News & Blog

Have you ever read Bridge to Terabithia or The Hunger Games? Then you’ve read a book banned for its religious viewpoint.

What about And Tango Makes Three or I Am Jazz? They were banned for having LGBTQ+ characters.

American Library Association’s Banned Books Week is September 22 – 28. It celebrates the wide range of books that have been challenged in their own libraries across the nation.

If you would like to pick up your own banned book to read, we have a full reading list ready for you.

Read a banned book with us this week: guides.ucf.edu/reading-lists/bannedbooks

Welcome to the fifth annual Peer Review Week (PRW)! The theme for this year’s event is “Quality in Peer Review,” and will take place between September 16 – September 20, 2019. This global event was created to connect researchers in their quest to highlight and share the benefits peer review brings to scholarly communication.

From megalomaniac leaders to mass suicides, the word cult is an overwhelmingly negative one in popular culture. This series digs deeper by considering what draws people to such groups, how charisma is constructed, and how boundaries between religions and cults are delineated.  Each movie will be followed by a facilitated discussion by a religion and cultural studies faculty member.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

Facilitated by Dr. Christy Flanagan-Feddon

TheTrials of Muhammad Ali
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

The Trials of Muhammad Ali investigates its extraordinary and often complex subject’s life outside the boxing ring. From joining the controversial Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, to his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War in the name of protesting racial inequality, to his global humanitarian work, Muhammad Ali remains an inspiring and controversial figure.

Facilitated by Dr. Michael Mohammed Knight

Kumare
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.

Facilitated by Dr. Ann Gleig

Fall 2019 Movie series sponsored by the Religion and Cultural Studies Program and co-hosted by UCF Libraries.

Visit the Rosen Library to see our latest exhibit, We Are NSMH. This fun and colorful exhibit is curated by members of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). It showcases photographs and information about NSMH, which is one of the most active student groups on the Rosen campus.

Also included are applications, for those who wish to join the organization.

The We Are NSMH exhibit will run through the end of the fall semester at the Rosen Library.

Hispanic Heritage Month, established in 1988, runs from September 15 through October 15. It recognizes and celebrates the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to the United States. Florida in particular has a strong Hispanic legacy including the oldest inhabited city in the U.S., St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565 by the Spanish. UCF will also celebrate our new status as a Hispanic-serving institution which means more than 25% of our enrolled students identify as Hispanic.

Join the UCF Libraries as we celebrate our favorite Hispanic authors and books. Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured Hispanic Heritage titles suggested by UCF Library employees.

Featured Bookshelf: Hispanic Heritage

These 16 books plus many more are also on display on the 2nd (main) floor of the John C. Hitt Library next to the bank of two elevators.