UMBC BookFest ’26

• Print on one of three letterpress printers, stitch your own pamphlet, create and swap zines, and browse a book arts display
• Pop inside the Baltimore County Bookmobile
• Buy or trade used books or select a wrapped “mystery read”
• Chat with representatives from the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled and Citizens for Maryland Libraries
• Give to Friends of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled
• Grab BookFest-themed swag and original Hilltop Print Shop prints

Lawrence Burney’s book No Sense in Wishing was selected as the 2026 OMOB as part of the America 250 theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform.” Burney will reflect on his essay collection, growing up in Baltimore, and his deep relationship to music with Assistant Professor of English, Chris L. Terry.

This event is co-sponsored by Maryland Humanities and the Dresher Center for the Humanities. Refreshments will be served. 

Praise for No Sense in Wishing 

• “A frank and joyous celebration of Black art as well as a musical coming-of-age story.” —Booklist
• “Earnest and engaging.” —The New Yorker
• “Fluid yet grounded, colloquial yet exacting, suffused with wit and warmth. In other words: unmistakably human.” —Vulture (Best Books of 2025)
• “A powerful collection of essays. . . . [Burney] succeeds at crafting a work that’s as much a poignant reflection on his life as an ethnomusical study.” —Rolling Stone

Join facilitators Allison Jennings-Roche (UMBC Alum and Associate Director of Digital Initiatives and Collections at The University of Baltimore Library & Archives) and Tif Sutherland (Calvert Library and Maryland Library Association) for a lunch-and-learn.

Participants will…

• Develop an understanding of the historical and political contexts fueling the current surge in censorship and attacks on libraries across the country.
• Learn how libraries, advocacy organizations, and library workers are responding to the threats posed by anti-democratic, pro-censorship movements and how they can support their local librarians.
• Identify and practice rhetorical strategies to respond to the spurious attacks on library workers and collections. They will also brainstorm practical actions that they can take to protect libraries, the freedom to read, and their local communities.

This event requires registration. Space is limited to 30 participants, so please secure your spot no later than April 20. REGISTER HERE!

Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act, passed in 2024, ensures that “library materials and resources remain accessible to the public and cannot be removed solely because someone disagrees with their viewpoint alone.” Book challenges and censorship efforts are still on the rise across our state and nation. What can we do to protect the right to read and to ensure access to our nation’s library services?

Join this timely conversation in the AOK Library Gallery on Thursday, April 23 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. We’ll hear from:

• Morgan Miller, Maryland State Librarian
• Stacey Nunn, Library Media Specialist, Southwest Academy Magnet School for Science and Engineering and finalist for School Library Journal’s School Librarian of the Year
• Christine Feldmann, Anne Arundel County Public Library
• Andrea Lewis, President of Citizens for Maryland Libraries
• Betsy Peisach, Maryland Public Television, Maryland Center for Media Literacy and Education

This event is supported in part by the Maryland State Library Agency. Refreshments will follow the program.