News & Blog

UCF Libraries wants to see your design skills! Will you accept our design challenge?

Select one of the titles below and illustrate the cover for that book. The submission deadline is Sunday, July 26, 2020 at 11:59PM.

• Knightro and the Strange, Scary Pandemic Semester
• Knugget Takes a Vacation
• The Golden Vulture Strikes Again

For full contest rules and to submit your illustration, check out the contest page.

• Contests for UCF students only.
• One entry per student.
• If more than one entry is submitted by a student, all the entries by that person will be disqualified from the contest.
• Judges reserve the right to not select a winner due to limited submissions, or lack of exceptional submissions.
• Entries with explicit sexual content will not be considered for this contest.

The winner will be announced on Monday, August 3, 2020. Prizes include a #UCFLibraries water bottle and a limited edition Quiet Space Rubber Duckie.

From megalomaniac leaders to mass suicides, the word cult is an overwhelmingly negative one in popular culture. This series digs deeper by considering what draws people to such groups, how charisma is constructed, and how boundaries between religions and cults are delineated.  Each movie will be followed by a facilitated discussion by a religion and cultural studies faculty member.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.

Facilitated by Dr. Christy Flanagan-Feddon

TheTrials of Muhammad Ali
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

The Trials of Muhammad Ali investigates its extraordinary and often complex subject’s life outside the boxing ring. From joining the controversial Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, to his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War in the name of protesting racial inequality, to his global humanitarian work, Muhammad Ali remains an inspiring and controversial figure.

Facilitated by Dr. Michael Mohammed Knight

Kumare
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
3:00pm – 5:00pm
John C. Hitt Library 223

A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.

Facilitated by Dr. Ann Gleig

Fall 2019 Movie series sponsored by the Religion and Cultural Studies Program and co-hosted by UCF Libraries.

National Library Week runs from April 8 – 14. Join UCF Libraries as we celebrate the joys of librarianship and our patrons!

Read Stricted: The Dilemmas Surrounding Reading, Censorship, & Challenged Books
Monday, April 9
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
LIB-223

Please join us for a lively and thought provoking discussion regarding reading, censorship, and the history of challenged books to commemorate the start of National Library Week 2018. UCF Research and Information Services Librarian, Sandy Avila will discuss the American Library Association’s Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books of 2017 while providing some background regarding the history of challenged books from around the world. This session is open to students and faculty and no RSVP is required. Meet us at the John C. Hitt Library (main campus) Room 223 to learn more about banned books and the dilemmas surrounding their censorship.

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