News & Blog

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.

Third Floor

We are so excited that we can finally share an announcement with our UCF community! Please join us on Monday, February 27, 2023 for the grand opening of your all new third floor at the John C Hitt Library. At 10am, a treasure hunt will be hosted for students to assist them in wayfinding on the floor with a grand prize of a limited-edition duck to the first 300 participants.

Seating, Computers, and Study Rooms

We now have 520 all new study seats in a variety of configurations including height-adjustable desks as well as 70 desktop PCs with oversize monitors and 30 group study rooms with varying seating capacities, whiteboards, and big screens, bookable via the Study Rooms icon on the Libraries’ website. Other improvements include generous natural light and improved overhead lighting as well as study-conducive colors and enhanced acoustical treatments.

Art

Patrons can relax under the stars, or at least lights set in an approximation of the Pegasus constellation, while viewing Genesis, a colorful stained glass window created by Leonardo Nierman in 1987.

Restrooms

Improvements here include greatly increased accessible restroom capacity, as well as a family-style bathroom. All new bathrooms include baby changing stations and the women’s and family bathrooms have free tampon/pad dispensers.

Unique Views

Patrons can get a window sized peek into the Automated Retrieval Center or ARC from the third floor. Viewing windows are located near the Student Union facing side of the library along the brick wall and feature a variety of seating nearby.

Collections

The reference book collection from the second floor will be relocated to the third floor near room 330. Current periodicals will also be found on this floor as well as an exciting collection of board games and puzzles by room 360. Please note that all items including the reference books, periodicals, board games, and puzzles are for in library use only. None of these items can be checked out and removed from the library building.

Services

A new suite will house librarians and staff from the Libraries’ Academic Engagement department who enhance teaching, learning, and research at the university. This suite includes consultation rooms where students, faculty, staff and the local community can meet in-person for one-on-one appointments with faculty librarians for research assistance. In-person and virtual research consultations are available via the Libraries’ Schedule an Appointment page.

Looking forward to seeing everyone as we explore our latest renovations together on February 27, 2023.

“What does it mean when an item comes up as being in the Location: UCF ARC MAIN General Collection or UCF ARC MAIN Media?”

The video that was here is out of date and has been archived. Click here to download the video for viewing.

ARC stands for Automated Retrieval Center.  It is the building behind the Circulation desk and has bins three stories high that contains a large number of the library’s print collection and all DVDs.  When a request is placed on an item in the ARC Circulation staff will retrieve items and hold them at the desk for check out. 

In the catalog click under the item information you will see a link:  Place a Hold

Click on the link and log in with your NID and password. Near the bottom of the screen click on the button to Place Request.  You will be emailed by Circulation when your item(s) are ready for check out.

This process usually takes an hour or less.

For more information, take a look at our ARC page: library.ucf.edu/21st/arc/

Or take a look at the ARC in action through the windows on the 3rd floor or in the video below.

We are happy to share this video as an introduction to the new John C. Hitt Library Automated Retrieval Center. This video showcases what the ARC is, how it operates, and how patrons will be able to request books from it.

View more information

Follow along as we pull a book from a shelf, transport it to the ARC, and place it into a bin for storage.