News & Blog

UCF Libraries has jumped wholeheartedly into Women’s History Month 2020 with the help of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and faculty from various disciplines across UCF.

Women First at UCF Project

Reception:
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
4:00 – 6:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library room 223

Exhibit:
Friday, February 28th through Sunday, April 19th, 2020

The Women First at UCF Project is a collaboration between Dr. M. C. Santana (Women’s and Gender Studies), Dr. Robert Cassanello (History), Mary Rubin, Eli Jimenez, and Christopher Saclolo (Special Collections & University Archives). In this interdisciplinary project, the exhibit team envisioned documenting the legacy of women who occupied a rank, position or graduation as first in their field. Our desire was to create awareness of the impact and work of hundreds of women in our university’s history.

The exhibit will be on display in the UCF John C. Hitt Library from February 28 through April 30, 2020.

The Women First at UCF exhibit reception is on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm in John C. Hitt Library 223.

Film: Filthy Dreamers

Wednesday, March 4, 2020
2:00 – 4:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library room 223

Join UCF Libraries for a film screening of the College Television Emmy award winning documentary, Filthy Dreamers. This student-produced project focuses on efforts to restrict academic freedom for women who attended Florida State College for Women in the late 1920s. Project faculty advisors Dr. Robert Cassanello and Dr. Lisa Mills with be joined by narrator Dr. Connie Lester to facilitate a discussion after the screening.

WomanFest 2020

Thursday, March 19, 2020
John C. Hitt Library room 223

Women in Academia panel – 10:00 – 11:00 am

UCF faculty members Dr. Linda Walters (Biology, Center for Success of Women Faculty), Dr. Amelia Lyons (History), Dr. Nessette Falu (Anthropology), and Dr. RoSusan Bartee (Educational Leadership and Higher Education) discuss their career paths, how to find a work/life balance, and their struggles faced and battles won as women in higher education. Panel moderated by Dr. Leandra Preston-Sidler (Women & Gender Studies).

Women and Body Image Workshop & Lunch – 12:00 – 1:30 pm – RSVP required

The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders will provide lunch and a presentation on body image, health, and wellness. Event is limited to 50 participants. Please RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womanfest-2020-women-and-body-image-tickets-89623264597

Women’s History Trivia Contest – 2:00 – 3:30 pm

How much do you know about women’s history? UCF Libraries and the Women & Gender Studies Program are hosting a rousing pub-style trivia game featuring questions about interesting women in history, female firsts at UCF, and songs by well-known female musicians. Make new friends as we play in teams. Will you come out on top?

Women in STEM @ UCF panel

Wednesday, March 25, 2020
11:00 – 12:30 pm
John C. Hitt Library room 223

Join the Libraries for a panel discussion focusing on UCF female faculty’s experiences working in STEM disciplines and hear what actions they would like to see to increase female student participation in STEM fields. Panelists are Dr. Adrienne Dove (Planetary Sciences), Dr. Charissa de Bekker (Biology), Dr. Azadeh Vosoughi (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), Dr. Helen Huang (Mechanical Engineering), and Dr. Candice Bridge (Forensic Science). Moderated by Sandy Avila (Libraries’ Science Subject Librarian).

The national celebration of African American History was started by Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and first celebrated as a weeklong event in February of 1926. After a half century of overwhelming popularity, the event was expanded to a full month in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

Here at UCF Libraries we believe that knowledge empowers everyone in our community and that recognizing past inequities is the only way to prevent their continuation. This is why our featured bookshelf suggestions range from celebrating outstanding African Americans to having difficult conversations about racism in American history. We are proud to present our top 20 staff suggested books in honor of Black History Month.

Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the Black History Month titles suggested by UCF Library employees. These 20 books plus many, many more are also on display on the 2nd (main) floor of the John C. Hitt Library next to the bank of two elevators.

Featured Bookshelf: Black History Month

November in the United States is Native American Heritage Month, also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. It celebrates the rich history and diversity of America’s native peoples and educates the public about historical and current challenges they face. Native American Heritage Month was first declared by presidential proclamation in 1990 which urged the United States to learn more about their first nations.

Join the UCF Libraries as we celebrate diverse voices and subjects with these suggestions. Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured Native American Heritage titles suggested by UCF Library employees. 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.

Featured Bookshelf: Native American Heritage

Join the UCF Libraries and the UCF Department of Anthropology in celebrating Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.  This is a traditional Mexican holiday when families and friends gather to honor and remember those that have died.  Typically on Day of the Dead, elaborate altars are created and offerings are made to aid loved ones on their spiritual journey.

Friday, November 1

11:00 am- 1:00pm, main floor
Dia de los Muertos Craft Table – color calaveras (skulls), and make marigolds and papel picado, which are often used to decorate altars honoring the deceased

1:30pm – 3:00pm, Library 223
Documentary film screening with introduction and discussion by Anthropology professor Dr. Beatriz Reyes-Foster

Days of the Dead: living tradition
With the arrival of the conquistadors, many ancient Mesoamerican rituals were absorbed into Christian holidays. This program examines a collection of sacred, social, and artistic traditions that survived European assimilation and now compose one of Mexico’s most important annual festivals. The film follows the travels and experiences of a young Purepecha artisan, her grandmother, and their family during the weeks leading up to the Days of the Dead. As these struggling craftspeople market their wares, study new techniques, and prepare for their deceased patriarch’s spiritual return, viewers will see a wide variety of folk art practices-from pottery painting to flower decoration to papier-mache skeleton sculpture-coalesce into a momentous cultural event.

For more information about Día de los Muertos events in the library and related UCF resources visit: guides.ucf.edu/dayofthedead  

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 14 – 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 2019 is Empowering Equity.

As part of the UCF Libraries’ very 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

• a bookbinding workshop (limited seating, reservation required)
• a presentation on the Diverse Families Database
• two fiber art activities
• henna art (limited seating, reservation required)
• an open mic
• three film screenings
• Accessible Spirit Splash

The first of our additional activities is just inside the entrance to the library where students can add a sticky note saying what we all can do to Empower Equity for All. 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