Inception

The Library started as a department in The Institute of Management & Production (IMP) when moved to 17 Worthington Avenue in1976. The first collection consisted of but was not limited to reel tapes and Manuals from the American Association (AMA) and a set of Laws of Jamaica and ICD Annual Reports. The Library was then named "Information Centre - Library."

Antecedents

 In 2003, The Institute of Management & Science(IMS) purchased IMP at 34 Old Hope Road. The Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) had its collection. In November 2003, a decision was taken to transfer the IMS library collection in the Old Hope Road Campus to the Worthington Avenue Campus, which became the main Campus for this now new combined institution known as the University College of the Caribbean.

Merger and Acquisition

Consequently, merging the collection at Old Hope Road and the IMP collection at Worthington Avenue form one collection. After being closed for three weeks to facilitate renovations, the Information Centre- Library resumed regular services on January 25 2004. This relaunch coincided with the University College of the Caribbean launch on February 24, 2004. The Library was renamed from "Information Centre - Library" to "Library and  Information Centre."

Expansion

The newly renovated and expanded Library space accommodated more students, officially seating sixty (60) patrons, up from 38 library patrons. The Reserved Special Collection was now housed where the General Collection was previously housed. The Reference Collection moved to the reserve collection area. Students expressed more significant levels of satisfaction with the newly renovated space. 

Collection Development- In 2004, the Library collection contained 4,500 book volumes and 600 periodical and other volumes, for a total collection size of 5,100. By June 2005, the collection had grown to 6,300 book volumes. In 2007 when the University Council of Jamaica first registered the institution, it had a total collection size of 11,912 volumes.

Academic Databases- The Library provides Online Academic databases and resources in various subjects; some of the resources acquired are: ABI/Inform research databases Ebook Central from ProQuest. From EBSCO: Academic Search Premier, Business Search Premier, eBook Academic Collection, from EBSCO,  access to Research4Life platform (which includes access to five resources GOALI, AGORA, Hinari, OARE and ARDI. The Infobase Learning Cloud, Emerald business and SAGE videos, and Research Methods.

Electronic Access

 In 2012, the Library was upgraded from a manually operated library to an electronically operated one, using LibrarySoft's newly purchased software. Similarly, the collections were uploaded on the system by the library staff. Books were now checked in and out via the LibrarySoft platform. This system allowed the Library to keep better track of both patron's activity and the collections.

In 2020, the Library acquired KoHa, an Integrated Library Management System, Open Source software, hosted by the National Library of Jamaica. The catalogue information is continuously updated.

State of the Art Library- On February 14, 2018, the renamed "Library and  Information Centre" was relocated and is now housed on the Second Floor of the new KIB building at the Worthington Avenue Campus, with an approximate area 5,000 square feet. It has 270 degrees of panoramic views to survey the New Kingston Corporate Area. It seats sixty (60) patrons in the reading area in one sitting. The dedicated computer area facilitates seventeen (17) patrons.

Teaching and Learning Support- The UCC Library and Information Centre is at the forefront of initiatives intended to encourage faculty members to increase their research publication, continuing while including students in their research projects as a teaching and learning tool, where appropriate. The Library will also support the University's effort to establish a signature Innovation Centre that can showcase faculty and student applied research that might have commercial implications and applications.

Regional Campus Resource Centres

Every UCC campus has a regional resource centre part of the UCC library system and the Main Campus. They are located in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Mandeville and May Penn. The Regional resource centres are equipped with computers, a general reading area and wifi access.

Library Catalogue

The WIN/ISIS computerized managed database was introduced in December 1999 to produce catalogue cards for the manual catalogue. In September 2006, the Library installed Genisis to provide a searchable interface for students. On July 24, 2012, the Library was focused primarily on updating systems, processes, people, and stocks. Arising from this strategic focus, the Library upgraded the management systems by installing LibrarySoft Library Management Software. Circulation control of materials is maintained through LibrarySoft. In June 2020, the Library adopted Koha; the data is being migrated manually. Includes Librarians module, OPAC, patrons module where the users can reserve the books and suggest titles of their interest. This system generates alerts for due texts and is interconnected with Amazon, and observes the protocols Z39.50 and RDA classification standards. In July 2021, KoHa was integrated into the recently updated Library's website.