News & Blog

In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 16th, the UCF Libraries is highlighting its commitment to providing an inclusive environment with services and resources for all users, including those with disabilities. 

The purpose of GAAD is to raise awareness about digital access and inclusion for the over one billion people worldwide with disabilities and impairments. Digital accessibility enables those with disabilities to independently access and interact with digital applications and content. 

The UCF Libraries offer a range of accessibility services: 

• Document Delivery Assistance: Patrons with sensory or physical disabilities can request assistance in retrieving materials from our shelves. 
• Access to Digital Books via HathiTrust: For those unable to use printed materials, digital versions of books are available through HathiTrust. 
• Service Animal Accommodations: We adhere to policies regarding service animals and emotional support animals. 
• Assistive Technology Workstations: Specialized software and equipment are available on many of our workstations. 
• Support for STARS (Libraries’ Institutional Repository): Assistance when submitting digital scholarship and more. 
• Wheelchair Accessible Study Rooms: Providing accessible study spaces. 
• WCAG-Compliant Website: Our website adheres to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. standards. 

Our commitment extends beyond the library walls. We continue to work closely with campus partners like Student Accessibility Services and the Office of Institutional Equity to meet the latest accessibility guidelines, including the new Department of Justice rules requiring WCAG 2.1 AA compliance which applies to all web content and mobile applications. 

Rachel Vacek, Associate Dean for Technology and Digital Strategies, has experience working with and advocating for accessibility at previous institutions. She has been a driving force in changing the culture since arriving at the UCF Libraries in August 2023. 

“We need a more holistic and focused effort on accessibility and universal design within the Libraries, taking an accessibility-first approach looking across both physical and virtual needs. This reflects our dedication to continue making the Libraries the most inclusive and welcoming space for everyone on campus,” said Vacek. 

Other efforts in the Libraries include having employees on the UCF Council on Accessibility, providing accessible instruction and workplace accommodations, and advocating for vendor products to be accessible. The Libraries are also active in the Library Accessibility Alliance. 

In April 2022, an accessibility task force was created in response to the University’s Digital Accessibility Policy. Vacek has since transitioned the task force to a committee signifying the Libraries’ long-term commitment to accessibility and universal design, underscoring that accessibility is a continuous journey rather than a finite task. 

The UCF Libraries strive to support all users and we welcome your questions in-person at one of the service desks or by email at liba11y@ucf.edu. Review our full list of accessibility services on our website for more detailed information. 

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Books on display at the main floor of John C. Hitt Library include books that received honors from various book award bodies and written by Asian/Pacific American writers.

Books on display include:

• The Sympathizer: A Novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APAAL) and Edgar Award for Best First Novel
• Watercress by Andrea Wang APAAL Picture Book and Caldecott Medal
• Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, Newberry Medal.

Join UCF Libraries and Kimberly Wilmot Voss, Nicholson School of Communication, for a Women’s History Month Author Talk titled “Florida Fashions in the 1950s and 1960s” on Friday, March 25, 2022!

For decades, most metropolitan newspapers had fashion editors in their women’s pages and some of the best of these journalists were in Florida. Areas like fashion journalism were where women were making their mark for decades – attending fashion shows, writing about local stores and guiding their readers on fashion trends. They covered changes in swimsuit regulations, the wearing of pants in the workplace and the rising of skirt-lengths. These editors served as social critics and community connectors – while also having lots of fun.

Register for this free virtual event on Zoom

For further reading, check out a copy of Dr. Voss’s book on which this presentation is based,
Newspaper Fashion Editors in the 1950s and 60s: Women Writers of the Runway, from UCF Libraries.

Other UCF Libraries’ owned books by Dr. Voss:

Join UCF Libraries as we celebrate diverse voices in the Knight community. A series of events, virtual and in-person, are being offered during the month of October 2021. Register to attend with the links in the event titles. 

Diversity in Comics – virtual discussion 

October 12, 2:00-3:00pm 

Join us as we review various forms of comics and discuss the importance of representation in comics and graphic novels. 

Crochet with Gaby – virtual craft workshop 

October 14, 2:00-3:30pm 

Learn about crochet and get started on a beginner’s project with UCF Libraries’ Gaby Gomez. Don’t forget to pick up your crochet pack at the circulation desk at the John C. Hitt Library, Curriculum Materials Center, or Downtown campus library October 4 – 14 after you register (while supplies last). 

Open Heart, Open Mic – virtual 

October 19, 6:00-7:15pm 

Experience the creative works of Knights and friends around the world sharing what the Knight community means to them. Walk-in presentations are welcome! 

Color Your Story bookend decorating 

October 21, 10:00-11:30am 

outside John C. Hitt entrance and the Downtown Library lobby 

Join UCF Libraries at 2 locations to decorate bookends using paint pens, permanent markers, and decoupage as a way to illustrate your truth and lived experiences. Plus you get a great decoration to take home!  

On Main Campus: outside the new Student Union facing entrance of the John C. Hitt Library.  

On Downtown Campus: in the lobby of the Dr. Philips Academic Commons.  

In the event that in-person activities are not suggested for health and safety reasons, we will have craft packs for bookend decorating available for pick up the week of the event at the Circulation desks in the John C. Hitt Library, Curriculum Materials Center, and Downtown Campus Library (while supplies last). 

Graphic Novel Book Club – Butler’s Kindred, virtual discussion 

October 26, 6:00-7:00pm 

Join UCF Libraries in an engaging discussion about the graphic novelization of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. Don’t forget to read the book first! A link to the UCF Libraries’ electronic version will be available in your registration confirmation. 

For full details and registration links: guides.ucf.edu/diversityweek 

Pride Month has arrived!

While every day is a time to be proud of your identity and orientation, June is that extra special time for boldly celebrating with and for the LGBTQIA+ community (yes, there are more than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender folx in the queer community). June was chosen to honor the Stonewall Riots which happened in 1969. Like other celebratory months, LGBT Pride Month started as a weeklong series of events and expanded into a full month of festivities.

2021 is also the 5^th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 members of our community were murdered on June 12, 2016. On the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library there will be display cases with items from the University Archives relating to Pulse memorials as well as a display wall honoring the lives lost. Both of these library memorials were created in partnership with UCF LGBTQ Services. UCF will also be hosting several events in June to help the community remember, grieve and grow stronger. Full listing of UCF events is available on the Pulse Remembrance event calendar.

Additional Pulse memorial events will be hosted by the onePULSE Foundation. An memorial archival collection from the first anniversary of the shooting can be found as part of the Resilience: Remembering Pulse in the STARS Citizen Curator collection.

In honor of Pride Month, UCF Library faculty and staff suggested books from the UCF collection that represent a wide array of queer authors and characters. Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links. There is also an extensive physical display on the main floor of the John C. Hitt Library near the Research & Information Desk.

Featured Bookshelf: LGBTQIA+ Pride Month