Automated Retrieval System (ARS)

About the ARS

• Commonly referred to as 'robots', three cranes move up, down, and across the rows of metal bins to retrieve items that are requested electronically.
• Covering 8,260 square feet, there are 11,328 bins in 3 aisles. Each aisle has two sides and each side has 59 columns. Each column has 32 bins.
• Construction for the ARS began as the first phase of the new library in October 2003 and was completed in January 2005.
• To see the ARS in person, visit the ARS Viewing Room on the second floor of the Learning Commons and Library.

While searching in the Library Catalog, click on "Request this item" to request an item that's located in the ARS and log in if prompted. Community users who do not have a Library Catalog account can request ARS materials at the Library Help Desk.

The processing time will vary depending upon how many items are being retrieved and the time of day, but it generally takes 10-30 minutes for items to be delivered to the holdshelf. Materials requested after the last retrieval of the evening will be available after the first retrieval of the next morning. Items requested from the ARS are kept on the holdshelf for 7 days after they are retrieved.

ARS Retrieval Schedule

• The first retrieval is a half an hour after opening.
• The last retrieval is a half an hour before closing.

A small percentage of the items in the ARS cannot be requested via the Library Catalog and must be requested at the Library Help Desk. These include items from Archives & Special Collections and some Government Documents. Items from Archives & Special Collections are retrieved on their own schedule.

If you have questions, please contact the Library Help Desk (librarycirc@scu.edu, 408-554-5020) for more information.