Howdy There, Wildcats! UK Libraries Welcomes New and Returning Students for the Fall 2024 Semester

We are excited to welcome new and returning students to campus for the start of the Fall 2024 semester. As the new year gets under way, we would like to remind all of our users of the world-class collections, resources, services, and spaces available across UK Libraries. 

Across our seven branch locations you can find resources that span study spaces, labs and maker spaces, equipment and software for technological and creative projects, incredible physical and digital collections, and individually tailored research and scholarship services.

As information experts, our job is to offer research help to meet all your informational needs – for every project, at every stage of the information-gathering process. Connect with us by using the embedded Ask Us chat box at the bottom of every web page, or find your subject support team to get help tailored specifically to your discipline. 

Our librarians, archivists, and staff members are eager to work with you to accomplish all of your academic goals. With our experience and expertise, we can help you discover a world of information, create innovative new knowledge, and forge long-lasting connections with peers, mentors, and collaborators.

We are thrilled to start a new year and offer our support as you begin or continue your UK journey. Together, we can push the bounds of what’s possible. 

Below, find what you can look forward to in the coming year.

K-Week

K-Week kicks off on Wednesday, August 21, and we have a number of exciting activities to introduce new students to UK Libraries locations, services, and information specialists. 

• Passport Activity – Our Passport Adventure activity will lead you to every corner of UK Libraries, revealing the many resources and services available to students across our seven branch locations. The activity takes place between Wednesday, August 21 and Friday, September 27. Completing four or more tasks makes you eligible for a UK Libraries-branded deluxe swag bag with items to make your school year smoother. Pick up a card at the Ask Us desk on the First Floor of Young Library.
• Pizza & Putt-Putt – On Friday, August 23, get acquainted with Willy T! Grab some slices, meet new friends, and sink a few putts in the Atrium on the Second Floor of Young Library. Our archivists and librarians will be on hand to help you learn about all that UK Libraries has to offer. 
• Spin to Win – Visit the Welcome Desk on the First Floor of Young Library and give our wheel a spin to win UK Libraries-branded swag. With each spin of the wheel students will learn about library spaces, services, and resources and get to know our information experts.
• Orientations – UK Libraries will be tabling at college orientations across campus. Stop by to say hi and discover how our librarians and archivists can help you make use of the Libraries’ spaces, services, and information resources. 

New & Updated Spaces

• King Library Annex – One of UK Libraries’ branch locations has a new name – and some new exciting offerings inside! The King Library Annex – formerly known as the Science & Engineering Library – supports a wide variety of learning, teaching, and research needs of UK students, faculty, and staff. The Ground Floor of Annex is home to The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center, a unique space with specialized equipment, resources, and events dedicated to digital and data-intensive scholarship. The Third Floor of the Annex also houses materials and library services for the Science & Engineering Library, and the Fourth Floor is the home of the Maps Library, which holds the Gwen Curtis Map Collection and the GIS Lab. The Center for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) is located on the Fifth Floor.
• The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center – This fall marks the grand opening of UK Libraries’ newest space, The Stacks. The Stacks is a unique space with specialized equipment, resources, and events dedicated to digital and data-intensive scholarship. Among its available spaces and technologies, users can find reservable collaboration and meeting spaces, an interactive visualization wall, robust desktop computers, and reconfigurable furniture for presentations, consultations, and library instruction. The Stacks also offers a wide variety of workshops and events, and provides digital scholarship and data services in support of research and scholarship across disciplines.  
• Young Library Auditorium – Beginning in August 2024, the Young Library Auditorium will not be available to reserve for meetings, lectures, or other events by UK students, faculty, staff, or campus groups. The room will be set aside for use strictly as classroom space during the University’s renovation of the White Hall Classroom Building, which is expected to last through the summer of 2026.
• Young Library Open Learning Space – Already one of the best places for group work on campus, the Second Floor of Young Library has been updated to provide even more opportunities for collaborative study. The new Open Learning Space in the West Wing features semi-enclosed study spaces, moveable and wall-mounted whiteboards, and comfortable furniture that will provide a little extra support for those marathon study sessions. 

Fall Events

• Open House in The Stacks – On Wednesday, September 11, the UK community is invited to drop in and see all of the spaces and technologies available at The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center. Drop in during open library hours to check out our floor-to-ceiling visualization wall and enjoy some free snacks!
• King Library Press Wayzgoose – The King Library Press Wayzgoose (Open House) will take place Thursday, September 12 on the Veranda between the Special Collections Research Center and the Fine Arts Library and feature fine printing demonstrations, free snacks, and handmade book art. The event is free and open to the public.
• Clements Lecture-Symposium – On Thursday, September 19, historian emeritus of the United States Senate Donald A. Ritchie will deliver the 2024 Earle C. Clements Lecture-Symposium. Ritchie will reflect on a nearly 40-year career in the Senate Historical Office and draw on his book, Washington’s Iron Butterfly: Bess Clements Abell, An Oral History, co-written with the late Terry L. Birdwhistell. The event is free and open to the public, and RSVPs are appreciated.