A treasure trove of resources awaits the intrepid researcher who treks into the Universal Orlando Foundation Library, better known as the Rosen College Library. Located on the Rosen College of Hospitality Management’s resort-style campus, in the heart of hospitality in Orlando, Florida, the library offers both hard copy and digital resources connected to Rosen College’s vast research findings over the past two decades. Within the beautiful 9,000 square-foot facility are books, magazines, journals, videos, computers, comfortable seating, group study rooms, and individual research spaces. Skilled staff and librarians are also on hand to assist guests. The library, a branch within the larger University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries system, not only provides resources in support of the ongoing research process—it also archives and facilitates access to research once it is produced. UCF has 13 colleges and Rosen College has a specific library for its disciplines.
Take for example the Rosen Research Review (RRR) magazine that you’re reading now. The library archives past issues of RRR in its STARS institutional repository: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/rosen-research-review/. What is STARS? The acronym stands for Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship. It exists to publicize, disseminate, and provide ready access to works by, for, and about the University of Central Florida (UCF).
The STARS digital repository is administered by the UCF Libraries Digital Initiatives unit, including Interim Head of Technology Solutions & Digital Initiatives, Lee Dotson; Digital Collections Projects Coordinator, Kerri Bottorff; and Digital Production Coordinator, Page Curry. The Rosen College librarians have partnered with Ms. Dotson’s unit to create digital collections containing both retrospectively scanned materials and born-digital materials. To date, Rosen College digital materials in STARS have been downloaded over 89,000 times, including over 28,000 just in the past year!
In STARS, researchers can freely access hospitality and tourism materials such as:
• Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/dickpopepubs This collection of research consists of recent studies commissioned by public and private entities, especially along economic, environmental, quality-of-life, and sociological dimensions that impact the hospitality and tourism industry. The Institute, founded in 1979 and associated with the beginnings of UCF’s hospitality program, utilizes the research and writing skills of many Rosen College faculty members.
• Rosen College Student Theses and Dissertations: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/studentscholar_rosen/ This collection houses the products of students who have successfully completed their undergraduate Honors, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees at Rosen. In these pages you’ll find unique research from some of the future educators and leaders of the hospitality industry!
• Rosen College Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/rosenscholar/ This collection highlights some recent Rosen College faculty member’s scholarly articles. Short citations are usually supplemented by links to the original article or, in some cases, to the full text of the article.
• Harrison “Buzz” Price Papers: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/buzzprice/ This collection contains selected reports from one of the leading consultants for themed attractions and entertainment venues. Collections such as this one are made available through a partnership with UCF’s Special Collections & University Archives department.
STARS also offers access to many other scholarly materials and collections. Take some time to explore STARS (https://stars.library.ucf.edu) and see what there is to enhance your life-long learning! The Rosen College Library (https://library.ucf.edu/rosen) is not just an archive. Before the research creation process even begins, the Rosen College Library offers research assistance and access to specialized resources such as:
• Hospitality databases: https://guides.ucf.edu/hospitalitydatabases
• Hospitality Research Guides: https://guides.ucf.edu/rosen/guides The Guides, created and maintained by Rosen College Librarians Tim Bottorff and Judy Kuhns, can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter where you are around the globe. They are good starting points on many topics and feature many free resources, in addition to some subscription-based collections for UCF researchers. The Rosen College Library also offers access to all of the UCF Libraries’ (https://library.ucf.edu) online materials, including more than 400 databases with research articles, newspapers, data, and other information; a digital plethora of over 900,000 full-length ebooks; and more than 50,000 electronic journal and magazine subscriptions.
The staff at the Rosen College Library is well-trained and knowledgeable. They can assist researchers and industry partners in finding information on all facets of the hospitality industry, provide guidance on copyright and other scholarly concerns, and offer advice on research projects. The Rosen College librarians also provide dozens of library instruction sessions in hospitality classes each year, aimed at ensuring that Rosen College graduates enter the industry with excellent research, critical thinking, and communication skills.
The Rosen College Library’s print, electronic, and video collections are rich and tailored to the college’s unique programs and degrees. From hospitality management to restaurant management, lodging management to theme park and attractions management, event management to entertainment management, senior living management and tourism technology and analytics, if you’re seeking knowledge of the industry, you’ll find it in the Rosen College Library!
For example, the Rosen College Library is a depository for United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) materials, a designation held by only six libraries in the United States. The UNWTO publications provide statistics and research on travel and tourism on a global scale. The Rosen College Library also partners with or purchases specialized materials from numerous local and national hospitality industry organizations, such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), American Resort Development Association (ARDA), National Restaurant Association, U.S. Travel Association, Visit Florida, Visit Orlando, and many others.
The Rosen College Library collection is always growing and evolving. When the Rosen College added the unique Entertainment Management degree, the Rosen College Library acquired many new materials relating to the hospitality side of industries such as film, music, publishing, and theater. The Rosen College librarians also recently added a wealth of materials that will support the Rosen College’s new Senior Living Management Bachelor’s Degree program, launched in fall 2020.
Libraries have evolved beyond places to house hard copy books and images. They provide comfortable spaces for research and scholarly conversations, and they are vast repositories of resources that can expand the mind, boost business gains, and provide access to valuable historical data that impacts the future of the hospitality and tourism industry. The Rosen College Library aims to continue this evolution through its unique position in support for the teaching and research missions of the world-renowned Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
