Phase 1 of the 21st Century Library Project for the John C. Hitt Library is underway. Library floors will be expanded and completely renovated during three phases, providing immediate access to library resources, library and technical assistance, and technology. Student needs are at the center of the 21st Century Library design, which promotes collaborative scholarship and individual research and creativity.
The exciting first phase in the plan for the 21st Century Library includes the construction of an Automated Retrieval Center (ARC) for library materials, conversion of the fifth floor to a new quiet study area, more electrical outlets, fire and safety improvements including renovated stairwells and sprinklers throughout the building, accessible restrooms, and upgraded elevators. Future phases will include the construction of a building that connects the ARC to the library building, and a complete renovation of the existing library buildings. More group study rooms, as well as graduate student space, a reading room atop the Automated Retrieval Center, a digital commons, 3,264 seats in varied types for individual and group study, expanded special collections and exhibits area, and a new main entrance on the Student Union side of the building will be completed in future phases of the 21st Century Library project.
Check here for plans, images, and updates on the continuing transformation of the John C. Hitt Library.
1st & 2nd Floors Restrooms on the 1st and 2nd Floors in the “back half” of the building are closed for renovation. Newly renovated restrooms are open on the 3rd and 4th Floors. 4th Floor The “front half” of library is closed on the 4th Floor for the installation of sprinklers. Need a book on shelves QR-Z? Find […]
2nd Floor Java City area closed. Knowledge Commons remains open. Use bank of three elevators to access InterLibrary Loan, Mezzanine Restrooms, and 5th floor (Acquisitions, Administration, Cataloging, Special Collections). Request Knight Reads via the online catalog or at Circulation Services. South stairwell closed on 2nd floor unless in case of emergency. Use elevators or Front, […]
Good news! 98 seats and the newly-remodeled restroom have now opened up on the quiet 4th floor of the John C. Hitt Library. These seats are located next to the windows on the “south” side of the floor. Work continues on the remainder of that half of the floor, which is still covered with a […]
An exciting element in the first phase of the 21st-century library plan is construction of an Automated Retrieval Center, or ARC.
Construction of the four-story ARC building will take place on the north (Student Union) side of the library building. The ARC will contain 1.25 million volumes of the library’s print collection, placed in bins three stories high, for retrieval by robotic cranes. Books can be requested with the click of a button on the computer screen. Each volume will be available for pickup in minutes.
In Phase 2 of the 21st Century Library project, a building connecting the ARC to the existing building will be completed. The fourth floor of the ARC building will house a beautiful new space for students, a reading room surrounded by windows, overlooking the plaza in front of the Student Union.
Many libraries worldwide, including over twenty in the United States, have installed retrieval centers, including University of Chicago, North Carolina State University, University of Missouri Kansas City, and Georgia Southern University. Dematic Inc., the company which will install UCF’s Automated Retrieval Center, has created an animated video showing the operation of an ARC, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU1iZ2Cr32g
When will Phase 1 be completed?
Phase 1 will be completed during Fall Semester 2017.
When will the entire project be completed?
Planning for Phase 2 began in September 2016. A timeline for future phases of planning and work is not yet available. The entire project may take five years.
How is the 21st Century Library project being funded?
The 21st Century Library is being funded by the Capital Improvement Trust Fund (CITF). The Capital Improvement Trust Fund receives fees from students, which are paid as part of tuition.
What is included in future phases of the project?
Future phases include:
• A new main entrance, Student Union side
• 3,264 seats in varied types for individual and group study
• Reading room atop the Automated Retrieval Center
• Digital commons
• An area for graduate students with space for individual and collaborative study, research, and writing
• Expanded special collections and exhibits area
• Open-access stacks with the capacity for 300,000 volumes
Will part or all of the Library close during any Phase?
Library services and resources will remain available throughout the project. Space will be available for study and research in the John C. Hitt Library during all phases of work. Access to some areas of the Library will be restricted at times as the work proceeds, but alternative locations in the library for services and individual and collaborative work will be made available.