UCF Libraries locations — the John C. Hitt Library, Curriculum Materials Center, and Rosen College of Hospitality Management and UCF Downtown campus libraries — are open for Spring 2021 with limited in-person and virtual services. While necessary COVID-19 precautions have changed the experience in campus libraries, the one at main campus will look and feel especially different with the first phase of the 21st Century Library Project was completed for Fall 2020.

Hours of Operation | General COVID-19 Related Changes | Checking Out Books | Technology Access | Technology Rentals | Virtual Services

John C. Hitt Library Expansion

The library expansion adds 57,000 square feet of space that includes a sustainable energy-efficient LEED-certified building, two instruction rooms with an active learning design, a multipurpose room, a variety of power-equipped seating, 84 desktop computer stations and more. An eight-door entrance that opens to the Student Union Plaza has been added, while the existing “legacy entrance” facing the Reflecting Pond offers another convenient access point to the building.

With the opening of Phase IA, the main Circulation Services desk will move to the new main entrance. The library “LibTech Desk,” currently on the third floor, will rotate to the previous Circulation Services desk on the second floor near the original entrance. At the top of the Automated Retrieval Center (ARC) a four-story storage facility that opened in 2018 and uses robotic retrieval cranes to access up to 1.25 million printed materials, is a new reading room that provides 270-degree views of campus and 235 seats.

Construction During Spring 2021

The new north entrance to the library is a gateway to exquisite new spaces on four floors of the John C. Hitt Library. However, this is not the end of the 21st Century Library Project. Spring 2021 visitors to the library will see the beginning of reconstruction of the third floor. Some time early in the semester Turner Construction will start by removing ceiling tiles to allow for investigation and planning for infrastructure updates. Work will be done when students and staff are out of the library so this area will not be restricted to hard-hats only, and the third floor will remain open for the first half of the year. Third floor materials will gradually disappear into the Automated Retrieval Center (ARC). Work will also take place on the second floor at the back or the Reference Suite, Room 203 and on the first floor near the University Archives and the west stairs. The big reveal will be some time in 2022.

No matter which campus library is most convenient for you to access, here are the general and COVID-19 related operation details you should know to help you make the most out of UCF Libraries services and resources.

Hours of Operation

Library hours are reduced for Spring 2021 to accommodate staggered or remote work schedules. You can always find UCF Libraries’ daily hours on their website.

  • John C. Hitt Library: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Please note Special Collections and University Archives is offering services by appointment only.
  • Curriculum Materials Center: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday.
  • Rosen: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday.
  • UCF Downtown: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

  • UCF employees and students are required to follow the university’s COVID-19 policy, which includes wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distance of at least six feet when possible while inside campus libraries.
  • Nightly cleaning will take place from 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. During the daytime, staff will sanitize regular touchpoints and perform light cleaning that is required due to usage.
  • UCF Libraries employees are required to wash their hands before starting work at the desk and regularly throughout their shift. Frequent hand sanitization is also encouraged.
  • UCF Libraries employee workstations are at least six feet apart and must be sanitized at the beginning and end of every shift.
  • Plexiglass shields are installed at the John C. Hitt Library Circulation Services desk and other service desks throughout UCF’s libraries to provide a barrier between student and staff members. When necessary, students will be required to swipe their UCF IDs themselves at these desks to reduce contact with staff.
  • Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout UCF’s libraries to allow students and staff to clean their hands after touching surfaces.
  • Seating throughout the library has been reduced by 30 to 50 percent, depending on the area. Students are asked not to remove signs identifying areas as “Do not sit” or rearrange furniture to help maintain appropriate physical distance of six feet between library patrons.
  • In-person group work in the libraries is restricted and group study rooms are closed at this time, however UCF Libraries recognizes that individuals may need to collaborate with others throughout the semester. Students may work with one other person while both individuals wear face coverings and maintain six feet of distance from each other.
  • Procedures for technology lending and course reserves are modified to reduce contamination. (See more details under Technology Lending Practices)

Checking Out Books and Printed Materials

  • Students can check out books in person at the John C. Hitt Library and through the interlibrary loan system at UCF Downtown and Rosen campuses.
  • Items may be returned at the outdoor book drops beside the main entrance doors, in the Millican Hall parking lot, or outside the CMC on the side of the Education Complex facing Garage I. They may also be returned at the Circulation Services desk inside the John C. Hitt Library, which has moved near the new entrance.
  • Students who are not living on main campus can also request books and have them delivered to their residence through the Book by Mail option.

Technology Access

  • Students can still access printers, copiers and scanners throughout open libraries. Students should wash or sanitize their hands immediately after use or touching other surfaces to maintain proper hygiene.
  • Desktop computers are available for use throughout the libraries, however some in the John C. Hitt Library have been disabled to maintain six feet of distance between users. Mouses and keyboards have been removed from disabled computers, and students should not sit at these workstations.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere, is now available on all desktop computers in the libraries and through rented library laptops.
  • Using UCF Apps, students can access the same electronic databases, resources and software, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft apps, on library desktop computers through their mobile and personal computer devices. Learn how to connect to UCF Apps here.

Technology Lending Practices

  • Students can check out most items available before the pandemic, except for headphones since these items are used in close proximity to users’ heads. However, headphones can be purchased from the Technology Product Centerlocated in Tech Commons II.
  • Items will not be made available for lending until they have been sanitized or have gone through the 72-hour quarantine period required for select items. Returned items will be handled by a designated employee at a specific area of the return desk to reduce potential for cross-contamination.
  • You can find the availability status for each rental item in the John C. Hitt library, as well as new policy information here. Availability status for CMC items, Rosen items and UCF Downtown items are also available online.
  • All four-hour items, including mobile device charging cables, portable battery packs and select laptops, will have their loan periods changed to 24-hours to reduce the amount of times a student would need to visit the desk if using the item throughout the day, accommodate reduced operation hours and allow for proper sanitizing processes.
  • Any item that has a cloth case or devices that are typically held near the face, such as cameras and microphones, will be sanitized and undergo a 72-hour quarantine period.

Virtual Services

For the latest information about returning to campus, visit UCF’s coronavirus and Returning to UCF websites. Students, faculty, staff and visitors will be required to complete the COVID Self-Checker — available via the UCF mobile app or online — each day before arriving to campus.