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!

Publishing student work through journals and magazines is a difficult feat, often requiring rounds upon rounds of revisions. UCF has a way for you to share your work while providing you with tools to assist with the publication process. Continue below to read about UCF’s own digital repository. UCF’s Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship (STARS) provides access to works by, for, and about UCF as broadly as possible, and for as long as possible.

The intention is to provide free, open access to a worldwide audience. It is an institution-wide digital repository managed by the UCF Libraries. STARS is open to all faculty, staff, students, and affiliates of UCF, though student submissions may be subject to an approval process. STARS also documents library contest winners, most recently the “Love Your Libraries” Sticker Contest (which has already ended, sorry!)  

If you’d like to learn more about STARS and the types of materials you could upload, please visit Diamond’s Hidden Gems – STARS.

Congratulations to Lee Dotson for being named an Institutional Repository All-Star during the Digital Commons North American Conference 2021! Ms. Dotson is the interim department head for Technology Solutions & Digital Initiatives and has been the Repository Manager for STARS since it launched in 2015.

UCF’s Lee Dotson was one of four 2021 IR All Stars!

Ms. Dotson was introduced by Benjamin Gaunt, Digital Commons customer service representative, who described her as “…perhaps the busiest and most effective IR manager I’ve worked with — her repository contains literally hundreds of collections and has received over 5 MILLION downloads to date. This all-star leads the University of Central Florida’s STARS repository with extraordinary vision and collaboration — her tight-knit team at the library is known for bringing diverse, innovative collections on board and working closely with us here in Consulting Services to meet each collection’s individualized needs. As a result, I believe she may be one of the most knowledgeable and cutting-edge users of Digital Commons to date.”

UCF content creators, authors, and the community are the heart of STARS, UCF’s Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship, which exists to collect, share, and provide ready access to works by, for, and about the University of Central Florida. Explore the collections at stars.library.ucf.edu. For more information about how STARS can help you share your work with a worldwide audience, visit our STARS Digital Repository page or contact stars@ucf.edu

With over 5.3 million downloads since 2015, STARS helps authors reach a worldwide audience by providing an online home for open access content! STARS, UCF’s Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship, is the digital institutional repository of content by, for, or about the University of Central Florida. Everyday UCF authors use STARS to manage, share, and increase impact for their full range of scholarship while retaining the rights to their works.

UCF Libraries is building a digital time capsule, based on this year’s Diversity Week theme, Stronger Together: Unified! Connected! Family!

In this unprecedented year marked by COVID-19 and the continued fight for racial equity, we ask you to tell your story, share your voice, and be heard. Chronicle your connection to this year’s theme by contributing photographs you have taken, illustrations you have created, or text you have penned. You can influence how the present will be remembered. Share your message.

Submission information:

• Open to UCF students, faculty, staff, and UCF Alumni. 
• One submission per person. 
• Submissions will be digitized and housed in STARS. STARS is UCF’s digital repository to publicize, disseminate, and preserve works by, for, and about UCF.
• Submissions must be sized 8 ½” X 11” in a landscape orientation.
• Submissions formats are pdf, jpg, png, or docx.
• All submissions must be original work(s).
• Participants must submit a consent form granting permission for their content to be digitized and placed into STARS as part of the Qualtrics form.
• Submissions will be accepted August 1, 2020 – October 25, 2020.
• Sexually explicit content will not be accepted, and UCF Libraries reserves the right to omit any submission.
• All works will be placed into the digital time capsule as received; no editing services will be provided.

Submit at the Knights Stronger Together Digital Time Capsule Qualtrics form.

With almost 3,000,000 downloads in just five years, STARS wants to help you reach a worldwide audience by providing an online home for your digital projects! Faculty and students navigate a world where scholarship is increasingly digital. STARS, UCF’s Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship, is the digital institutional repository of content by, for, or about UCF. Through STARS, UCF offers authors a way to manage, share, and increase impact for their full range of scholarship, from open educational resources and podcasts to image galleries and journals.

Did you know you can shine a light on your scholarship by adding your works to the Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works collection? This collection was created specifically to showcase faculty contributions.  View the works and citations currently available and then login or create an account to start adding your materials. Your Author Dashboard will provide access to real-time download activity, alternative metrics, and usage reports on demand. Newly integrated PlumX metrics show you citations, media mentions, tweets, and more.

Need a new collection for your project? Let us know!

Questions about submitting works or your rights as an author? Email us at STARS@ucf.edu

Ready to see how STARS can help you shine a light on your works? Visit stars.library.ucf.edu