University Of Florida

University Archivist, Sarah Coates, walks through historic UF campus, highlighting architectural features and providing fun facts about the Gator Nation.

On Thursday, August 21, the Libraries invited the University of Florida Gainesville campus to the official unveiling of “Focused Attention,” the nine-foot bronze alligator sculpture created by artist, David Price. More than one hundred students, faculty and staff trekked to the Plaza of the Americas to give the gator a…

Focused Attention is finally home. In 2016, the A. H. Burnett Foundation donated a 430-pound bronze alligator sculpture to the UF Libraries. Created by Florida artist David Price, the bull gator is nine feet long and made of clay. For over nine years, the work, titled “Focused Attention,” lingered on the third floor of Library West,…

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.