News & Blog

Welcome to the eleventh installment of Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not have known about!

With the end of the Spring 2023 semester right around the corner, finals are much closer than we like to think they are. Preparing for these exams are half the battle, especially when we can’t find peace and quiet at our respective homes, nor can we void ourselves of the distractions of the student union and nearby cafes.

I can help with that! Below, I provide some pretty useful information about my favorite study spaces!

Finding areas that are relatively quiet, conducive to learning, and available is increasingly difficult as the day goes on. Some areas are too loud, some are too hot, and some are just simply too popular, and you can never find a space to sit and work.

The list below is some of my favorite study spaces; fit with desks, computers, and relative quiet (from simple chatter to complete silence), these areas are the perfect places to get some work done on campus.

• The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) (Ed Complex room 194)
• The 5th Floor of the John C. Hitt Library
• Trevor Colbourn Hall (TCH)
• Classroom Building 1 Computer Lab (Room 101)

If you’d like to learn more about these study spaces, check out Diamond’s Hidden Gems – Study Spaces in STARS!

We are so pleased to announce that the Hitt Library has been repurposed to serve as a recovery tank for marine wildlife to be treated for injuries before being returned to the ocean. UCF Marine Biology professors and students along with external partners will identify injured animals who are good candidates for rehabilitation in our state of the art recovery tanks. And while these animals are our guests, students are welcome to come by to our viewing area to see these majestic creatures before they are returned to their natural habitats.

Now we know what you’re wondering; what about all the books? Not to worry! All the books are now encased in protective water proof sleeves and arranged by their Library of Congress call numbers on the shelf. You just need to don a dive suit and swim out to the appropriate shelf to retrieve your item and bring it to the check out desk. Easy peasy.

Have a poem you’d like to read, a piece of music you’d like to play, or need to practice a speech in front of an audience? Whether it’s a stand-up bit that needs some work or you just have something to say and you need someone to hear it, share what you’d like at Free Knight, Open Mic!

Wednesday April 5, 2023
7pm – 9pm
John C. Hitt Library, Room 402

Guidelines:
• No overtly vulgar, violent, or controversial subject matter.
• Presenters will have up to 10 minutes allotted for setup, presentation, and breakdown.
• Slots are limited – contact as soon as possible for registration.
• Walk ins welcome as time permits – no guarantees.

For more information, please contact
glenford.samuels@ucf.edu See you there!

Welcome to the tenth installment of Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not have known about!

ARC & General Collection

If you’ve been inside the John C. Hitt Library, you’d find it a bit hard to believe that in the north side of the building, there is a room containing nearly 800 thousand volumes of the library’s print collection, placed in bins three stories high, for retrieval by 3 robotic cranes.

Below, I give you everything you need to know about the technology that makes retrieving library materials for student-use quick and easy!

The Automated Retrieval Center (ARC) is the second phase of a multi-year project of library expansion and renovation. Completed in Fall 2020, the existing library building was expanded to connect to the ARC, which created the entrance that faces the Student Union.

The ARC houses the following materials: 

• Call numbers A-M
• Almost 100% of Call numbers PR-PZ and Q-QA76.

A request for items stored in the ARC is initiated normally: by any UCF user directly from the online library catalog. When a request is placed, staff will retrieve items and send out an email when the item is ready.

If you’d like to see the ARC in action, you can get a window-sized peek from the third floor. Viewing windows are located near the Student Union side of the library along the brick wall.

To read more about the ARC, check out the full version of Diamond’s Hidden Gems – ARC in STARS.

Check your MyUCF account for any blocks, including library ones, before registering for classes to ensure there are no delays getting the courses you want.