Retired Archivist Is Still for the Records

It’s only fitting that Anne Turkos, archivist emerita of the University of Maryland, instantly recalls the exact date she joined the institution as assistant curator of archives and manuscripts 41 years ago. She’s a walking encyclopedia of UMD's past and an advocate for preserving it for the future.

After her promotion to university archivist in 1993 and until her retirement in 2017, Turkos led the digitization of The Diamondback student newspaper and Maryland Athletics’ film and video to expand access to the university’s history, among many other projects. 

“There’s really no point in keeping it if people can't use it,” said Turkos, who is still a devoted fan and supporter of Athletics, champion for University Libraries, and crocheter of bookmarks (which she gives away every Maryland Day).  

In this latest installment of the “Peer Review” video series, she reflects on her favorite projects and the joy of helping patrons find just the historic resource to answer their question.