News & Blog

Welcome to the seventh installment of 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 have known about!

Considering the majority of titles you can grab off of the shelves in the UCF John C. Hitt Library are academic journals and articles, it can difficult to find current, popular titles and YA novels.

While physical access to these novels may seem impossible, UCF actually has two sections in which you can find popular titles.

Read on below to learn about Knight Reads, New Books, and how to access the catalogs for popular titles!

You have access to two collections located on the 2nd floor: Knight Reads and New Books. Knight Reads is located across from the Java City, near the pond entrance of the library and New Books is located right beside the
Circulation Desk, near the Student Union entrance.

Both of these library sections/areas house current, popular titles. If you are looking for some of the newest fiction, non-fiction, graphic, and YA novels, please browse the catalogs and visit the displays to pick out a title! The New Books section, for example, has subjects ranging from photography, science, and history to poetry and biographies.

If you’d rather navigate from the UCF Libraries website, you can make use of the filters on the left-hand side bar. Open the “Library Section/Area” dropdown menu and select either “Knight Reads” or “New Books 2nd Floor”.

If you’d like to learn more about the sections and how to access their respective catalogs, please check out “Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Knight Reads & New Books” in STARS.

Welcome to the sixth installment of 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 have known about!

As a society, we are incorporating a new perspective on education, in which we value videos and films just as beneficial as textbooks and lectures. Documentaries, for example, do more than just entertain; they challenge our perspectives, educate us about important issues, and inspire us to take action.

UCF is no stranger to the value of academic videos, hosting a plethora of streaming platforms with free access to students.

In fact, videos are one of the best ways to provide a personalized learning experience. They increase motivation and can specifically impact students’ ability to facilitate discussions and identify problems. Learning through film is memorable, comprehensive, affordable, accessible, and inclusive.

UCF has partnerships with several video streaming platforms to bring these benefits to students for free! If you’d like to learn how to access these platforms (and their academic videos, documentaries, and films), visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Library Streaming Videos in STARS.

Welcome to the fifth installment of 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 have known about!

Are you working late on a research project, unable to find the exact resources you need? Do you think the only way to get help from a librarian is by walking up to the help desk? Think again!

Whether you’re too busy or simply don’t have time to run to the library, Ask Us provides virtual access to UCF librarians.

Available six days a week, the librarians staffing this service have the knowledge and expertise to point you in the right direction.

Ask Us is a free service for those seeking assistance with library and research-related questions from reference staff. The librarians staffing the service answer questions in-person, by phone, and online through email, instant messaging, and texting.

Simply navigate to https://library.ucf.edu/ask/ and select your communication method.

I had the honor of speaking with Dawn Tripp, the Library Technical Assistant in the Research & Information Services/Ask Us. During our meeting, she shared various tips and tricks regarding the service that many students don’t know about!

If you’d like to read further about Ask Us services, visit STARS – Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Ask Us.

Welcome to the fourth installment of 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 have known about!

Library Tips & Tricks

To new or casual users, the UCF library site can be overwhelming or convoluted, making it difficult to search for materials. We have several online resources to help with this, including video guides and virtual services, but this blog post will provide you with specific tips and tricks to clarify search results and more.

There are also various plug-ins and extensions that can help you with your academic research, something particularly helpful for off-campus students.

How to get better results from UCF Libraries

• Tip #1: Select a “search scope”
• Tip #2: Select what type of content you are searching for
• Tip #3: Use the sidebar filters
• Tip #4: Find search parameters
• Tip #5: Virtually browse
• Tip #6: “Ask A Librarian”

For full details on how to take full advantage of these tips, click on my full tutorial!

Welcome to the third installment of 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 have known about!

Whether you’re visiting the John C. Hitt library or simply walking through, you’ve probably noticed the latest exhibit on the art wall, as well as several exhibit cases. This display depicts the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year exhibit, and will be up until the end of January!

To join the festivities, UCF Library has curated a Chinese New Year exhibit, displaying information about the celebration, customs and traditions, Chinese astrology, and art pieces!

As you walk by the art wall, take a second to interact with the graphics! The posters ask you to stick a dot under your Chinese astrology sign, corresponding to the year you were born.

The UCF Library also had a “Make your own Chinese New Year lantern” on Friday, January 20, 2023, from 10 a.m. to noon. During this event, we came together to ring in the Chinese New Year by making decorative paper lanterns!

Visit STARS Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Lunar New Year to read the description of the festival and how UCF Library intends to celebrate with students!