By Alex Avelino, Director of Marketing and Communications
At the UF Libraries, any library employee can propose a topic for an exhibit. Even if it has nothing to do with their job.
Nothing but a personal passion or pursuit.
For me, it was Stephen King.
Before this exhibit, I had read 36 of his novels, seen a bunch of his stories turned into film/tv and had even been interviewed on PBS’ Great American Read series about The Stand. It had been on my radar to create an exhibit for the Libraries and King was my perfect subject. As I engaged in my research and told others about the exhibit, I found out that many of my friends and family only identified King as a horror author. They had no idea he was the mind behind Stand By Me, The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. I realized they were missing out on great books because they had put him into a box. I decided I would use this exhibit to let him out of that box and let them into new reading opportunities!
Once a UF library employee has decided on a topic, they become an exhibit curator. They develop a curator statement and identify physical items for the exhibit, all from the UF Libraries’ collections. This includes books and materials from any UF library, including our special collections. This exhibit has materials from three libraries (Architecture and Fine Arts, Library West, Marston Science Library) and multiple special collections, like the University Archives and the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature. Curators then work with the Exhibits Director and Exhibits Associate to flesh out the exhibit.
“Library exhibits curated by our employees can cover a wide range of topics. They can also push boundaries and help uncover stories outside of traditional academia. I’m always fascinated when a curator shows so much passion or “geeks” over an exhibit topic or story so dear to them. Whether it’s a favorite author, a favorite book, a favorite film, or a genre they’ve been wanting to explore, you can see their joy throughout the exhibit process,” Katiana Bagué, Exhibits Associate said.
The Not So Scary Side of Stephen King Curator Statement
“I don’t typically pick up scary books or watch scary movies. But Stephen King is my favorite author.
Known as “The King of Horror,” Stephen King has published 65 novels and novellas (short novels), more than 200 short stories and five nonfiction books. In 2026, at 78 years old, he’s still publishing. Yet the Maine native writes more than fear. He has bestsellers in science fiction, crime, mystery, suspense, fantasy and nonfiction.
What I appreciate about his writing is that even villains have an origin story; it helps understand their motives and almost rationalizes the horror. His work resonates with so many because of universal themes like coming of age, childhood trauma and good vs. evil, as well as his visceral style of writing. You can feel your skin crawl and neck prickle when reading. His writing is accessible and easy to read. Every book is a page turner. King’s sensory-heavy text is the reason almost 100 of his works have been adapted for movies and TV!
Built to entertain, King recently said in an article, “I have to watch out and not become a bore. I hate that idea, of being a boring person. I’d like to still surprise people a little bit.” So let him surprise you. I hope you’ll find a new favorite author. And if you’ve been a fan since Carrie in 1974, maybe it’s time for a reread.”
The UF Libraries have exhibit spaces in all six on-campus library branches. “My favorite part of exhibits is being able to bring different stories and interpretations to the Libraries’ collections. Each curator brings their unique interest and viewpoint. Bringing out their passion for the subject and sharing it more broadly is a rewarding experience,” Lourdes Santamaria-Wheeler, Exhibits Director, said.
Current on-campus exhibits include:
- Animating Hope: Izaak and Bertie Cohen’s Puppet Theater | Smathers Library Gallery
- Specters, Sandworms, and Zombies: Tim Lawrence’s Legacy in Special Effects | Smathers Library Lobby
- Ebb and Flow | Albert H. Nahmad Panama Canal Gallery, Smathers Library
- The Not So Scary Side of Stephen King | Library West
- The Many Means to Cuba: Counterrevolutionary Cuban Organizations | LACC
- Museum Wonderlands in Children’s Literature | Education Library
- The Science of Coffee | Marston Science Library, 2nd floor
- Nature Illustrations: Connecting Science & Art | Marston Science Library, 3rd floor
- The Making of Historic St. Augustine | AFA
Items included in The Not So Scary Side of Stephen King exhibit case:
- Books: On Writing, Mr. Mercedes, The Stand, 11/22/63
- Oversized book: The Films of Stephen King
- Advance Uncorrected Proof of Never Flinch, sent by King to UF Libraries Literary Manuscripts Archivist, Flo Turcotte
- Pop-Up Book: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
- Dissertation: Stephen King’s Family Frights
- Operas: Dolores Claiborne: An Opera, and The Shining: Opera in Two Acts
Facing the elevators in Library West are three small display cases. I chose to highlight three of King’s most famous books turned to movies, the ones many of my peers did not know where his: The Green Mile, (Rita Hayworth and) The Shawshank Redemption, and Stand By Me (The Body).
In March 1996, Stephen King released the first of a six-volume serial, The Green Mile. Each subsequent serial came out in the last week of the month until August, and was then republished as a single-volume work. The movie, released in 1999, stars Tom Hanks and is almost a shot-for-shot adaptation of the novel.
“He hitched under my hand, then made an unpleasant gag-ging, retching sound. His mouth opened the way horses sometimes open their mouths to allow the bit—reluctantly, with the lips peeling back from the teeth in a kind of desperate sneer. Then his teeth parted, too, and he exhaled a cloud of tiny black insects that looked like gnats or noseeums. They swirled furiously between his knees, turned white, and disappeared.-The Green Mile
Written in 1982, Stephen King’s The Body was published in the collection “Different Seasons.” Released soon after in 1986, the film adaptation was renamed Stand By Me for the Ben E. King song played throughout the movie. After director Rob Reiner screened the movie for the author, he noticed King was visibly shaking and wasn’t speaking. King left the room and upon his return, told Reiner that the movie was the best adaptation of his work he had ever seen.
“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 – Jesus, did you?” –The Body
Stephen King wrote Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption in 1982 as a novella (short novel). It was published as part of the collection “Different Seasons.” The film version was released in 1994, and renamed The Shawshank Redemption. While the film is incredibly similar to the novella, one notable difference is the casting. In King’s writing, “Red” is a white Irishman. In the film, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, a Black man, plays the part of “Red.”
“So what did he do, I ask you? He searched almost desperately for something to divert his restless mind. Oh, there are all sorts of ways to divert yourself, even in prison; it seems like the human mind is full of an infinite number of possibilities when it comes to diversion.”-Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
I hope the students walking through Library West engage with the exhibit and are encouraged to make him their next read, and that our library employees are inspired to pursue their passions through exhibit curation. It’s a great excuse to read on the clock.