News & Blog

Every October UCF celebrates Diversity Week and for 2020 it runs from October 19 – 23. The theme is Stronger Together: Unified! Connected! Family! This highlights how together we can make UCF and the surrounding community stronger and more connected with each other.  

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.

UCF Libraries is offering a full calendar of virtual Diversity Week activities from family friendly crafts to talks by area experts and film discussions. Don’t miss out on our community showcase which features UCF alumni and faculty and how they support the Knight community. We even have digital puzzles and downloadable coloring pages. And you can also add your voice to the 2020 UCF story by participating in our digital time capsule. To learn about the upcoming events visit: guides.ucf.edu/diversityweek

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 UCF Celebrates Diversity titles suggested by UCF Library employees. These and additional books are on display in the new 4^th floor Reading Room.

And thank you to every Knight who works to help others feel accepted and included at UCF!

Featured Bookshelf: UCF Celebrates Diversity

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 be celebrating our status as a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) which means more than 25% of our enrolled students identify as Hispanic. Details on the HSI Week events can be found through the UCF Events Calendar.

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. These 10 books plus many more are also on display in the new 4^th floor Reading Room in the John C. Hitt Library.

Featured Bookshelf: Hispanic Heritage

This unusual summer semester has ended and we’re prepping for fall. It’s only a few short weeks until the 2020-2021 academic year begins. It’s certainly going to be an interesting semester. Please remember to follow the Armour Up, Knights campaign to help keep the UCF community safe. Wear your mask, wash your hands, and try to keep 6 feet between yourself and others. By supporting each other, we can come through this stronger on the other side.

Libraries staff has pulled together a few suggestions that cover a whole range of areas including college success, cultural appropriation, investing, and football. Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured Back-so-School titles suggested by UCF Library employees.

Welcome to the 2020-21 academic year!

Featured Bookshelf: Back to School

American history is a broad and varied topic. It ranges from the native inhabitants who formed communities here thousands of years ago to the creation of a new nation of states to the dreamers who immigrate to these shores today. America is us, the people who live, work, dream, hope and endure on these shores. It is shaped by our ideals and grows as her people do into the future we want for ourselves and future generations. The American dream is not static; it is what we want it to be.

The best way to make an impact and shape our country is to be an engaged citizen. There are so many options available to do this.

• Volunteer in local communities. VolunteerUCF can help you connect with an organization.
• Join a student group to make a difference here at UCF. The Office of Student Involvement has a list of almost 800 student organizations that can meet any interest.  
• Connect with your federal, state, and local representatives. You can let them know your opinions on pending legislation, volunteer, or even thank them if you think they’re doing a good job. Don’t know who your legislators are? Check out this list at USA.gov.
• Most importantly, if you haven’t done so already, register to vote. Find details for how to register in your home state at Vote.gov. If you’re a Florida resident, mail ballots are a practical option that are easy to request. If you’re an out of state student, absentee is the simplest way to vote. And pay attention to registration deadlines!

The more informed and engaged we all are as citizens, the better our country becomes. To help with being informed, UCF Libraries has suggested 20 books on American History. Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured titles.

Featured Bookshelf: American History

Ready to fly your flag?

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 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.

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.

Featured Bookshelf: LGBTQIA+ Pride

With the Libraries’ on remote resource access, the usual extended physical display isn’t available so we have created a list of ebooks and streaming videos that you can access from the comfort of your home.