Welcome to the John C. Hitt Library, home to the University of Central Florida’s 21st Century Library.
Here is the passage converted fully to past tense:
Originally constructed in 1968, the library building was updated and repurposed to create a unified center for learning, scholarly research, and engagement. The project blended traditional library spaces with innovative design to provide improved and faster access to library resources, access to technology and technology assistance, areas for collaborative and individual study, and a welcoming environment for the UCF community.
Discover the 21st Century Library by visiting our phased improvement pages.
Project Overview
The 21st Century Library Project transformed the John C. Hitt Library into a modern, connected, and student‑centered hub for learning, research, and creativity. Completed across several major phases, the project reimagined the library’s original 1968 structure and expanded it with new spaces, new technology, and new ways for the UCF community to study and collaborate.
Early improvements began with essential upgrades—enhanced restrooms, expanded electrical access, refreshed stairwells and elevators, and the creation of the 5th‑floor Quiet Zone. These early changes laid the groundwork for the larger vision that followed.
Phase I introduced the Automated Retrieval Center (ARC), a high‑density robotic storage system that freed significant space for future renovations while preserving fast access to the print collection. Phase IA added the bright, spacious Connector building, linking the ARC to the library and providing hundreds of new study seats, group rooms, classrooms, and a new entrance facing the Student Union.
Phase IIA continued the transformation with a complete renovation of the 3rd floor, adding more than 500 study seats, dozens of group rooms, updated restrooms, and refreshed collections. The final phase, IID, re‑envisioned the 4th floor as a vibrant center for collaboration, creativity, and advanced research, with new study rooms, technology studios, silent study areas, and flexible learning spaces.
Today, the 21st Century Library stands as a unified, future‑focused academic center—blending traditional library strengths with innovative design to support the evolving needs of UCF students, faculty, and researchers. Subsequent pages explore each phase of this transformation in more detail.
History
The John C. Hitt Library building has undergone much growth along with the UCF campus. Read more about the library building’s history, from groundbreaking to current day.
