UCF Special Collections & University Archives Help: Home

Some materials are stored in our Automated Retrieval Center (ARC) and require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice to retrieve. We strongly encourage all patrons to contact Special Collections & University Archives, either by email or phone (see Contact Us below) to request materials and/or to schedule a research appointment.

Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the Special Collections & University Archives' reading room. Researchers will need to provide a current government or academic-issued photo ID when visiting in person.

Special Collections & University Archives
University of Central Florida Libraries
P.O. Box 162666
Orlando, FL 32816-2666

Website
Phone: (407) 823-2576
Email: speccoll@ucf.edu

We have multiple ways to search through our materials. We recommend searching using keywords in the following areas (as in, only search with the most important keywords). 

1. ArchivesSpace 
   • ArchivesSpace searches Special Collections & University Archives’ collection guides. Collection guides, also called finding aids or descriptive guides, are tools that help researchers find information in the manuscript or archival collections and include information on the origin, extent, dates, contents, and subjects for the collection.
   • For additional help, please see the ArchivesSpace tab in this LibGuide
2. UCF Library Catalog 
   • The UCF Library Catalog searches Special Collections & University Archives’ publications and collection records.
   • Quick Tip: Use the search bar on our department homepage to search only our records in the catalog. The search bar is located under the collection pictures and above the blog posts.
   • After searching for your materials, you’ll need to filter the results on the left menu under Library Branch. If Special Collections & University Archives has materials that fit your keywords, you can filter to find only our materials by clicking the arrow next to Library Branch and then clicking one of the following:
     • UCF ARC – Special Collections
     • UCF ARC – University Archives
     • UCF Archives
     • UCF Special Collections
3. Digital Collections on Islandora 
   • Digital Collections on Islandora searches Special Collections materials that we have digitized and online, which can be accessed anywhere.
4. Digital Collections on STARS 
   • Digital Collections on Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarships (STARS) searches Special Collections and University Archives materials that we have digitized and online, which can be accessed anywhere. Once you begin searching using this link, you can narrow results down by year or publication using the boxes on the left of the search results.
5. Digital Collection on dLOC 
   • Digital Collection on the Digital Library of the Caribbean has items mainly from the William J. Bryant West Indies Collection, which includes materials related to the Caribbean Region.
6. UCF Historical Buildings Tour 
   • The Historical Tour of UCF Campus Buildings is an ongoing exhibit that is updated periodically.

We welcome individuals who wish to curate special exhibitions in our department. Exhibits will focus on materials held in Special Collections & University Archives and can be created from either our book or manuscript collections. More information about exhibiting with us can be found on our dedicated page about Exhibits.