News & Blog

October is American Archives Month! And today, October 4^th, is #AskAnArchivist day. However, you can ask the archivists at UCF any questions any day so this year we decided to ask our interns, who may be archivists in the future, and employees about archives in general.

So first, what is an archive?

                “An archive can best be defined as a collection of significant items that are preserved for the purpose of research. There are many types of archives that have special subjects attached to them, but most are general in what is stored within them: publications, documents, ephemera, and even art. The history behind the items can help a researcher get to an understanding and answer questions that would otherwise linger as unanswered.” –Steven Trelstad, History graduate intern

                “An archive can be a physical place such as a large and insulated room in a library, museum or government building that houses its collections in boxes placed on shelves. An archive can also be an online entity where the collections are stored digitally.” – Bryan McDonough, History undergraduate intern

What’s your favorite thing about working in an archive?

                “I love how archives bring the past, present and future together.” – Kryslynn Collazo, History undergraduate intern

                “What I enjoy most about working in an archive is the ability to physically handle primary sources of information.” – Bryan McDonough, History undergraduate intern

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During spring and summer 2017, a total of 105 new electrical outlets were installed in the John C. Hitt Library.
Many are quads, meaning 4 devices can be plugged into the outlet. All have a USB connector. 9 are currently “in process”, almost completed. A few are “swap-outs”, replacing old outlets. But most are completely new, bringing power to seats where it was previously inaccessible.

24 outlets are on the 2nd (main) floor.
29 outlets are on the 3rd floor.
52 are on the 4th floor.

…Giving new meaning to our cheer “Go Knights! CHARGE ON!”

Work has been completed on the restrooms on the “Student Union side” of the John C. Hitt Library.

Restrooms on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors have been updated and upgraded to be more accessible.

Thanks to everyone for their patience, with the noise, dust, and inconvenience. It is great to have new restrooms completed as work continues on the 21st Century Library project.

Archival materials from Special Collections & University Archives were featured in the first episode of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s documentary The Vietnam War. This episode, titled “Déjà vu (1858-1961),” looks at events in Vietnam leading up to the Vietnam War. The filmmakers used several photographs from the “Archimedes L.A. Patti Research Papers, 1922-1993.” From the Patti collection’s finding aid:

This collection contains the research materials collected by Archimedes L. A. Patti for use in his historical writings. Known for his military career, his work in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and his relationship with Ho Chi Minh, Patti was recognized later in life as a respected researcher and historian on Indochina affairs. Notes, manuscripts, ephemera, photographs, maps, books and scrapbooks are held in this collection. Of important note are photographs given to Patti by Ho Chi Minh in 1945.

The collection includes photographs given to Archimedes Patti by Ho Chi Minh, then Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, documenting famine condition in Vietnam in 1945. Additionally, Patti wrote Why Viet Nam?: Prelude to America’s Albatross, published by the University of California Press in 1980.

Edit on 12/13/2017: We were happy to hear that The Vietnam War won the AFI Special Award.

Due to Hurricane Irma, the scheduled artist’s talk by Glenn “Marty” Stein for Wednesday, September 13th is cancelled. It will be rescheduled later in the semester. (more…)