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The Libraries are one of the only facets on campus that provide a place for everyone. They are always accessible, regardless of your discipline. Allowing students to experiment with tools, discover vast research and work one-on-one with area specialists levels the playing field and sets our students up for success. The Libraries are pillars of support; we illuminate student excellence, highlight their brilliance and ignite their curiosity every day. Millions of patrons use our services and will continue to do so, as long as the Libraries have a place on this campus. This photo series was created to celebrate the George A. Smathers Libraries’ century-long legacy on the University of Florida campus. Our impact stretches far and wide, but can sometimes be hard to visualize. This project showcases archival photos from the University Digital Collections, projected onto iconic locations around campus. Even though you may not see us, the Libraries illuminate everywhere.

On Tuesday, April 1, the Smathers Libraries hosted the annual Michael Gannon Lecture, featuring linguistic anthropologist George Aaron Broadwell, Ph.D., the Elling Eide Professor of Anthropology at University of Florida as guest speaker. Held in the historic Smathers Library, Dr. Broadwell’s talk, “Reading Florida’s First Native Authors: Towards an Understanding…

SOURCE offers the reader an opportunity to view remarkable materials from our collections, learn about our innovative research and collaborations conducted both in the Libraries and with other colleagues throughout the University and beyond, and explore highlights of exceptional faculty and student services provided by the Smathers Libraries.  The centennial issue…

The George A. Smathers Libraries announced that Judy Russell has chosen to step down as Dean in July 2025. Dean Russell was named UF’s first Dean of University Libraries in 2007. The Libraries have flourished under her leadership, with considerable expansion of the print and digital collections, significant renovations and additional…

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has agreed to deposit his senatorial papers and other materials of historical value to the University of Florida’s George A. Smathers Libraries political papers collection. The Florida Political Papers includes political collections spanning the decades from 1800 to 2020 and beyond, from the David Levy Yulee…

The 2025 Bechtel Fellowship recipient is Aryssa Damron, a librarian at Van Ness Elementary School in Washington, DC. The Bechtel Fellowship, awarded by the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), awards a mid-career librarian with a minimum of eight years experience working…

The Smathers Libraries recently held two events that showcased Emilio Cueto’s extensive research on Cuban heritage and global influence. His presentation, “In the Footsteps of José Martí Around the World,” explored the worldwide legacy of Cuba’s National Hero, presenting a visual journey through over 340 cities that honor Martí through…

A new exhibit opening on March 3, 2025 at Florida House on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. highlights vintage maps of Florida. The maps in the exhibit are reproductions from the University of Florida (UF) George A. Smathers Libraries. They are only some of the stories of the Sunshine…

On Thursday, January 16, Smathers Libraries’ employees closed books and picked up paint brushes to add a new mural to the famous Gainesville 34th Street wall. The design highlights the centennial theme “Illuminating Excellence. Celebrating Our Libraries Past, Present, and Future.” While the University of Florida was founded in…

Twilight Zone MarathonJanuary 23, 2025, 11 AM – 11 PM, J Wayne Reitz Union Atrium In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rod Serling (1924–1975), a key figure of The Golden Age of Television and the creator of The Twilight Zone (1959–1964), The George A. Smathers…