News & Blog

Join us each week this semester to learn about your library. First up we will detail which services and resources are available on each floor of the John C Hitt Library located on the Orlando campus, starting with the first floor.

First Floor

The first floor is partially underground so there are no public exits and one must go upstairs to the second floor to enter or exit the building. Most of the first floor has been recently refurbished and houses many collections and resources. For an online map of this floor, visit https://library.ucf.edu/maps/.

Restrooms

Restrooms are located near the newer section by the study rooms.

Join us next week when we cover what you will find on the second floor of the Hitt Library!

“We will…we will…rock you!” Homecoming 2022 is here Knights! Charge On!

Libraries faculty and staff suggested their favorite Homecoming related songs for the Knight community to enjoy. Check out our A side with the top picks, but don’t forget about the B side filled with the songs we just couldn’t skip. Links for Spotify and Apple listening options below.

A Side

• “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
  • Because the Bounce House is where the party’s at – Megan
• “Jump Around” by House of Pain
• “Sweet Victory” by David Eisley and Bob Kulick
  • This song is perfect for football halftime shows. It’s about striving for victory, is a 80s style power ballad, goofy, and just really fun. – Athena
• “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” by En Vogue
  • First En Vogue song I fell in love with back when I started college in ’92
• “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled
• “Ave Satani” by Jerry Goldsmith
• “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel
  • Beau
• “Moments to Remember” by The Four Lads
  • Recorded in four different decades and just gets better with time. It will never be “dated.”
• “Homeward Bound” by Simon & Garfunkel
  • It’s S & G!
  • Because Simon & Garfunkel deserve to be on a playlist. – Beau
• “Moondance” by Van Morrison
  • Martha
• “Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins
• “When Doves Cry” by Prince
  • Purple Rain soundtrack, purple was everywhere
• “I Want to Rock” by Twister Sister
• “Hot Fun in the Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone
  • it rocks
• “Come Sail Away” by Styx
• “Before I Let Go” by Frankie Beverly & Maze
• “Hook” by Blues Traveler
  • way back in time they played a Homecoming game at the Citrus bowl. The concert started right after the game on the field
• “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC
• “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli
  • I always love it when student “discover” classics
• “UCF Fight Song” by UCF Marching Knights
  • UCF Fight song always gets the crowd going
• “Crank That” by Soulja Boy
  • This was the hot song during UCF’s first year in the Bounce House. Played a lot when we played Texas
• “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson
• “Sara Smile” by Hall & Oates
  • I will always remember this song because it was playing when we walked into the homecoming dance in 1977. – Parri
• “How Lucky” by Kurt Vile and John Prime
  • A homecoming, of sorts. – Robin
• “Don’t Call Me” by SHINee

B Side

• “Keep This Party Bouncin'” by L.A. Ganz
  • Great party song from an amazing soundtrack (The Long Kiss Goodnight)
• “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite
  • When I started college way back in ’92 this song was so upbeat and fun! I still love it!
• “We Will Rock You” by Queen
• “Salem’s Secret” by Peter Gundry
• “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles
  • Hoosier (!) Hoagy Carmichael’s greatest song. – Beau
• “We Are The Champions” by Queen
• “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevvon
  • It’s a great song.
• “Thriller” by Michael Jackson
  • Martha
• “In Bloom” by Nirvana
• “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel
  • Remember the video vividly
• “Burn the House Down” by AJR
• “Pirate Looks at 40” by Jimmy Buffett
• “Zombie Nation” by Kernkraft 400
  • This has song gave the bounce to The Bounce House
• “Party Rock Anthem” by LMAFO
• “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes
  • It’s Jack White, nothing else needed
• “Cha Cha Slide Part 2” by Mr. C The Slide Man
  • I cannot dance so i love the instructions
• “UCF Chant” by UCF Marching Knights
• “Night Fever” by Bee Gees
  • Just a great dance song from homecoming 1978. – Parri
• “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” by The Decemberists
  • An epic tale of revenge that’s also a story of a homecoming, of sorts. – Robin

Beau’s Bonus Tracks

• “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” by Dinah Shore
• “Euthanasia” by Nick Cave
  • An altogether different kind of homecoming
• “St. Cloud” by Waxahatchee
  •  A metaphorical journey home (to Florida).
• “Two of Us” by The Beatles
  • IMO, the greatest Beatles album.
• “Miles from Nowhere” by Cat Stevens
  • Sometimes going home is a lifelong journey.
• “Home at Last” by Steely Dan
  • Any day can be made better with Steely Dan’s groove. 
• “Runaway” by Aurora
• “Take the Long Way Home” by Supertramp
• “Hello Earth” by Kate Bush
  • Thankfully, she’s been remembered as of late. Here’s another of her wonderful songs.
• “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac
  • Has nothing to do with homecoming, but features a marching band!
• “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie
• “Rollin Home Alone” by Jason Lyle
  • Sometimes you can’t go home

Spotify direct link: UCF Libraries Homecoming 2022 playlist

UCF Libraries is excited to announce the new Associate Dean of Academic Engagement, Tom Caswell!

Mr. Caswell received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Florida and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida. Since 2016, he has been the Associate Dean for public services at the University of North Florida, where he helped nurture public service areas through the uncertainties of the pandemic. He supported student and faculty research by serving on the UNF Research Council, Graduate School Council, the Undergraduate Research Advisory Council, and the Textbook Affordability Initiative. Mr. Caswell also supported diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education through membership in the UNF DEI College Collaborators, serving as the library liaison to the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and mentoring students as part of the Intercultural Center’s Connections Student Mentoring Program.

In addition at UNF, he facilitated the creation of two new faculty lines (Virtual Learning Librarian and STEM Online Learning Librarian) and reimagined five staff lines to support shifts in user needs while overseeing a robust research and instruction program that is responsive to the curricular needs of five distinct colleges comprised of over 17,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

Prior to UNF and over a period of 27 years, Mr. Caswell served in a variety of roles at the University of Florida, including several leadership positions, and culminating as Assistant Head Librarian, Architecture and Fine Arts Library.

Mr. Caswell has published and presented on library public services broadly and art librarianship specifically, with an overarching theme throughout of creativity and innovation in academic engagement. Mr. Caswell also has received two NEH grants to digitize the history and culture of our nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida.

When asked about what he anticipates most in his new position at UCF Libraries, he responded: “I’m excited to be joining a very dynamic team that is fully engaged in connecting users physically and virtually across library resources, services, and spaces.”

Congratulations, Tom, and welcome to the UCF Libraries family!

Effective February 28, 2023, UCF Libraries’ subscription to EndNote Desktop will end. While the desktop version licensed through UCF will no longer be accessible, there are a variety of options for those who wish to continue using EndNote. This includes using EndNote Online through the Libraries subscription to Web of Science or creating a free account through EndNote Basic. Individuals may also purchase their own license of the desktop version for personal use. Those who have already purchased the desktop version through a personal, individual license can continue to use it beyond the February 2023 date.  

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UCF Diversity Week is a celebration of our diverse community and an opportunity 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. UCF Libraries is hosting a series of events focused on diverse voices from the Libraries’ collections and at UCF.

Diversity Week Events at UCF Libraries:

Start Your Week Stress Free with Coloring
Monday, October 17
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library/Curriculum Materials Center
Downtown Campus Library/Rosen Campus Library

Learning about diversity and inclusion doesn’t need to be stressful. Kick off your 2022 Diversity Week experience with some stress free coloring. Relax near the Circulation Desks at the John C. Hitt Library, Curriculum Material Center (Ed Complex), Rosen Campus Library and Downtown Library (in Dr. Phillips Academic Commons) with crayons and our custom Diversity Week Coloring pages. Shout out to Gaby Gomez for designing the pages!

Graphic Novel Book Club – Pilu of the Woods
Tuesday, October 18
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Zoom

Join UCF Libraries in a engaging discussion about the graphic novelization of Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen. Don’t forget to read the book first! The link to an electronic version owned by UCF Libraries will be sent in your registration confirmation.

Register to attend at: Diversity Week Graphic Novel Book Club: Pilu of the Woods

A heartwarming story of friendship, loss, and finding your way home from debut author/illustrator Mai K. Nguyen!

Willow loves the woods near her house. They’re calm and quiet, so different from her own turbulent emotions, which she keeps locked away. When her emotions get the better of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods.

There, she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way back home—which turns out to be the magnolia grove Willow’s mom used to take her to. Willow offers to help Pilu, and the two quickly become friends.

But the journey is long, and Pilu isn’t sure she’s ready to return home yet—which infuriates Willow, who’s determined to make up for her own mistakes by getting Pilu back safely. As a storm rages and Willow’s emotions bubble to the surface, they suddenly take on a physical form, putting both girls in danger… and forcing Willow to confront her inner feelings once and for all..

Crochet Your Pride…Flag, with Gaby
Wednesday, October 19
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library 170

Learn to crochet a Pride flag (color options for rainbow, trans pride and UCF pride) as Downtown Library staff member, Gaby, takes you step by step through it live in this workshop.

Note this session is limited to 15 participants. A crochet hook and yarn will be provided. Please sign up using this registration link.

Live film discussion: The Revolution Generation
Wednesday, October 19
7:00 – 8:30 pm
John C. Hitt Library 402

Join UCF Libraries for a Live, in – person film discussion of the 2021 film The Revolution Generation!

The number of Millennials in the United States — those born between approximately 1978 and 2000 — is near 80 million people. They’re the most diverse generation in America, with 56 percent of them registered as politically Independent, and every single one of them will be needed if the planet is to avoid climate catastrophe. In THE REVOLUTION GENERATION, filmmakers Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell  spotlight a generation that has been mischaracterized, mislabeled, and mistakenly mocked.

Through interviews and highlighting a theory by authors/generational demographists Neil Howe and William Strauss that history can be viewed as a series of 80-year cycles — and within that, into four “seasons” that bring with them profound societal changes — the film shows the impact of the WWII Generation, Baby Boomers, and Gen X. But Millennials occupy a special spot: They’re creators of social tech and native digital users, are anti-corporate crusaders, are more empathetic than any previous group, and they now have to secure voting rights, equality, and the safety of the planet itself. Can they do it?

A kinetic, perceptive documentary of a generation and why they are who they are, THE REVOLUTION GENERATION is also, as Josh Tickell says, “A how-to manual for saving the earth.”

Open Heart, Open Mic
Thursday, October 20
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library – 402

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

Any original work presented at an Open Heart Open Mic event will be eligible to be listed in STARS KnightVerse. STARS is UCF’s digital repository designed to disseminate, publicize, and share works by, for, and about UCF. KnightVerse is the area within STARS for library related student work. After presenting, see the Open Heart Open Mic host for information about submitting your original work.

Color Your Story bookend decorating
Friday, October 21
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
John C. Hitt Library and Downtown Library

How would you color your story?

Join UCF Libraries at 3 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!

Locations:
– On Main Campus, outside the new Student Union facing entrance of the John C. Hitt Library.
– On Downtown Campus, Dr. Philips Academic Commons Library.
– On Rosen Campus, Library room 120F.

Virtual film discussion: Dolores
Friday, October 21
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Zoom

Join UCF Libraries for a virtual discussion of the 2017 film Dolores!

Film description:
Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century – and she continues the fight to this day, at 87. With intimate and unprecedented access to this intensely private mother to eleven, the film reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to social change.

Please watch Dolores before logging into the discussion session.

Register to attend the virtual discussion of Dolores at: Diversity Week Virtual Film Discussion: Dolores

You can also find film suggestions and puzzles on our guide at guides.ucf.edu/diversityweek