University Library News - University Library at Florida Gulf Coast University

Our Dean, Dr. Tracy Elliott, in the book stacks. .

"Welcome to the University Library! All of us here in the library are dedicated to the success of our students, faculty and the surrounding community. We hope to impact your success by providing essential, high quality, instructional and research services and information resources."

~Dr. Tracy Elliott

Read Dr. Elliott's complete message here.

Recent Posts

University Archives partners with the Department of Art for creative inspiration and research

Join University Archives and Special Collections in conjunction with the Spring 2025 History of Photography course for “The Student Research Summit: A Collaborative Fair of Creative Archival-Inspired Projects” on Monday, April 28, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This “science fair” style showcase will highlight semester-long projects of FGCU students who have found inspiration in the University Archives and Special Collections to create new, creative, and scholarly works. Throughout the semester, the students in this course worked with historic photographs, rare books, Florida postcards, and other materials. They then reimagined these sources, expanding upon scholarship and creating new visual interpretations. From re-stagings of vintage postcards to podcasts and original paintings, the projects celebrate our region’s history. Join us on the first floor of Library West at the Data Viz Wall. Instructors, archivists, and student creators will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the stories behind the work. The celebration welcomes FGCU students, faculty, staff, and the public to explore how archives serve as a springboard for innovative academic research. ...

Don't Go Textbook Broke—The Library can Help

Textbooks cost college students approximately $1,200 per year. The Education Data Initiative suggests that 65% of college students skip buying textbooks because of the expense. The University Library works to provide access to more than 2,000 print and electronic textbooks, including those with the highest price tags and classes with high enrollment. Search the library's course reserve collection to find out if your textbook is available. ...

The Kids Can’t Read Cursive!?

By Victoria Jones, University Archivist Over the last several years, it has become increasingly common to come across students who are unable to read cursive handwriting. In the archive, we began to notice this as our interns and student workers expressed difficulty describing and transcribing letters, diaries, and other materials. Why? They couldn’t read the writing.Letter to Laurence Bubbett, 1917, Koreshan Unity Collection.Also known as script and connected writing, cursive is a style of writing where the letters are joined together in some way. Unfortunately, this style of handwriting declined in popularity during the 1990s and early 2000s. Then, in the 2010s, cursive was removed from the curriculum of many K-12 schools across the country. As a result, many of our students have received little or no instruction in reading or writing cursive.Dr. Melodie Eichbauer helps a student decipher medieval script.Reading cursive is still a valuable skill, though. Scholars often study languages to better understand their area or time of research. Papal historians, for example, study Latin. Similarly, students studying the 20th century (and earlier!) need to understand the written language of the time - cursive. This year, the University Archives and Special Collections sought to tackle this situation head-on! We offered two workshops – one in December and one in April – where we shared with students how to read cursive and tips that we use in our own work. We also partnered with Dr. Melodie Eichbauer and Dr. Jordan Von Cannon for our April event. “Deciphering Cursive.” The two professors brought an amazing perspective that highlighted their experiences researching Medieval papal law and 19th-century female authors. We all had fun and got practical advice for our next cursive projects! Want to get some practice in? Here are some great items to get started with: Postcard to Gloria Baylin, 1941, from the Joseph Fishbein P.O.W. Collection Letter to Fritz, 1880, from the Southwest Florida History Collection Day Book of Mona Burroughs, 1915 - Southwest Florida History Collection. Follow us on Instagram (@fgcuarchives) to hear about our next cursive reading workshop. We hope to see you there! ...

Relaxation Stations: Take Some Time to Decompress

We know that April is one of the most stressful months for college students. With finals right around the corner, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the studying and assignments you need to get done. Taking breaks and relaxing is essential to refresh your brain and increase your productivity in the long run. That’s why our ambassadors have set up relaxation stations in the library for you to do a fun activity that will help you decompress! We will have various puzzles for you to build, different types of coloring sheets and word searches for you to complete, and bracelet making! The relaxation stations will be located right outside the Makerspace on the first floor of Library West. The tables will be set up as long as supplies last. The event runs all week from April 21-25 while the library is open. Stop by to get your mind off your finals and destress at the library! ...

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