News & Blog

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!

UCF Libraries has more than just technological devices, research journals, and novels available for checkout. In fact, if you need something a bit more hands-on, the circulation desk is a good place to go to request such materials. As you find home in the study spaces throughout the John C. Hitt Library, you can utilize anatomy models, whiteboards, dry-erase markers, and erasers! These materials are available for check-out at the Circulation Desk near the study union-facing entrance of the John C. Hitt Library.

Here are some ground rules to remember:

• Use of all whiteboards is open
• There is no reservation system for whiteboards
• Only use dry-erase markers on the whiteboards
• The equipment cannot be taken to other floors of the library
• There are whiteboards available on all floors  
• Please be considerate in sharing with others!

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!

Research is an important aspect of any college career, exposing you to the questions and information that have captured the attention of your field of interest. UCF Libraries has a variety of online resources, specifically designed to support your research assignments. One such resource are Research Guides. Research Guides can be subject or even course-specific, helping to direct students through the research process.

Within the guides, there are lists of recommended books, media, journals, databases, websites, and more. These guides are intended to help you narrow down some of the pathways through which you can find research information, helping to keep results specific to your selected study or course. The guide also provides information for your subject librarian, in case you’d like to contact them for assistance.

For additional information, comments, or questions, please feel free to Ask Us!

If you’d like to learn more about research guides and how you can access them, please visit “Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Research Guides” in STARS!

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!

You might recall that I briefly mentioned the CMC Library in a Spring 2023 post about study spaces. My feelings about it, unsurprisingly, remain the same: it is truly one of the best-kept secrets at UCF. The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) offers so much more than just a place to check out books or print documents. Read on below to learn more about exactly what you can do in the CMC!

The CMC contains a computer lab and other technology, helping to enhance learning by providing electronic resources. The library also has PreK-12th grade materials and YA books available for checkout. The CMC’s books are geared toward education majors, but everyone is welcome to make use of the resources. The CMC also has two study rooms available. One room is available at a first come basis, while the other must be reserved through libcal.

You may come into the Makerspace, where CMC staff will guide you through the process of engraving, scoring, cutting, and more. From graphic t-shirts to cell phone stands, from key chains to complex ornaments, the CMC truly encourages you to create to the best of your ability.

The CMC is located in the Education Building – Room 194 (in the corner between Einstein’s Bagels and the gym). For the fall and spring, the CMC hours are Monday-Thursday 8 AM-9 PM and Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM. During the summer, the hours are Monday-Thursday from 8 AM-8 PM and Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM.

If you’d like to learn more about the CMC, please visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – CMC in STARS!

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!  

The UCF Libraries is delighted to announce the latest addition to their streaming video offerings: PBS Videos via Alexander Street. As online instruction has become commonplace, so too has the demand for quality streaming videos. Access to academic videos supports faculty and students in teaching, completing assignments, or developing a better understanding of complex concepts. PBS Videos are a fantastic addition to the sources the UCF Library provides for educational videos!

PBS, short for the Public Broadcasting Service, is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial television network. PBS has a strong reputation for creating programming and content to educate, inspire, entertain, and express a diversity of perspectives. They are particularly well known for documentary-series such as NOVA, American Experience, FRONTLINE, and Ken Burns productions. PBS documentaries open new worlds, news programs that keep citizens informed on world events and cultures, family-friendly content that informs children, and programs about the worlds of music, theater, dance, and art.

Through UCF, you have access to the PBS Video Collection: Fourth Edition. This collection of more than 1,600 streaming videos provides an exceptional range of content: from science to history, art to Shakespeare, diversity to business & economics, and more. You can find a link to the PBS Video Collection on the Libraries’ Database List or can use this URL: https://guides.ucf.edu/database/PBSVideos4

Welcome to Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not know about!

With so much focus on research and academic writing in our college careers, there is one vital piece of information that is rarely ever brought up: the types of scholarly documents. While this may seem like elementary information for some of you, I doubt most of us entered college knowing about periodicals. Below, I provide a run-down of all the terminology you need to know to make your research much easier.

• A periodical is any publication that comes out regularly or occasionally.
• A magazine is a periodical with a popular focus, aimed at the general public, and containing news, personal narratives, and opinions.
• Magazine articles are the individual stories or reports that are inside the overall magazine. They are often written by professional writers who may not have formal expertise in the subject.
• A journal is a scholarly periodical aimed at specialists, researchers, and students.
• Journal articles are the individual research papers that make up the larger journal. They contain original research, conclusions based on data, footnotes or endnotes, and often an abstract or bibliography.

Though magazines and journals are both periodicals and contain articles, there are vital differences between the two that you must understand in order to complete your research accurately. If you’d like to learn more about these types of documents and the distinctions between them, please visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Journals vs. Articles in STARS!