News & Blog

Each year, UCF recognizes faculty across UCF who have made outstanding efforts to make their required course materials affordable. Provost Johnson presents the two AIM High Impact Awards, and the Knights’ Choice Award is presented by SGA. 

The 2024 AIM High Individual Award winner is Christian Beck, Associate Lecturer in the Department of English. Through collaborations with librarians and instructional designers, they created two open educational resources (OER). The first OER is Introduction to Medieval Literature for ENL 2012. The second OER is Introduction to World Literature for LIT 2110. Together, using these OERs instead of traditional textbooks have saved students approximately $90,000 since 2017. Our librarians Sarah Norris, Lily Dubach, and John Venecek supported Christian’s project, in collaboration with instructional designers Aimee deNoyelles and John Raible. 

As Christian Beck and other award winners shared insights during the panel at the AIM High event, he was asked what advice he would give to other professors looking to use more affordable course materials. Christian responded, “Talk to your librarians!” 

The 2024 AIM High Impact Group Award winner is the Biology Department. For their high enrollment BSC2010 and BSC2011 courses, they adopted the Biology 2e OER from OpenStax, making these gateway courses have zero textbook costs for students. Formerly, these courses assigned textbooks that were approximately $300. The group acknowledged instructional designer Jim Paradiso for his support through their project. 

The 2024 Knights Choice Award winner is Dr. Robert Borgon, Associate Professor in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. He has adopted library-sourced materials and First Day discount textbooks for his BCH 4024 and BSC 3403 courses. Luci Blanco, SGA Director of Academic Progress, represented students on the panel and shared, “It goes to show that students recognize the work that goes into this.” 

Contact Us 

For faculty interested in exploring affordable course materials, please reach out to our textbook affordability librarian, Lily Dubach, or your subject librarian to get started. You can also have us check if your textbook is available as a library eBook by using the eTextbook Check/Request Form. 

The University of Central Florida places a lot of emphasis on research for faculty and students alike. While the UCF Library has an abundance of resources available for student use, there is an underused research-minded service that many of us can benefit from.

Offered by UCF Librarians, you can sign up for a research consultation. Read on below to figure out what these meetings consist of and how you can sign up for one!

A Research Consultation is a one-on-one appointment with a librarian for extensive, in-depth research assistance.

The most efficient way to set up an appointment is to request a specific subject librarian. Subject librarians are essentially UCF librarians who specialize in a designated discipline, like computer science, nursing, photography, and so much more. These librarians are the most familiar with subject-relevant resources and thus are beneficial in providing instruction support for researchers.

You can schedule a research consultation by navigating to the appointment page and filling out the designated form.

Some things to keep in mind:
– Weekend appointments are not available
– Consultations are generally conducted face-to-face, but distance learners may be accommodated via telephone, online chat, or email.
– Please allow at least 48 hours for requests to be processed
– To accommodate entire classes, request an instruction session here: https://library.ucf.edu/services/instruction/

If you have any questions, feel free to ask for help in person at the Research & Information Desk, or call/chat using the Ask Us service.

We are delighted to share some thrilling news with you all! After much anticipation and planning, we are gearing up for a significant transformation within our library. That is right – the Fourth Floor is about to undergo a comprehensive renovation!

Closing for Renovation: June 1st, 2024

Beginning June 1st, 2024, the Fourth Floor will temporarily close its doors to make way for an exciting two-year renovation project. While we understand that this may bring some initial disappointment to those who frequent this space, we assure you that the end result will be well worth the wait.

What Can You Expect?

Picture this: a revitalized Fourth Floor boasting a brand new Tech Studio with podcasting and video shooting studios, more study rooms, new silent study area, and conference rooms designed to elevate your library experience to new heights. From cutting-edge technology upgrades to expanded study spaces, innovative learning zones, and breathtaking design elements – the possibilities are endless!

Temporary Changes

During the renovation period, access to the Fourth Floor will be restricted. However, fear not! The fifth floor silent study will remain fully operational and accessible to all patrons during construction.

Stay Connected

We are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way. Be sure to follow us on social media or check our website regularly for updates, sneak peeks, and progress reports on the renovation process. Your support and patience are greatly appreciated as we work diligently to bring our vision for the Fourth Floor to life.

A Future of Possibilities

As we embark on this journey of transformation, we invite you to join us in envisioning the incredible possibilities that lie ahead. Together, we will create a space where knowledge thrives, curiosity is sparked, and lifelong learning flourishes.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. We can not wait to unveil the exciting new chapter in the story of our library!

“Scholarly vs. Popular Sources” discusses the differences between scholarly and popular sources; it also describes different types of academic publications.

Click the link to view the video: https://vimeo.com/878776777

“UCF Databases Introduction” discusses databases accessed through UCF Libraries, which are used to narrow down the field of search by organizing free, online, and relevant research articles.

Click the link to view the video: https://vimeo.com/878770910