and call upon trailblazers for their perspectives.
• Explore access to large events with NARIC's A View From the Accessible Seats article.- there are tips and resources for hosting meals and events for people of all abilities as well.
• Accompany Andrew Leland's journey from sightedness to navigating blindness with How To Be Blind - for a deeper dive,  his recent memoir is The Country of the Blind, A Memoir at the End of Sight.
• Learn of Lolo Spencer's journey from advocate to actor.
• Engage with Naheen Ahmed's CBC First Person article: My Disability Makes My Body Feel Unpredictable: Art Helps Me Lean Into the Chaos 
• Navigating Personal Living Space with Heather Hogan on Making Accessibility a Part of My Home
• Navigating the existing healthcare system as exemplified with a chronically ill college student fighting against United Heathcare's denial of coverage.

Other ways to incorporate disability awareness, pride, and belonging: 

• Participate in the ADA National Network's 36th Anniversary Awareness Campaigns 
• Learn about Spoon Theory as well as UMBC's Sunflower Program about people with hidden disabilities.
• Attend Baltimore's Fourth Disability Pride Art Fest on July 18 (Sat) 10-2 at 400 Cathedral Street (EPFL Central Branch)
• Read from the Library Journal's Disability Pride Reading List 
• Take in Michaela Otera's 2023 Disabled Beauty Series.
• Watch a movie that includes actors with disabilities. Crip Camp is a classic documentary (Crip Camp Netflix link, Crip Camp YouTube link, which highlights the advocacy efforts of Judy Heumann the Mother of the Disability Movement and James LeBrecht, among others).
• Visit the Society of Disabled Oracles - a creation of the late Alice Wong, Aimi Hamraie and Jen White Johnson. If they sound familiar, Aimi Hamraie has presented here on Critical Access Studies via the Dresher Center, and Jen White Johnson has conducted two HTLab on Zines as Tools for Action.
• Faculty and staff can learn more about Accessible Course Design with these free upcoming webinars

Get familiar with local resources and technical assistance - here is a sampling of what is available at UMBC: 

• UMBC Critical Disability Studies courses as a minor area of study
• UMBC Disability Access and Resources(DAR) check out other events here
• For Academic Accommodations DAR's Student Disability Services is a wealth of information
• Report a UMBC Campus Accessibility Concern via this online form and be an accessibility ally - this is after being a good campus citizen by bringing it to the attention of the responsible department, such as reporting a Facilities Management repair to 410-455-2550.
• Learn more about UMBC's Disability Studies First Year Seminar and American Sign Language courses.  
• Become involved with student organizations such as Sign of Life (ASL), UMBC NAMI (Mental Health), Delta Alpha Pi (Honor Society), DAU, Best Buddies, and more - look for them during Involvement Fest!

We look forward to celebrating with you all month long.  We ALSO celebrate Disability Pride every day, and especially in October, when more people are on campus.

This summer is a good time to revisit recordings from AOK Library’s spring workshops. Recordings are available for students who want support with research strategies, scholarly writing, citation tools, AI tools, and more.

Watch the recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/@umbclibrary/videos 

Need one-on-one research help this summer? Make a research appointment with a subject librarian. 

Want to turn your 'To-Do' list into a 'Done' list this Friday?

Join us to learn more about WAGs and how we can help you achieve your writing goals! 

GEARS and AOK Library presents Writing Accountability Groups for Spring 2026! 

• What: Writing Accountability Groups (WAGs) are voluntary and facilitated by fellow UMBC graduate students.
• Who: WAGs are composed of a group of graduate students (usually 4–8 participants per group) interested in developing writing habits and accountability.
• Why: Develop habits of writing every day for a short, manageable period of time by setting goals and being accountable to WAG peers.
• When: WAG groups meet once a week for 60–90 minutes for 10–12 weeks. The group finds a weekly time mutually convenient to all group members.
  
• Where: The group decides on a mutually convenient location to meet, whether in person or online via WebEx or another videoconferencing platform.

The UMBC Career Fair is on September 17 - ensure your resume is in top shape.

Join me for one-on-one resume review sessions to:

• Strengthen formatting and structure

• Highlight your skills and experiences effectively

• Tailor your resume for jobs, internships, or graduate opportunities

Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Location: Commons 318

Your resume is your ticket to opportunities—let’s make it shine.

Skills for Graduate Students is a new series of practical library workshops designed to support your research, writing, and organization.

This fall, we're offering four sessions: technical writing, systematic reviews, advanced literature searching, and managing your research process. Each workshop is hands-on, interdisciplinary, and open to all graduate students.

Interested in a session but can’t attend live? Register on myUMBC to receive the recording and slides after the event.

Find full details and sign up at the individual event pages linked below!

Technical Writing: Tools for clear and effective technical writing | Tues. 09/23, 3–4 PM