The FlashLIT Writing Contest will return in 2026, inviting UNCW students to submit original short-form writing inspired by a shared theme. The theme is Trash. 

Submissions will be accepted through Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m.

The contest is open to all UNCW students and welcomes entries in any genre, with a maximum length of 500 words. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries: $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place. Prizes will be applied to winners’ student accounts through the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Winners and selected honorable mentions will also be published in an anthology.

As part of the event, UNCW art students will create original artwork inspired by the submitted pieces, highlighting collaboration between writers and artists across campus. Contest rules, formatting guidelines and the submission form are available on the FlashLIT homepage.

UNCW Library will host Lunch and Learning Lab: Health Reference Workout from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Discovery Hall 2097 and on Zoom.

The hybrid, interactive workshop will help participants strengthen their health reference skills, including finding practice guidelines, using APA formatting examples and accessing UpToDate. Facilitated by Health and Human Services Librarians Kathryn Allman and Jenneffer Sixkiller, the session will include a trivia-based activity designed to prepare attendees to better support students. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch; free snacks will be available for in-person attendees.

UNCW Library is hosting Love Data Week 2026, an international celebration of data, with a series of virtual events scheduled for Feb. 9–13.

Love Data Week is observed annually during the week of Valentine’s Day and brings together universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, corporations and individuals to explore data-related topics through programs and activities. 

The 2026 theme, “Where’s the Data?” focuses on the journey of data from collection to storage and long-term preservation, highlighting data literacy, ethical data use and responsible data management.

Register

UNCW Library and Research & Innovation will host Fair Use Week 2026, an annual observance highlighting how fair use and fair dealing support teaching, research and the public good.

Fair Use Week draws attention to the role of fair use in U.S. copyright law, including provisions under Section 107 that allow limited use of copyrighted materials for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. 

To mark the occasion, UNCW will offer two brief, practical sessions focused on how fair use applies to classroom instruction and scholarly work. View session details

Visit the new TLLS: Research on Display exhibition in the Library Exhibit Gallery, Discovery Hall (DH1071, first floor), from Jan. 15 through March 20.

The exhibition features recent research and creative projects by faculty and staff across UNCW’s Teaching, Learning, and Library Services, including instructional designers, faculty developers, librarians and library staff. The work highlights interdisciplinary scholarship that supports teaching and learning through the Center for Teaching Excellence, Distance Education and E-Learning, and UNCW Library.

Undergraduate students are invited to apply for the Anne Pemberton Student Research and Creativity Award, which provides a $500 award for outstanding research or creative work. Applications open Jan. 5, 2026, and are due Feb. 9, 2026, through InfoReady. More details

The award honors the legacy of Anne Pemberton and supports projects in any academic discipline that address mental health, wellness, mindfulness, substance misuse or recovery, social justice, or connections and belonging.

The award recipient will be notified in March 2026 and will present their project at the Showcase of Student Research and Creativity sponsored by the CSURF.

The annual African American Read-In will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the DC Virgo Preparatory Academy cafeteria, 813 Nixon St., Wilmington. DC Virgo students and community readers will share selections from works by and about Black authors and storytellers, along with brief reflections on why the excerpts are meaningful and how the authors’ work has influenced them. Food and giveaways will be available. Visit the African American Read-In webpage to register as a reader and view additional event details.

The Read-In is presented in partnership with the UNCW English Department, UNCW Library, Watson College of Education, Upperman African American Cultural Center, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, DC Virgo Preparatory Academy and UNCW Black student organizations.

UNCW Library will host a Lunch and Learning Lab workshop titled Teaching With Government Information from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 13, 2026. The hybrid session will take place in Discovery Hall, room DH2088 and on Zoom.

The workshop will highlight how government information can be used across academic disciplines and incorporated into course materials. Topics will include locating and using federal and state legislation, U.S. financial data, cybersecurity resources, environmental protection information and other government-produced materials.

The session will be facilitated by Elisabeth Garner, government information librarian at UNCW Library. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch. Free snacks will be available for those attending in person.

Zoom link