News & Blog

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!

You might recall that I briefly mentioned the CMC Library in a Spring 2023 post about study spaces. My feelings about it, unsurprisingly, remain the same: it is truly one of the best-kept secrets at UCF. The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) offers so much more than just a place to check out books or print documents. Read on below to learn more about exactly what you can do in the CMC!

The CMC contains a computer lab and other technology, helping to enhance learning by providing electronic resources. The library also has PreK-12th grade materials and YA books available for checkout. The CMC’s books are geared toward education majors, but everyone is welcome to make use of the resources. The CMC also has two study rooms available. One room is available at a first come basis, while the other must be reserved through libcal.

You may come into the Makerspace, where CMC staff will guide you through the process of engraving, scoring, cutting, and more. From graphic t-shirts to cell phone stands, from key chains to complex ornaments, the CMC truly encourages you to create to the best of your ability.

The CMC is located in the Education Building – Room 194 (in the corner between Einstein’s Bagels and the gym). For the fall and spring, the CMC hours are Monday-Thursday 8 AM-9 PM and Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM. During the summer, the hours are Monday-Thursday from 8 AM-8 PM and Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM.

If you’d like to learn more about the CMC, please visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – CMC in STARS!

We are happy to announce that the John C. Hitt Library and the Curriculum Materials Center has free activity kits for kids. Whether your little ones need something to do while you study or just want a fun take-home activity, please stop by the Circulation desk at the John C. Hitt Library or the CMC for a kit!

The kits include stickers, crayons, and coloring pages.

The CMC Library would like to thank the Orange County Library System for their generous contribution of Virtual Library Card logins for our School of Teacher Education students. During these remote instruction sessions, access to PreK-12 ebooks has become a priority. OCLS stepped in and has supported our students with this need. If you are a School of Teacher Education student and would like an OCLS Virtual Library Card login, please email CMC@ucf.edu. Logins will be provided while supplies last.

Join us for the 2019 total lunar eclipse! We start the fun on Thursday, Jan. 17 and end it with a late night viewing of the eclipse on Sunday, Jan. 20th.

Create a Moon Phase Calendar/Calculator
Thurs, January 17, 2019 12pm – 3pm
John C. Hitt Library
Main Floor

A free craft event to ring in the new year by making your own 2019 Moon Phase Calendar and Calculator. We will have a table set up on the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library starting at 12:00 noon for the DIY project.

New Insights into an Old Moon
Talk by Dr. Adrienne Dove
Thurs, January 17, 2019
3:30pm
John C. Hitt Library
Rm 223

Dr. Adrienne (Addie) Dove is a planetary scientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She received her BS in Physics from the University of Missouri in 2006, and her PhD in Astrophysics and Planetary Science from the University of Colorado – Boulder in 2012. She is passionate about space and space exploration (both human and robotic) and educating people about science and exploration. In July, 2017, Dr. Dove was awarded the Susan Niebur Award Early Career Award by the NASA Solar System Exploration Virtual Research Institute (SSERVI) for her contributions to the science and exploration communities.

Kights Under the Stars
View the total lunar eclipse
Sun, January 20, 2019
11pm – 1am
Memory Mall

For more information visit

“Knights Under the Stars” Public Event Schedule – UCF Planetary Sciences Group

Follow the UCF Robinson Observatory and Library on Twitter or Facebook for updates including possible weather delays or cancellations.

One of the fantastic things about UCF is the wide range of cultures and ethnicities of our students, staff, and faculty. We come from all over. We’re just as proud of where we are from as we are of where we are now and where we will be heading in future. Diversity Week, an Office of Diversity and Inclusion initiative, is the way we celebrate this.

Between October 15 – 19, UCF will celebrate our diverse community and provide opportunities to explore topics across the broad range of human identity, experience, and interaction. Diversity Week activities are intended to stimulate our campus and move us to a more inclusive culture. The theme for 2018 is A New Day Dawns.

As part of the UCF Libraries’ enthusiastic support of maintaining an inclusive space in the UCF community, we are offering many workshops and activities through the week. The workshops include a

• Zine Workshop
• a presentation on the DIVerse Families Bibliography
• two fiber art demonstrations
• henna art
• an open mic
• multiple days of film screenings
• how to start a family search.

The first of our additional activities is just inside the entrance to the library where students can add a sticky note saying what they hope tomorrow brings. The second activity is a map on the 3rd floor where faculty, staff, and students can place a pin in the area where they and their families have lived. The UCF community can also stop by the Curriculum Materials Center library in the Education Complex to view a display on the DIVerse Families Bibliography.

For more detailed information about the UCF Libraries Diversity Week events visit: guides.ucf.edu/diversityweek