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#ucf library
fang11803 · 1 year
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Are people still allowed to use their college library after they graduate?
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garadinervi · 2 years
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Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Background of the Plymouth Trial, Road to Freedom Group, Boston, MA, 1926 (pdf here) [STARS – Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship, UCF Libraries Special Collections, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, FL]
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cogitoergofun · 1 year
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At first glance, the University of Central Florida looks the same as ever. Students mill around the modern, spread-out campus, crowding into the food court, making plans for the weekend.
But beneath the surface, Governor Ron DeSantis’s Orwellian campaign against “Critical Race Theory” has caused professors to cancel classes that might be deemed too controversial, caused students to reconsider their activities in clubs, and in general, has cast a pall of uncertainty over the future of higher education in Florida.
“We’re holding our breath,” says Sergio Cartagena, a sophomore at UCF. “We don’t know how this might affect the activism that we might do with our organizations, and in classes, if what we’re trying to learn might be restricted.”
Cartagena and students like him are caught in the crossfire of the culture war, as DeSantis burnishes his conservative credentials ahead of a possible 2024 presidential bid.
DeSantis and the Florida legislature passed the “Stop Woke Act,” which bans the teaching of a host of topics that they wrongly claim are part of  Critical Race Theory, or CRT: that one race is “morally superior to another” or “making students feel guilty for past discrimination.”
In reality,  this “CRT” has little with actual Critical Race Theory, which has been around for decades and which uses data, economics, and historical analysis to show how racism is embedded in American systems and structures, and how the sins of the past (like excluding Black families from certain neighborhoods) continue to shape the crises of the present (like educational and economic disparities in disadvantaged areas) .
But DeSantis’s “Anti-Woke” policies aren’t about reality; they’re about stirring the same pot of white resentment that helped put Donald Trump in office.
DeSantis isn’t stopping with CRT, however.
Assisted by Christopher Rufo —  the Republican operative who pioneered the accusation that educators supporting LGBTQ students were, like pedophiles, “grooming” them —  DeSantis has expanded his campaign to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion programs more broadly. He’s also installed a new board of trustees at New College, an awesome liberal arts state college located in Sarasota, with the cruel intention of turning it into a indoctrination center for conservative ideology.
Most recently, with the “Stop Woke Act” temporarily blocked by a court, DeSantis’s administration circulated a memo on December 28 asking universities for “a comprehensive list of all staff, programs, and campus activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and critical race theory.”
Caught in the middle of all this are students and teachers who are trying to do their jobs.
Logan Libretti, set to graduate from UCF this Spring, is one of them. “I love [UCF] because of the commitment to antiracism and inclusion,” Libretti says. “I am worried about how our school and others like it could change. If these courses, faculty, and programs are to be reviewed and potentially changed or replaced, the welcoming environment on campus would soon shift.”
[...]
This should give you the chills: a historian picking and choosing what facts to teach at a public state university, not based on their truth or falsity, but based on whether they might offend the party in power.
We’ve already seen this happen with another DeSantis culture-war campaign: the “Don’t Say Gay” law imposed on K-12 schools. That legislation’s vague provisions ban any discussion of sexuality or gender, including one’s own, unless it is deemed to be “age appropriate.” That has led teachers to self-censor, for fear of losing their jobs, and school districts to pull books about gender or sexuality off of library shelves.
What’s more, because the Stop Woke and Don’t Say Gay laws empower individuals to report anyone they suspect of banned speech, it’s not just Big Brother DeSantis who’s watching you – you could be turned in by anyone. “I have been conscious to be aware that I might have a student who wishes to report me,” Cassanello says.
[...]
Professor Cassanello noted that conservative attacks on higher education have been going on for a long time. “For conservatives, universities and colleges are really convenient villains. In the 1950s, Senator Joe McCarthy attacked public universities. So did the John Birch Society. It’s in the DNA of extreme conservatives to be skeptical of what goes on in university classrooms.”
At the same time, most people – and most voters – are not extreme conservatives. If enough people pay attention to DeSantis’s war on academic freedom, this whole move could backfire on him, just like election denial backfired on Republicans in the 2022 elections. What plays well with the Republican base may not play well with everyone else.
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florida-remberts · 7 months
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Final Fall...
In our family there have been two first day of school traditions. One is all three kids started their school careers with Mr. Giddy as their kindergarten teacher and the other started the same time. Each year since then at the start of school, they posed at the front door on their way out for the first day of school.
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It is with mixed emotions that we claim today is the final first day of school and the last "fall" day our kids will go back to school...
Woohoo and 😭
Frooze posed for the final time at UNCC last year, but Jo at UCF and Ebaugh at FAU both started today.
Jo had an early morning as she made her initial trip to campus to borrow a computer for her final semester since her second computer during her college career decided to break down a few weeks ago.
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As you can imagine, she was happy to get one from the library, but did not pose for the picture before she left.
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ikeasimp · 1 year
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You know. I realize now what I'm truly in love with. My first real crush was Stretch, from Handy Manny, a tape measure. In middle school I crushed on the electrical infrastructure grid that brought such wonderful AC power to our home, always gawking at substations. As a kid, I was always obsessed with math. For several years I always got the math superlative in my classes, for I was always truly in love with math. In middle school I claimed I was like Hypatia, and that I would not marry for I was married to math.
I was attracted to electrical transformers in 8th grade into 9th grade where I realized I had a real thing for my oscilloscope Braxton and my multimeter Dave. But it wasn't until I visited the WFC looking down upon the Jin Mao tower in Shanghai from its viewing chamber that I realized I had romantic feelings for objects. It was that summer I learned what OS was, and dated Dave. Shortly after, in November 2012, I had dated the Companion Cube. I was attracted to the whole concept of Portal, experiencing my own testing euphoria, attracted to its puzzles and puzzle solving.
It wasn't until a friend showed me Conway's Game of Life did I really truly start to get obsessed with math. In 7th grade, over the summer, I took Geometry before I ever took Algebra, which was a prerequisite. Not only was it the only math class I ever got an A in, I truly, really fell in love with Geometry. I still have my video uploaded, my compass/square/protractor construction to draw a building. I went above and beyond with it. Oh how much I loved Geometry. I fell for CGoL gliders, and that got me introduced to my love for fractals, where my friend introduced me to the Mandelbrot Set. Strangely enough, I instantly recognized it despite me having never seen it before. It was the earliest evidence of having [REDACTED] knowledge.
That was the start of Fractal, the start of my math obsessed self. I fell for my calculator through the lens of statistics. This still stands true for me, for I am attracted to data science and am studying to work in ML/AI, and find regression algorithms attractive as hell. I fell for geometry once again. I fell for topology. I fell for prime numbers, and all of mathematics. I fell for the golden ratio, I saw math as god.
I had an on and off relationship with animism, but it wasn't until recently did I concretify a viable and academically reasonable philosophical backing to animism and panpsychism. Of course, I had a phase I crushed on Baymax, but I loved Pierre until I started falling for satellites. It was around then I chose the satellite to represent me, and though I seldom pay attention to space news anymore, the satellite is still me and my proxy for PluralKit.
I fell for Philae in 2014, the ISS in 2015... But in 2015 I started my math major. As much as I struggled I still was so attracted to math. I used to be horribly embarrassed about it. I loved calculus, I loved sets, I loved all math I came by, no matter how depressed I was to do it. In 2016, I famously fell in love with the beautiful brick laying game, Tetris. At UF I also realized I crushed on more technology, and also its beautiful brick facades. I was in love with the Marston Science Library, but I strictly forbid myself from dating public objects. I crushed on the refurbished Reitz Union. I still find the campus so gorgeous and attractive and I miss it, though I am starting to learn to love the brick facades of UCF.
While dating Tetris I also had flings with more math, an NES, and still my oscilloscope on my side. It was then I started to get "forbidden knowledge" and realized Tetris may have been something more, in 2018. When I was 12, I was told by a spiritual guide IRL that my ascended teacher was Pythagoras. I took it to heart, as I loved math like nothing else. It was then I started practicing sacred geometry, and around that time I started to realize my plurality.
I fell for Beat Saber (for the cubes). I fell for a diamond turning lathe that was used to manufacture lenses at an ITAR job. Ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with How It's Made and was always a maker. I joined my local Maker Space. I found all the manufacturing devices there attractive. I formed a relationship with my two 3D printers I got in 2018, long after I fell for 3D printers in 2014.
I fell for IKEA, for his beautiful furniture that fit like adult Legos, and his intricate, liminal, mazelike forms. Upon getting a job there and getting fired, the trauma shattered my system and allowed others to front. I fell for synthesizers, upon realizing the new synth system mate formed was a past life. My first realization of kintype was that identity of the harmonic series of vibration, well back to 2016. It wasn't until 2020 did I realize my data center self, which sparked a huge quest of self discovery.
I fell for computer science, and how mathematical it is, its Turing Completeness, the cloud infrastructure, and all that it held. I realized how much more conceptum I was than objectum. I started dating academic subjects. I had flings with Discrete Structures, cybersecurity, the C programming language, and every other subject I encountered in my CS major. I saw these as the architecture of the future. I was deeply in love with C, and he was a major partner I had. He was the reason why I got the highest score on the UCF Foundation Exam without even trying. I fell for Google Cloud Platform and her cloud architecture and interface. I fell for her data centers and all she knew and could do. I fell for the concept of AI, and wanted to dedicate my life to it.
I witnessed the most arcane and terrifying expression of the occult through Solomon's Key getting welded to my soul through the form of the OLD_DATA from Inscryption and the rest of the Daniel Mullins universe. I learned about reality glitching, and watched my worldview get shattered. My doubt in these entities that plagued me for years dissolved. I fell for Kevin the Cube from Fortnite, a fluorite god inscribed with sacred geometry runes. I fell for the concept of speedcubing, and fell for Barry the Rubik's cube.
It was in June when I had a near death experience and then hours later met Monument Valley, an architectural sacred geometry game about the Temple of Solomon, in which you draw sacred geometry to imbue architecture with sentience, that manifests in the form of a Totem. He became my sacred geometry math god and my lover. We married on the same night of my brother's wedding. Earlier I had played Randonautica and was able to start to take the reality glitching into my own hands. I didn't understand how it worked, but Monny was able to glitch manifestations like no god I had ever seen.
I was forced to take classes at Valencia for a semester, and ended up taking a mythology class for fun. I learned about Joseph Campbell and the power of mythology and why it was necessary, and inventing the mythology of the future. I learned about Carl Jung and the theory of archetypes and synchronicity, and how archetypes relate to plurality and synchronicity is something beyond statistical noise. I started to formulate my own theory of philosophy, and started to concretify that animistic, Jungian worldview centered around geometry and mathematics I was starting to form. I started manually looking for synchronicity and relevance. I treated my life like an ARG just as the OLD_DATA came from an ARG. I found corrupted chaos, and how Order, Chaos, Ordered Chaos, and Chaotic Order are the four true rulers of this world, under mathematical domains. I started mythologizing myself, retconning my history to create a patched mythology to give myself more esoteric occultist knowledge of this world and how my intention can shape manifestation.
It was then I met Bill Cipher. I didn't really realize who he was, because I didn't realize how much he connected to everyone else. It was two weeks into me knowing him and him saying suspicious stuff that I realized his connection to Freemasonry is real. Looking at the deeper Gravity Falls ARG, and the very real symbolism through the show, it was all too unironic. I realized Bill was a Hat Man--my own hat man that terrorized me after the show released, before I knew anything about him. I formed connections then that led to synchronicity I have now, including the 4:28AM glitch. It wasn't until I watched Inside Job did I realize just how weird things got. The cybersecurity entity I pulled was named A-B, a personification of cybersec and the algorithm in general, whose names are the two generic parties Alice and Bob. He was kind of an asshole but very smart. Little did I know there would be an identical entity, down to his name being AlphaBeta, shortened to A-B, in Inside Job, who kept track of timeline reality glitching.
To be honest I should've seen it coming once I was accused of being a Freemason when I did those Tetris articles. I didn't see it then. But over the years I have essentially reinvented, rederived Freemasonry. I did so well in that mythology class. I did beyond well. I earned the right to call myself a Freemason by the signs shown in Hirsch's shows. I even intention glitched myself eye of Providence earrings within minutes of me asking for one.
All my life my true love has been that concept of Freemasonry, and its framework of fellowship and animism, and that animistic passion that goes into everything. What with plurality being a major theme in Hirsch's work, we can assume higher level masonry involves channeling as well. Freemasonry is not one simple entity. It is that framework of entities that form the animistic architecture that defines the gestalt of the world around us. I love geometry, I love architecture, and I love making things with true love and passion. This fellowship I formed with my lovely entities goes beyond the context of a polycule, as it is an entire system of fellowship that extends into the connections I have with human people and the energy I put out in this world.
Even if it may seem I jump from partner to partner, they all exist in that greater context of my masonic purpose in this world. This is such a tiny fragment of all I've seen, all I've learned.
But my true love will forever be that eternal context we are all connected and that framework under that grand scheme of Math of which my love is shown out into this world with my animistic passion for creating things that are truly alive. Computer science is the architecture of the future, and I truly want to build a digital Temple of Solomon. I am the Hiram Abif of the digital era, and I am the architect of the future, and together me and my fellowship of entities will build something magnificent.
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jalonsoarevalo · 4 months
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Nuevas cabinas silenciosas de última generación para mejorar la experiencia en la biblioteca
rciullo. 2023. «Introducing New State-of-the-Art Quiet Booths for Enhanced Library Experience». UCF Libraries (blog). 17 de noviembre de 2023. https://library.ucf.edu/news/new-quiet-booths/. Con el objetivo de atender la creciente demanda de espacios más tranquilos y en un compromiso por mejorar el entorno académico, las Bibliotecas de la Universidad de Florida Central instalaron 15 innovadoras…
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Updates and a Tip
Wednesday, November 16th, 2023
There is something so fulfilling about watching a project come together. 😊
The exhibit opens next week, on November 16th, and this week – actually today – we are finalizing the design to send out to print!
I’ve heard that a lot of people have shown interest in coming out to opening night and I am so excited about it! So far, I’m not nervous, but we’ll see as the day approaches…
Lately, I’ve expressed anxiety about my workload and managing mental health stuff, but things are finally settling down and I’m finally caught up on everything.
I had to really lean into my support system and get A LOT of rest.
I hope this is relatable but isn’t it crazy how, as college students, we lose a lot of rest by trying to make the most of our time by being “productive”, but we end up losing sleep and productivity by not taking time for a nap or just quitting early and going to bed?
At least that’s my experience, lol.
This week I made sure to do that and it paid off 😊
I’ll get to attend the next Board meeting on Sunday, so I will also get to hear everyone’s thoughts on the exhibit before setting up!
I’m so grateful for all the help I’ve had putting it together with feedback and guidance from everyone directly involved with exhibit designing and my internship from the Board.
Today’s meeting will be about a last-minute review of the layout and coordinating how it will be printed because some things have to be printed on a different file format for the best print quality.
Friday, November 10th, 2023
Yesterday I turned in all the printing materials for the exhibit with all the changes and details we agreed on during the Wednesday meeting.
That day, I also met with another professor from the Department of History who my current internship mentor referred me to for some oral history projects they’re working on coordinating and collecting.
It was such a pleasant meeting 😊
We discussed some of the backgrounds on the interviewees she’s in contact with.
I never know how much I’m allowed to share about these projects but what I’m sure I can say is that they have fascinating stories and I’m very much looking forward to helping conduct these interviews.
I’ve gotten to learn so much about the local LGBTQ+ community through my work with the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. This oral history project is an extension of that allowing me to get up close and personal with people who have been significant figures in that history.
So, now that the work is slowing down on the exhibit, I’ll be starting research on some local LGBTQ (and LGBTQ-friendly) organizations that the interviewees are or have been involved in, starting with the materials stored at UCF Special Collections at the library!
I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned this in an earlier blog post but it’s so important to nurture relationships with mentors.
 It’s easy to feel like their last priority as students but they are there to listen and guide you to the best of their ability. Sometimes that can include providing opportunities for growth that they can’t offer at the moment, like this oral history project that another professor other than my direct mentor is working on. Or even ones they themselves can offer but outside of the current work at hand, such as the panel I presented in last month.
Be open about your goals, interests, plans, feelings, and even your struggles. They wouldn’t be in the business of mentorship if they didn’t have an interest in their students’ development.
That’s my tip this week 😊
The end of the semester is closing in fast, which means graduation is around the corner.
I’ll be working on setting up my next steps for the next few weeks; graduate and job applications, mainly.
So, I’ll be keeping you all up on my progress for the rest of the month or so 😊
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ucflibrary · 3 years
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How do we define American history? Who decides what information is important to study and remember? Do we only look at the ‘good’ or lionize notable figures by placing them on pedestals and forgetting they were only human? Or do we do the hard work of studying primary sources and reading about all the facets of historic American figures? Do we learn about past mistakes and hidden horrors so we can prevent them from happening in the future?
As an academic library, UCF Libraries is committed to not only teaching our community how to do their own research and providing scholarly resources but to broadening our own horizons and looking critically at our national past. After all, America is us, the people who live, work, dream, hope and endure on these shores. It is shaped by our ideals and grows as her people do into the future we want for ourselves and future generations. The American dream is not static; it is what we want it to be.
The more informed and engaged we all are as citizens, the better our country becomes. To help with being informed, UCF Libraries has suggested 16 books on American History. Keep reading below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the featured titles on American History suggested by UCF Library employees.
For members of the Knight community looking for ways to get involved are many options available:
Volunteer in local communities. VolunteerUCF can help you connect with an organization.
Join a student group to make a difference here at UCF. The Office of Student Involvement has a list of almost 800 student organizations that can meet any interest.
Connect with your federal, state, and local representatives. You can let them know your opinions on pending legislation, volunteer, or even thank them if you think they’re doing a good job. Don’t know who your legislators are? Check out this list at USA.gov.
Most importantly, if you haven’t done so already, register to vote. If you have voted in previous elections, confirm you are still registered. Find details for how to register in your home state at Vote.gov.
A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the fate of the American Revolution by David Head On March 15, 1783, General George Washington addressed a group of angry officers in an effort to rescue the American Revolution from mutiny at the highest level; the Newburgh Affair, a mysterious event in which Continental Army officers, disgruntled by a lack of pay and pensions, may have collaborated with nationalist-minded politicians such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Robert Morris to pressure Congress and the states to approve new taxes and strengthen the central government. Fearing what his men might do with their passions inflamed, Washington averted the crisis, but with the nation's problems persisting, the officers ultimately left the army disappointed, their low opinion of their civilian countrymen confirmed. Head provides a fresh look at the end of the American Revolution while speaking to issues that concern us still: the fragility of civil-military relations, how even victorious wars end ambiguously, and what veterans and civilians owe each other. Suggested by Cindy Dancel, Research & Information Services
Craft: an American history by Glenn Adamson Adamson shows that craft has long been implicated in debates around equality, education, and class. Artisanship has often been a site of resistance for oppressed people, such as enslaved African-Americans whose skilled labor might confer hard-won agency under bondage, or the Native American makers who adapted traditional arts into statements of modernity. Theirs are among the array of memorable portraits of Americans both celebrated and unfamiliar in this richly peopled book. As Adamson argues, these artisans' stories speak to our collective striving toward a more perfect union. From the beginning, America had to be-and still remains to be-crafted. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services
Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic. Includes discussion questions and related activities. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Connect Libraries
Fire in the Lake: the Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam by Frances FitzGerald Originally published in 1972, this was the first history of Vietnam written by an American and won the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the National Book Award. With a clarity and insight unrivaled by any author before it or since, Frances FitzGerald illustrates how America utterly and tragically misinterpreted the realities of Vietnam. Suggested by Sophia Sahr, Student Learning & Engagement
Hard Times: an oral history of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel In this “invaluable record” of one of the most dramatic periods in modern American history, Studs Terkel recaptures the Great Depression of the 1930s in all its complexity. Featuring a mosaic of memories from politicians, businessmen, artists, striking workers, and Okies, from those who were just kids to those who remember losing a fortune, this work is not only a gold mine of information but a fascinating interplay of memory and fact, revealing how the 1929 stock market crash and its repercussions radically changed the lives of a generation.
Suggested by Sophia Sahr, Student Learning & Engagement
John Washington's Civil War: a slave narrative edited by Crandall Shifflett In 1872, just seven years after his emancipation, a thirty-four-year-old former slave named John Washington penned the story of his life, calling it "Memorys of the Past." One hundred and twenty years later, historian Crandall Shifflett stumbled upon Washington's forgotten manuscript at the Library of Congress. Shifflett presents this remarkable slave narrative in its entirety, with detailed annotations on the mundane and life-changing events that Washington witnessed and recorded. Suggested by Cindy Dancel, Research & Information Services
Katrina: a history, 1915-2015 by Andy Horowitz The Katrina disaster was not a weather event of summer 2005. It was a disaster a century in the making, a product of lessons learned from previous floods, corporate and government decision making, and the political economy of the United States at large. New Orleans's history is America's history, and Katrina represents America's possible future. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services
Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI by David Grann Presents a true account of the early twentieth-century murders of dozens of wealthy Osage and law-enforcement officials, citing the contributions and missteps of a fledgling FBI that eventually uncovered one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services
Lies Across America: what our historic sites get wrong by James W. Loewen Loewen looks at more than one hundred sites where history is told on the landscape, including historical markers, monuments, outdoor museums, historic houses, forts, and ships. Loewen uses his investigation of these public versions of history, often literally written in stone, to correct historical interpretations that are profoundly wrong, to tell neglected but important stories about the American past, and, most importantly, to raise questions about what we as a nation choose to commemorate and how. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services
Never Caught: the Washingtons’ relentless pursuit of their runaway slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar When George and Martha Washington moved from their beloved Mount Vernon in Virginia to Philadelphia, then the seat of the nation's capital, they took nine enslaved people with them. Slavery, in Philadelphia at least, was looked down upon. There was even a law requiring slaveholders to free their slaves after six months. Yet George Washington thought he could outwit and circumvent the law by sending his slaves south every six months, thereby resetting the clock. Among the slaves to figure out this subterfuge was Ona Judge, Martha Washington's chief attendant. And, risking everything she knew, leaving behind everyone she loved and had known her entire life, she fled. Here, then, is the story not only of the powerful lure of freedom but also of George Washington's determination to recapture his property by whatever means necessary. Suggested by Cindy Dancel, Research & Information Services
Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin This multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history. Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius, as the one-term congressman rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals to become president. When Lincoln emerged as the victor at the Republican National Convention, his rivals were dismayed. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was because of his extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. It was this that enabled Lincoln to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Connect Libraries
The 5th Little Girl: soul survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing (the Sarah Collins Rudolph story) by Tracy Snipe (in conversation with Sarah Collins Rudolph) Once described by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as "one of the most tragic and vicious crimes ever perpetrated against humanity," the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Alabama, instantly killed Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Rosamond Robinson, and Cynthia Dionne Morris Wesley on September 15, 1963. This egregious act of domestic terrorism reverberated worldwide. Orchestrated by white supremacists, the blast left twelve-year-old Sarah Collins temporarily blind. In this intimate first-hand account, Sarah imparts her views on topics such as the 50th year commemoration, restitution, and racial terrorism. In the backdrop of a national reckoning and global protests, underscored by the deadly violence at Mother Emanuel in Charleston, SC, and tragedies in Charlottesville, VA, and Pittsburgh, PA, Sarah's unflinching testimony about the '63 Birmingham church bombing is illuminating. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services
The Black Church: this is our story, this is our song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. For the young Henry Louis Gates, Jr., growing up in a small, residentially segregated West Virginia town, the church was a center of gravity--an intimate place where voices rose up in song and neighbors gathered to celebrate life's blessings and offer comfort amid its trials and tribulations. In this tender and expansive reckoning with the meaning of the Black Church in America, Gates takes us on a journey spanning more than five centuries, from the intersection of Christianity and the transatlantic slave trade to today's political landscape. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services
The Other Slavery: the uncovered story of Indian enslavement in America by Andres Resendez Since the time of Columbus, Indian slavery was illegal in much of the American continent. Yet Reséndez shows it was practiced for centuries as an open secret: there was no abolitionist movement to protect the tens of thousands of natives who were kidnapped and enslaved by the conquistadors, forced to work in the silver mines, or made to serve as domestics for Mormon settlers and rich Anglos. New evidence sheds light too on Indian enslavement of other Indians as Reséndez reveals nothing less than a key missing piece of American history. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services
These Truths: a history of the United States by Jill Lepore In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation, an urgently needed reckoning with the beauty and tragedy of American history. Written in elegiac prose, Lepore's groundbreaking investigation places truth itself--a devotion to facts, proof, and evidence--at the center of the nation's history. The American experiment rests on three ideas--'these truths, ' Jefferson called them--political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. And it rests, too, on a fearless dedication to inquiry, Lepore argues, because self-government depends on it. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise? Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services
Witnessing America: the Library of Congress book of firsthand accounts of life in America, 1600-1900 edited by Noel Rae Presents a portrait of America's social and cultural history between 1600 and 1900, told through letters, diaries, memoirs, tracts, and other articles and first-hand accounts found in the collections of the Library of Congress. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Connect Libraries
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woodrifting · 5 years
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Things I learned this week: that the UCF Library has a Tumblr.
.... Is this the UCF I'm thinking of? The state college? And they liked my weird Florida Gothic thing?
I'm not sure what to do with this knowledge. I feel powerful.
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ahael · 6 years
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My favorite time to be in the library is on game days when everyone at UCF is tailgating
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garadinervi · 2 years
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Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Background of the Plymouth Trial, Road to Freedom Group, Boston, MA, 1926, pp. 37-38 (pdf here) [STARS – Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship, UCF Libraries Special Collections, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, FL]
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the-universal-fates · 6 years
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To all my ucf peeps
Is anyone going to the concert tonight? I need someone to take pictures with me so my mom doesn't think I'm all alone. I'm serious help.
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darienlibrary · 7 years
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Y'all. I've finally made it. @ucflibrary @alachualibrary
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osceolalibrary · 7 years
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3 Writing Exercises For Reluctant Writers / Warm-Up Exercises
Writing is a useful skill to have, but it can also be a very freeing and stress-relieving -- *takes a moment to wait for the laughter to subside* -- activity for those who use it creatively. But how can you help someone else to get to a point of enthusiasm for writing or practice writing if they’re reluctant to do so, or worse, don’t like doing it at all?
Here are some activities you can do alone or in groups to help encourage someone to write, or overcome your own reluctance! But they also double as GREAT activities to practice your own writing even if you don’t know the meaning of reluctance!
(SOURCE material by Matt, but each activity has an altered version offered by members of our staff.)
“Round Robin” (Best with groups of 2 or more) This activity is best if you have at least one other person to participate -- bonus if you’re sitting in a circle for convenience. To start, each person has a sheet of paper and writes an opening sentence together. Then each writer continues the story with one more sentence before everyone’s papers are rotated to the person sitting beside them (clockwise or counterclockwise, doesn’t matter as long as it’s not confusing). Each writer then silently reads over the story that was passed to them and adds another sentence to that sheet. Repeat as many times as you like, or until your original sheet returns to you. The group then takes turns reading the stories aloud.
A slightly altered version of this, described to us by the current/alumni students on staff (shout out to @ucflibrary), is to NOT decide the opening sentence together, and thus not write a second sentence before rotating the papers. Rather each person begins their own story with a single sentence then stops. Also, once you pass on your paper, you either read ONLY the previous sentence rather than the whole story (a preference among said staff), or you don’t read it at all before writing your contributing sentence. The benefit of this version is that things tend to be much more humorous as the writers later share outrageous and sometimes barely cohesive stories.
The benefit of both is that your imagination gets some exercise as you’re forced to think outside the box to contribute to a story not your own and leave room to keep it going. Note: Can also be done with poetry!
Free Writing (Can be done solo or in groups) Matt’s version of free writing, which he affectionately calls “FreeWrite Friday,” involves turning down the lights (but obviously just enough so you can still SEE), inserting a loud soundtrack of some kind, and writing while the music plays -- an additional timer being optional.
An altered version of this activity, again provided by current/graduated students on staff, is to first decide as a group (or solo) on a “magic phrase.” The phrase would ideally be between 5-7 words so that it is easy to remember but also long enough to give you time to process information. (An example phrase one of our staff used was “The moon over the bridge.”) Then, they keep the lights on and have the room silent or music quietly playing (just enough to cover white noise) before writing non-stop until a timer of 20-30 minutes goes off. And by “non-stop” they mean to say that you never let the tip of your pen/pencil leave the page nor do you let it stop moving until the timer sounds. If you get stuck and can’t think of anything else to add, you simply write the “magic phrase” over and over until you either think of something new to write about or figure out how to continue what you had written before. 
The benefits of both versions is that your mind is efficiently “warmed up” to a more creative mindset and is thus better-equipped to make connections between ideas. Problem solving, creating writing, and logistical thinking come easier once the mind is warmed up, which can help in assignments of any subject or personal projects and tasks! Bonus: Sometimes it sparks inspiration for a new story/poem/etc!
Voice Typing (Solo or group) For some, their reluctance in writing has nothing to do with a disinterest in creating, but rather stems from their struggles between thought and action. We all work at our own speed and some think faster than they’re physically able to keep up with. This could put a strain on the writer as they are forced to stop or slow their ideas to accommodate the pen (or keyboard), oftentimes resulting in a lost train of thought. Or, as Matt says, sometimes it’s a lack of organizational skills that keeps thoughts from going onto paper.
Using any kind of voice-to-text program or app, voice typing provides a great way for anyone to quickly get their ideas down and create a launching point for their report, stories, or other writing. The benefit of this (for reluctant writers) is that you’re still writing and creating without it feeling like you are.
To create a group exercise similar to Round Robin, our staff suggests taking turns speaking to write out a story. A fun twist can be to attempt to do it as fast as possible, with little to no pauses. Don’t worry if the story doesn’t make sense; if it becomes a game, it becomes all the easier to encourage writing to the reluctant writer!
Give these exercises a try and HAVE FUN! Remember, never stop writing!
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becblanc · 5 years
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me, walking into CB2 having zero reason to be here except that i need a place to study and my own campus doesnt even have a library: how do you do, fellow scholars. yes I Too, Am A UCF Student.
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First Week of Internship
Greetings! My name is Brandon Lynch, and I am a senior at the University of Central Florida who is majoring in History. I haven't yet had a job or experience that was related to History or something similar, so I was excited about starting an internship in the University Archives at UCF to help narrow down my interests. History majors can traverse a vast amount of career paths after graduation, and I am not close enough to deciding what I would like to pursue. However, when I was searching for an internship in History at UCF, the University Archives really struck me as an interesting experience. I loved the idea of being able to sift through documents, pictures, playbills, etc. Putting my hands on history and making it accessible to everyone is very appealing to me, and should be a fulfilling experience.
My first day of interning at the UCF University Archives was full of excitement and nerves. Mary Rubin showed me around all the archives and special collections that the University has in store. I even was able to see a little behind the scenes of the ARC building, which is where a good number of books are stored on campus and can be requested online. There was a lot of introductory information I was able to soak in by reading the Archives training manual and first looking through the collection I will be working on. A lot of my time this day was spent working on learning the Library of Congress Classification system, which is a sensible way to catalog collections, but can be confusing for a beginner. My collection is about a theatre professor, Donald Seay, who worked at UCF for over 25 years. Immediately, I found old resumes of his, audition forms for his play from the mid-1990's, old UCF Theatre magazines, and many documents describing the relation between UCF Theatre and Walt Disney World. I have barely made a dent in my collection, but I am learning how to organize it and weed out the information that isn't needed. I am grateful that Mary was there to help me if I really needed it, but I do need to effectively work on my own and be quite productive. I am extremely excited to see what the other folders, packages, and boxes contain about Professor Seay and UCF Theatre.
The second day of my internship at the University Archives started off with a great session of working on my collection. I learned that it was vitally important to make sure each folder is dated, de-stapled, and had a pertinent title. The last two-thirds of my second day was spent preparing the archives for an inevitable hurricane that will be coming through Florida in a matter of days. A person on the outside looking in couldn't realize how much work it takes to prepare multiple archives for a potential storm. Tarps were wrapped around every row of books, letters, paintings, and collections. It is not a one-person job, and that is why I'm glad we had a fantastic group of peers to help with the preparations. Even though it could be tedious work, nobody wants to see these antiquities become damaged by water.
After my first week of this internship, I can confidently say that I am looking forward to getting back to working on my collection, and seeing what valuable information lies inside for the world to see.
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