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UCF Libraries Information for Legacy Pointe Residents

Primo: The UCF Libraries Catalog

Primo Search is the default tab on the Libraries' homepage that allows researchers to locate books, multimedia (e.g., DVDs, CDs, streaming videos), journal titles, and other materials owned by the UCF Libraries.

 

Simple Search:
  • To locate UCF materials only, change on the drop-down menu labeled "Available Now: Online and On Shelf," to "Library Catalog."
  • "Everything in Primo" searches the statewide catalog for all Florida publicly-supported university and college libraries (e.g., University of Florida, Florida International University).
  • Primo is not recommended as a tool for locating journal articles, as it encompasses roughly only  50% of the UCF Libraries' journal databases; instead, use a subject-specific database to identify journal articles on a topic.
  • Use keywords or any words to search for topics. Try using two or three of the most significant words from the topic for which you are searching. A keyword search will find all occurrences of a word in a library catalog or a database. What follows are some examples of keyword searches:
    • music wom#n [finds: music AND woman or women, occurrences of all words]
    • child* [finds: child, child's, children, children's]
    • music theory [finds: both words, with "and" implied between words]
    • "music theory" [finds: phrase – must enclose with quotations]
    • city OR cities [finds: either word – must type OR in uppercase]
    • city NOT cities [finds: city only – must type NOT in uppercase]
Primo Search Box Library Catalog

 

Advanced Search:

ARC: Automated Retrieval Center

Over 80 percent of the UCF Libraries materials (e.g., books, DVDs, Blu-rays) have been transferred into the Automatic Retrieval Center, or ARC for short. The ARC is located behind the Hitt Library and it is not accessible to patrons. All materials in this guide that have been designated "Main Library ARC General Collection" are in the ARC. Therefore, materials located in the ARC need to be requested. Here's an overview of how that process works.

Note in the examples that every title says "Available at UCF ARC Main..." To initiate a request, click on the title look for the "Sign in to see request options" on the record page. For example: 

Note that the item is in place and available to be requested by clicking the sign in option where you'll enter your NID and your NID password. Once you do that, you'll be directed to a page to complete your request:

The final step is to select a pickup location from the menu:

Then submit the request. Requests placed during hours of operation are generally filled in 15-20 minutes. You'll receive an email notification once your book is ready and it will be held at the location you selected for one week.

For more information about the ARC, see this guide, which includes a video of the ARC in action.

Library of Congress Classification

Although it was developed to organize materials housed at the Library of Congress, the Library of Congress Classification system (LCC) is widely used in academic libraries around the world; it is the primary classification system used by the UCF Libraries. The LCC system begins with 21 categories, each identified by a letter of the alphabet. Most of the categories include subcatagories that are identified by one or two more letters. For example, class N, Art, has subclasses: NA, Architecture; NB, Sculpture, ND, Painting; as well as several other subclasses. Each subclass includes a loosely hierarchical arrangement of the topics pertinent to the subclass, going from the general to the more specific. Individual topics are often broken down by specific places, time periods, or bibliographic forms (such as periodicals, biographies, etc.).
 
Individual topics are delineated by place, time period, etc. using numbers. For example, ND 673 finds books on painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Similarly, E 51-99 finds books about Indians of North America.
 
Below are the major LCC classes or categories:
  • A - General Works: Encyclopedias, Almanacs
  • B - Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion
  • C - Auxiliary Sciences of History: Archaeology, Biography, Genealogy, Heraldry, Numismatics
  • D - World History and Histories of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
  • E & F - History of the Americas: United States, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean
  • G - Geography, Anthropology, and Recreation
  • H - Social Sciences: Business, Demography, Economics, Sociology, Statistics
  • J - Political Science: Government, International Law, Political Institutions, Public Administration
  • K - Law
  • L - Education
  • M - Music
  • N - Fine Arts: Architecture, Decorative Arts, Design, Drawing and Painting, Sculpture, Visual and Print
  • P - Languages and Literatures: Classical and Modern Languages, Literature, Poetry, Philology/Linguistics
  • Q - Sciences: Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics
  • R - Medicine: Dentistry, Homeopathy, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Surgery
  • S - Agriculture: Aquaculture, Forestry, Hunting, Plant Culture
  • T - Technology: Arts and Crafts, Chemical Technology, Construction, Engineering, Home Economics, Metallurgy, Motor Vehicles, Photography
  • U - Military Science
  • V - Naval Science: Navies, Navigation, Shipbuilding
  • Z - Bibliography: Book Industry and Trade, Information Resources, Libraries, Paleography, Writing