Research Basics        

• Choosing a Good Topic

• Citing Sources

• Understanding Call Numbers

Understanding Sources        

• Evaluating Sources for Credibility

• Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

• What Are Primary Sources?

Finding Resources       

• Where to Search

• Searching for Articles

• Searching for Databases

• Using the Everything Search

• Find Primary Sources

For more topics, browse the full list.

“They are so understanding and supportive of everything…”

“There are certain steps we are taught to take that can solve just about any little issue.”

“You learn how to ask questions, get meaningful answers, make some mistakes…”

From left to right, Steven Nguyen, Ally Yang, and Adam Jawarish. 

In partnership with Maryland Traditions and the Maryland State Arts Council, the Special Collections department is excited to make available the Jason Pate collection. Special Collections student assistant Riley Auer assisted with the processing of the collection and prepared this blog post. Thank you, Riley!

Jason Thomas Pate (1915-1960) first aired his radio station, WASA, on May 15, 1948 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. It was the first broadcasting station between Baltimore, MD and Wilmington, DE playing 500 watts and eventually expanded to some 1500 watts before its sale to KME in 1992. After a sudden heart attack, Pate died in 1960 leaving two radio stations, WASA and WHDG, in the care of his wife, Virginia Forwood Pate Wetter. Although Pate Wetter had no previous broadcasting experience, she accepted the role of President of WASA (1960) and CEO of the Chesapeake Broadcasting Company (1985), parent company to WASA, and continued her husband’s legacy with the help of her son Jason David Pate.

WASA made its fame by establishing itself as an authority on folklife in the Appalachian and Chesapeake Regions. Influential artists such as “jubilee” singers the Little Wonders, banjoist Ted Lundy, country gospel singers E.C. and Orna Ball, singer and banjoist Ola Belle Reed (1916-2002) and her brother, guitarist Alex Campbell (1923-2013), also made frequent appearances performing traditional folk and bluegrass music. Reed and Campbell, natives of Ashe County, North Carolina, quickly rose to local fame by performing at various music parks, alongside other musicians, and on local radio stations, such as Pate’s stations. Reed later began a successful solo career leaving a legacy that has inspired artists such as Tim O’brien, Marty Stuart, Del McCoury, the Avett Brothers, and more. In 2015 Clifford Murphy, Henry Glassie, and Doug Peach published a book and two-part audio collection titled Ola Belle Reed and Southern Mountain Music on the Mason-Dixon Line (UMBC catalog record). The book and recording, based on research compiled by Glassie in the 1960s and recent fieldwork by Murphy, Glassie, and Peach, documents the careers of Ola Belle and Alex, and their many projects and contributions to the genres of bluegrass and folk.

A selection of materials from the Jason Pate collection:

Today a large collection recordings from WASA can be found within the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress, and, here, at the UMBC Special Collections. Thanks to efforts by Murphy, then the director of Maryland Traditions (the state's folklife program), UMBC proudly holds several Maryland folklife collections including the Jason Pate collection which features over 1,000 audio recordings from WASA and WHGD whose axillary contents include fan letters to Pate, club mailers, guitar lessons, artist posters, and more. After 2 years of careful photo-documentation, cataloguing, and detailed processing, the Jason Pate collection has been processed and is open to the public.

For more information about the individuals Jason Pate hosted on his radio shows, including those mentioned above, see the Jason Pate collection finding aid or contact the Special Collections department.

Reference list for the attached image, left to right, top to bottom:
Thank you note from “The Ernest Tubb Record Shops”, (Coll123_0364)
“Queen Elizabeth’s Cake” Recipe, (Coll123_1194)
January 10, 1977 Letter from E.C. Ball, (Coll123_0109)
Ola Belle Reed recording dated September 23, 1975, (Coll123_1051)
Ola Belle Reed & Maiwers Mountaineers Recording, (Coll123_0362)
“Beverly King Sings and Plays the Blue Ridge Hills” 45 record, (Coll123_1255)
“The Ralph Stanley International Fan Club” insert, (Coll123_0064)
View of “Campus Challenge, Tape #455”, (Coll123_0188)
Chuckie Reed, Ola Belle Reed + Friends recording dated July 10, 1976, (Coll123_1524)
“Flatpicking” sheet music, (Coll123_0055)
Interior of a tape container lid, (Coll123_0064)
“Mountain Music Shindig; Vol. 5, No. 5” mailer, (Coll123_0041)
View of “Mountain Music Shindig” tape container interior, (Coll123_0364)
“Stanley Brothers Old Time Tape Club” insert, (Coll123_0064)

OCSS is now accepting applications for the first-ever Commuter Engagement Community (CEC).  This is an opportunity for new, first-year commuter students who want to leave their mark on UMBC while benefitting local communities.

The Commuter Engagement Community parallels the experience offered by Living-Learning Communities in residence halls. This CEC is being offered in conjunction with the Shriver Center and will allow UMBC commuters to connect with one another while positively impacting their communities. The CEC includes a one-credit class component, bi-weekly meetings to discuss student experiences, and immersive academic and social experiences. The CEC will also give participants an opportunity to be mentored by upperclassmen commuter students who successfully transitioned into life as a UMBC Retriever.

Participation in the CEC requires:

• Enrollment in OCSS's PRAC 096
• Enrollment in SOC 396 or the SOCY 396 independent study section
• Completion of a service assignment in the local community (3-5 hours per week)
• Participation in social and academic events

If you are interested in applying for the CEC, please complete the attached application and submit it by Friday, August 11th at 11:59pm.  If you have questions for concerns, please contact Katie Weir, Coordinator for Commuter Engagement, at kweir@umbc.edu.

Consulting & Support

Any student, faculty or staff member interested in purchasing or getting the most out of an Apple computer can meet with knowledgeable DoIT staff in our Technology Support Center (TSC) located on the 1st floor of the Library next to the Retriever Learning Center (RLC). Individuals will still make their own purchases through the online Apple Store for education, but DoIT staff can help advise on configurations, or provide support on how to use or troubleshoot their current Apple devices. Department purchases will also be completed online using a PCard or purchase order (PO). In either case, anyone can try out an Apple computer at the TSC’s technology demo table or through the Library’s Laptop Loaner service (subject to availability).

Service & Repair

If consulting & support can’t solve a problem, DoIT will now provide service repairs for any Apple computer owned by UMBC students, faculty, staff or departments that is under warranty. Just bring the unit to the TSC, which will help triage the nature of the problem and coordinate the service repair request. Like any IT support request, individuals will be able to track the status of the service repair through a Request Tracker (RT) ticket confirmation email or by going to my.umbc.edu/help. They can also get a loaner unit until the repair is complete.

“...She did not hesitate to investigate the issue, identify options to solve them, and take the necessary steps to resolve the matter.”

“...went above and beyond, and her participation enabled a successful launch of this initiative…”