Florida State University Libraries, in collaboration with the Student Government Association, the Food for Thought Pantry and the FSU Sustainable Campus, unveiled a permanent food donation bin in the Strozier Library lobby Wednesday, April 10, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The Food for Thought Pantry, which relies entirely on donations from various sources, including Second Harvest of the Big Bend, plays a crucial role in supporting students facing food insecurity. All new, unopened, non-perishable food items are accepted as donations and picked up by Sustainable Campus monthly.   

“As the number of students utilizing this resource continues to rise, it becomes imperative for the university to explore alternative and effective ways to sustain and fund this essential service,” said Gale Etschmaier, dean of University Libraries. “These bins serve as symbols of compassion, allowing neighbors to share with one another. It is not merely about giving; it is about fostering a culture of care where no one goes hungry.” 

Research indicates that addressing food insecurity directly impacts student well-being. Low food security correlates with poor mental health outcomes, and both food insecurity and psychological distress can affect academic performance. 

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Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT) and University Libraries hosted the inaugural Provost’s Showcase of Scholarly Teaching Friday, April 5. The event provided faculty with an opportunity to share their expertise and innovations with the larger campus community.

The FSU-based mini-conference was open to all faculty members at FSU or the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and offered opportunities to learn more about innovative teaching practices through roundtable discussions and poster sessions.

“The showcase is an opportunity for faculty to share the exciting work they’re doing in their classes to provide great learning experiences for our students,” said Leslie Richardson, director of CAT. “They use research-informed strategies, and the work they ask students to do provides evidence of learning and the effectiveness of their teaching methods.”

Faculty presenters came from various disciplines and departments, including computer science, mathematics, engineering, education, communication and public health.

Brittany Kraft, a faculty member in the Department of Biological Science, presented her research on the efficacy of “cheat sheets” as an exam-studying practice.

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Thirty books were recently honored by The Florida Book Awards, coordinated by Florida State University Libraries.

The Florida Book Awards is the nation’s most comprehensive statewide book awards program. The 18th annual competition featured 170 eligible publications submitted across 11 categories for books published in 2023. The recipient of the Gerald Ensley Award, established to recognize a rising writing talent, will be announced separately at a later date.

“Florida continues to produce internationally recognized books, and we are thrilled to share that many of the books we love come from our state,” said Keith Simmons, executive director of the awards. “As part of that recognition, we are constantly seeking ways to celebrate and connect authors with eager audiences inside and outside of Florida.”

Eligible authors must be full-time Florida residents. Three categories — Florida nonfiction, visual arts and cooking — do not hold a residency requirement but must focus on Florida. Winning authors will be honored at the annual awards banquet Thursday, April 25, at Parkview at Cascades in Tallahassee.

Florida State University Libraries coordinates the Florida Book Awards with assistance from co-sponsors, Florida Humanities, Midtown Reader and Word of South.

For more information, visit floridabookawards.org.

Florida Book Awards 2023 winners by category:

YOUNG CHILDREN’S LITERATURE:

GOLD: Medeia Sharif, Miami, “Frizzy Haired Zuzu” (American Psychological Association)

SILVER: Marsha Diana Arnold, Alva, “Armando’s Island” (Creative Editions, an imprint of The Creative Company)

BRONZE: Sara E. Echenique, Davie, “Our Roof Is Blue” (Charlesbridge Publishing)

OLDER CHILDREN’S LITERATURE:

GOLD: Taryn Souders, Sorrento, “The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle” (Sourcebooks Young Readers)

SILVER: Sandra Markle, Lakewood Ranch, “Secrets of the Lost City: A Scientific Adventure in the Honduran Rain Forest” (Lerner Publishing Group)

BRONZE: Moira Rose Donohue, St. Petersburg, “Tapping Feet” (Reycraft Books)

HONORABLE MENTION: Marta Magellan, Miami, “Bee Catastrophe” (Eifring Publishing)

GENERAL NONFICTION:

GOLD: Larry Loftis, Altamonte Springs, “The Watchmaker’s Daughter” (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

SILVER: Jessica Pryce, Orlando, “Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services” (Amistad)

BRONZE: Judith L. Pearson, Nokomis, “Crusade to Heal America” (Mayo Clinic Press)

GENERAL FICTION:

GOLD: Lauren Groff, Gainesville, “The Vaster Wilds” (Penguin Random House, Riverhead Books)

SILVER: David O’Connor, Gainesville, “The Beast and the Silent Blue” (Molly Yes Press)

BRONZE: Thomas Reed, Sarasota, “Pocketful of Poseys” (Beaufort Books)

FLORIDA NONFICTION:

GOLD: Carlton Ward, Jr., Tampa, “Path of the Panther: New Hope for Wild Florida” (National Geographic Books)

SILVER: Phillip A. Hubbart, Miami, “From Death Row to Freedom: the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Pitts-Lee Case” (University Press of Florida)

BRONZE: Sarah McNamara, College Station, Tx., “Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South” (University of North Carolina Press)

HONORABLE MENTION: Jacki Levine, Gainesville, “Once Upon a Time in Florida: Stories of Life in the Land of Promises” (University Press of Florida)

POETRY:

GOLD: Kweku Abimbola, Tampa, “Salwater Demands a Psalm” (Graywolf Press)

SILVER: Jessica Q. Stark, Jacksonville, “Buffalo Girl” (BOA Editions)

BRONZE: Anne Barngrover, Tampa, “Everwhen” (University of Akron Press)

POETRY- CHAPBOOKS:

GOLD: Asa Drake, Ocala, “One Way to Listen” (Gold Line Press)

POPULAR FICTION:

GOLD: Lucy Burdette, Key West, “A Clue in the Crumbs (Crooked Lane Books)

SILVER: Ward Larsen, Sarasota, “Deep Fake” (TOR/Forge)

BRONZE: J. C. Bruce, Naples, “Strange Timing” (Tropic Press)

SPANISH LANGUAGE:

GOLD: Gaston Virkel, Miami, “Neurosis Miami” (Suburbano Ediciones)

SILVER: Hernán Vera Álvarez, Miami, “Relaciones Imperfectas (Ediciones Aguamiel)

BRONZE: Claudia Prengler Starosta, Miami, “Fugaz” (Ediciones Aguamiel)

HONORABLE MENTION: Danilo Lopez-Roman, Miami, “Generaciones” (Valparaiso Ediciones)

VISUAL ARTS:

GOLD: Kirsten Hines, Miami, “Wild Florida” (University Press of Florida)

SILVER: Deborah C. Pollack, Palm Beach, “Florida Sculptors and Their Work 1880 – 2020” (Schiffer Publishing)

YOUNG ADULT:

GOLD: Vanessa Montalban, Winter Park, “A Tall Dark Trouble” (Zando Young Readers)

SILVER: S.E. Reed, Boca Raton, “My Heart is Hurting” (Wild Ink Publishing)

BRONZE: David Towner, Lakeworth, “The Rise” (Splash Marketing)

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Florida State University Libraries invite the FSU community to submit proposals for openly accessible scholarly and creative works, including scholarly monographs, edited volumes, journals, textbooks and digital exhibits.

Submissions are due by Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.

Accepted submissions will be published through Florida State Open Publishing, or FSOP, a service of FSU Libraries that provides open-access publishing expertise, services and platforms to enhance the scholarly output of Florida State University students, faculty and staff.

“This service ensures unfettered digital access, promotes broad dissemination and impact, encourages innovation and experimentation and amplifies the voices of scholars working on niche or underserved topics,” said Devin Soper, director of the Office of Digital Research and Scholarship. “We are especially interested in working with authors and editors who share these values and are excited by the prospect of making the scholarly publishing ecosystem more welcoming and sustainable.”

Proposals will be reviewed by FSOP staff and members of the FSOP Advisory Board. Reviewers will score each proposal using a rubric that includes the following criteria:

• Significance: Projects that promise to be significant to a particular scholarly or creative audience or community, with priority given to projects that amplify minimized voices and/or focus on topics that are underserved by traditional publishers
• Feasibility: Projects that are reasonable to complete within 12-18 months in formats that are easy to create and maintain
• Clarity: Information is clear, concise, and understandable, with adequate context provided
• Longevity: Content will remain relevant for a long period of time
• Openness: Projects that are intended to be freely accessible and published under Creative Commons licenses to maximize reuse

Proposals should have at least one contributor affiliated with FSU. Accepted proposals will be provided with the following publishing services:

• Digital publishing platform suited to the project
• Editorial project management (development of project plan and timeline and coordination of peer review and production work, as appropriate)
• Copyright permission templates and clearance
• Graphic design for book and journal covers
• Layout editing/typesetting
• Proofreading
• Assignment of digital persistent identifiers (ISBNs, ISSNs, DOIs)
• Metadata creation and dissemination (cataloging, indexing, search engine optimization)
• Digital preservation services

FSOP authors retain intellectual property rights in their own work. Publications are released under a Creative Commons license in consultation with the author(s).

To submit proposals, visit publishing.lib.fsu.edu/publish-with-us/.

For more information and a catalog of past and current projects, visit publishing.lib.fsu.edu.

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