News & Blog

To address the evolving needs of students and the increasing demand for streamlined printing, copying, and scanning services, the Print Zone in the John C. Hitt Library has relocated to a more prominent and centralized location on the second floor. This move comes with several significant enhancements aimed at providing a more efficient and user-friendly printing environment. 

Over the past two years, the Print Zone has witnessed a surge in popularity, partly due to the utilization of Student Government print funds across campus since Fall 2021. With the closure of other printing locations on campus, such as the Student Union Computer Lab and All Knight Study areas, the demand for printing services at the Hitt Library has significantly increased. Long lines, insufficient Express Print PCs, inadequate furniture and space for staff to assist students, and not enough printing capacity during peak hours necessitated a better solution. 

As part of its ongoing commitment to providing cutting-edge spaces tailored to the evolving needs of its community, the John C. Hitt Library has unveiled its latest addition: the Hitt Maker Podcast Studio. This innovative space, located on the 2nd floor, is designed to cater to the growing demand for a space for podcast production among UCF students, faculty, and staff, further solidifying the Libraries’ role as a hub for creative exploration and collaboration. 

Equipped with state-of-the-art audio and video recording technology, the Hitt Maker Podcast Studio offers users the opportunity to easily capture both audio and video recordings of their podcasts. With features like the Rodecaster Pro II audio production mixer and the ATEM Mini Pro ISO video mixer, users can effortlessly adjust microphone levels, apply effects, and switch between multiple cameras or HDMI sources for a seamless recording experience. 

The studio can accommodate anywhere from one to four individuals in recordings, and up to seven in the room, making it ideal for group discussions or interviews. Additionally, users can utilize the space for recording voice-overs for video projects, enhancing its versatility. To facilitate smooth operation, the equipment is designed to be controlled by a producer or individual not participating in the podcast, allowing users to focus on their content creation. 

The UCF Libraries does more than just encourage academic passions and support research endeavors; it also sponsors a “Love your Libraries” sticker contest! Continue reading to learn all about the contest, how you can participate, what you can win, and examine some of the past winners’ submissions!

This upcoming spring, UCF Students are invited to submit original designs for the university’s “Love your Libraries” sticker contest!

Entries must be no larger than 4” x 3”, and should be submitted as an image file (TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, or GIF). The library will select one winning design that reflects the library to print and distribute during Finals Week (April 24 – 30, 2024). A winner will be announced through library social media and digital signs in the library. The winner will receive 25 printed stickers and an LED light displaying their design!

The contest closes on March 29th at 5PM.

Here are some rules to keep in mind:
– The contest is for UCF students only.
– One entry per student. If more than one entry is submitted by a student, all the entries by that person will be disqualified.
– Judges reserve the right to not select a winner due to limited submissions, or lack of exceptional submissions.
– Entries with explicit content will not be considered for this contest.
– Images may be subject to approval by UCF Marketing.

Submit your design at https://stars.library.ucf.edu/stickercontest/

Lee Dotson, Digital Initiatives Librarian and manager of STARS (Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship), UCF’s institutional digital repository, has been accepted into the prestigious Digital POWRR Peer Assessment Program for the year 2024. POWRR stands for Preserving (digital) Objects with Restricted Resources. This program is sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). 

The Digital POWRR Peer Assessment Program is an exclusive initiative that is designed to empower individuals to address the challenges of preserving digital assets, especially when faced with limited resources. Lee will engage with a cohort in a year-long comprehensive assessment process, collaborating to evaluate and improve digital preservation strategies and practices. Participants will work closely with peers and mentors, conduct an institutional case study, generate a longer peer assessment report, present findings through a final project showcase, and write a white paper that will be published.  
 

Participants also receive a participation stipend as well as a “Technology Start Up” award that can be provisioned towards helping to jump start digital preservation activities. 

Congratulations to Lee on this significant achievement! Her participation in this Program is an investment in both her personal and our organizational growth. The digital preservation skills acquired, coupled with her strengthened network and gained leadership capabilities, will contribute significantly to advancing the digital preservation efforts of the UCF Libraries and facilitate deeper collaboration with Special Collections and University Archives. 

LibTech will be performing a large inventory processing project during the Winter Break intersession and will need all items returned in order to process. Please note the following loan deadlines:

Certain Items will become available again in January at various points after they have been processed through the inventory project. All items, including Semester Loan Laptops, will become available on the first day of classes, January 8th at 7:30am. Please call us at 407-823-2384 to verify stock status prior to January 8th.

Please note the posted LibTech Operating Hours to ensure we are available to assist when you arrive as there are many early closures in the next two weeks.

Thank you and have a great break!