History of DCDL

April 24, 2023

Program Specialist Joins DCDL

Keith Delk joins DCDL as its Program Specialist.

June 7, 2021

DCDL Welcomes A New Librarian

Brandt Van Unen joins DCDL as its Coordinator and Librarian.

September 24, 2020

DCDL Website Grand Opening

The DCDL website launched on September 10. The community celebrated with a Grand Opening program which included Deaf Poet and Storyteller Fred Beam, Deaf authors Dr. Brian Greenwald and Sofia Seitchik, and ASL singer Savannah Dahan as well as Howard County Association of the Deaf President Bridget McCarthy and Maryland Association of the Deaf President Richard Jeffries.

Montgomery County Public Libraries Director Anita Vassallo, Maryland State Librarian Irene Padilla and Maryland Governor’s Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Director Kelby Brick presented DCDL Coordinator Susan Cohen with the Pioneering Award for being the first Deaf Librarian in Maryland.

June 26, 2020

First Virtual Summer Read & Learn Program

Maryland DCDL sponsored its first virtual Summer Read and Learn program, “Stories to Tell: Read Classic FairyTales, Folklores and Contemporary Short Stories” by Sunshine 2.0, an RIT/NTID Educational Touring Theater Company, in a partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries.

May 21, 2020

First Virtual Deaf Author Talk

Maryland DCDL sponsored its first virtual Deaf Author Talk with Sofia Seitchik on May 21, 2020 in a partnership with Howard County Library System.

April 27, 2020

Accessibility Through Zoom Presentation

Susan Cohen, Librarian II of Maryland DCDL, delivers a presentation on Accessibility through Zoom to library staff through the Maryland State Tech Sandbox series.

April 26, 2020

ASL Classes Begin

Maryland DCDL sponsored its first virtual eight session ASL Class in a partnership with Montgomery County Public Libraries.​

December 5, 2019

Website Demonstration

Maryland DCDL staff and Eyeth Studios demonstrated the beginning of the work on the new website to library staff at the Maryland Tech Connect Conference to collect input.​

May 15, 2019

DCDL Turned 5!

March 29, 2019

Website Contract Begins

Maryland DCDL engaged a contract with Eyeth Studios, a Deaf woman-owned web development company.​

July 7, 2018

Statewide Survey Distributed

A survey was distributed statewide to collect information to help staff plan for the new website, training programs for library staff, outreach/marketing, collections and library programs.​

April 30, 2018

DCDL Staff Expands

Linds Phelan, DCDL's first program specialist, joins the staff.​

February 7, 2018

Library Staff Survey Distributed

A survey was distributed to library staff in 24 public library systems, represented by 23 County library systems including Baltimore City, academic and government libraries to collect information to help staff plan for the new website, collections, and training programs.​

October 25, 2017

DCDL Logo Designed

The new Maryland DCDL logo was designed by Suzanne Stecker, a Deaf graphic designer.​

Fall 2016

Temporary DCDL Website Launched

Maryland DCDL website temporarily hosted on the MCPL website launched.​

November 29, 2016

Friends of Maryland DCDL Hosts First Meeting

The first meeting of the Friends of Maryland DCDL met. The first members included: Kat Brockway, Anne Dillon, Gina Oliva, and Kristi Peters.

October 14, 2016

DCDL Advisory Board Hosts First Meeting

The Maryland DCDL Advisory Board holds its first meeting at the Germantown Library in Germantown, Maryland. The first officers included: Dr. Carolyn McCaskill, David Strom, Ricardo Lopez, David Payne, Tara Congdon Schupner (MDAD), Deborah Nathanson (Maryland Governor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing), Irene Padilla (Maryland State Library), Susan Cohen (Maryland DCDL Coordinator/Librarian II), Karen Miller (Manager, Germantown Library), and Nini Beegan (Maryland State Library).

June 2015

MCPL Selected to Host DCDL

The Maryland State Library selects Montgomery County Public Libraries to host, develop and manage the Maryland DCDL. Susan Cohen, Librarian II, leads the project as its first Coordinator.

May 15, 2014

Bill Signed into Law

The Maryland General Assembly passed the bill to create the Deaf Culture Digital Library. The Deaf Culture Digital Library Bill (HB 653) was signed into law by former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.

Source: Maryland State Archives
L-R Back Row: George Failla, Former Deputy Secretary of Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD), Andrew Phillips, National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Kathleen Brockway, Deaf author and advocate; Alice Hagemeyer, visionary library advocate; Charm Smith, former Maryland Association for the Deaf president; Lisa Kornberg, former Director of Maryland Governor's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; Sam Jones; Emily Ferren, DCDL Task Force member; and Raymond Conrad, DCDL Task Force member.

L-R Front Row: Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr, President of the Maryland Senate; former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, and Michael E. Busch, late speaker of the House in Maryland.

Absent: Alec MacFarlane, DCDL Task Force Member

August 1, 2013

Report Submitted to Governor

The eleven member task force, established to study the feasibility of the DCDL proposal, submitted a report with recommendations to the Governor on the Deaf Culture Digital Library.

May 22, 2012

Task Force Bill Passed

In the Regular Session, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill establishing a Task Force to Study the Establishment of a Deaf Culture Digital Library.