2022’s Fall Fest is History, Thanks for Joining Us!

Until next time, this page can help you learn how UF’s George A. Smathers Libraries can help you get where you’re going.

Whether you think you’ll be a regular in our study spaces or if you’ve harbored a lifelong fear of libraries and don’t want to tell anyone, we’re here for every Gator, everywhere and (almost) anytime.

Scroll down this page for a quick guide to what the libraries have to offer.

Find Your Place

The George A. Smathers Libraries are made up of seven different library branches, alongside a number partner libraries and collections around Gainesville and the state of Florida. Our on-campus spaces offer places to study, create, relax, and refuel.

Here are just some of the things you can do in our different library branches.

Collaboration and exam spaces

Group study rooms and/or proctored exam rooms can be booked in Library West, Marston Science Library, Education, and Health Sciences Center Library through our Library Calendar.

Atmospheric Study Spaces

The Grand Reading Room and the light-filled Latin American and Caribbean Collections in Smathers Library (East), as well as the double-decker carrels in the Architecture and Fine Arts Library are a break from the ordinary.

Quiet Study Floors

• Library West (Floor 4)
• Marston Science Library (Floor 4 and 5 – currently closed for renovation),
• Education Library (Floor 2)  

Wellness Spaces

Tune out in the Nap Pods in Health Science Center Library or keep moving on one of our FitDesk “study bikes” in Library West.

Makerspaces

The Makery in Marston Science Library, and the EduGator Makery in the Education Library offer technology and fabrication for more advanced projects.  

Access Library Resources and Specialist help from anywhere.

On campus, your GatorLink login gives you access to you to databases, media, and thousands of eBooks accessible through our Library Catalog.

Not sure where to start?

Chat live with a reference librarian using the AskA Librarian widget on our library webpage or at https://askalibrarian.org/. We can answer your questions about materials, building hours and policies, and reference requests in real time!

Accessing library resources from off campus?

The Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows you to access all the library’s electronic resources if you’re off campus or not on the Eduroam Wi-Fi network. Just download and install it once, and then sign into the VPN each time you need to access databases, journals, or streaming video services. We’ve made this video to walk you through the process

Prefer to go at your own pace? click the button below to download instructions on setting up the UF VPN as a .pdf file!

Need help with your research?

Ask your Subject Specialist! There is a specialist for every major and subject area, and the specialist has put together ready-made research guides that will point you to specialized resources like databases and journals that are relevant to that subject. Check out the list of specialists and happy researching!

Your Gator1 card is also your library card, which can be used at any of our six different library branches on campus (plus the Legal Information Center) to check out materials from the circulating collections. As a student, you can borrow up to 100 separate items for 8 weeks at a time (grad students can borrow up to 250)! 

Books can be returned at the circulation desk of the library you borrowed them from, placed in the book drops outside the library you borrowed them from, or mailed back to the library.  Books can also be renewed from your library account page.

Borrowing Technology and Equipment

We loan a range of hand and power tools (from sewing kits to carpentry tools and phone repair equipment), as well as take-home versions of some of our audio and video equipment, even 3d printers and AR headsets.   

Borrowing times range from a few hours (for use in the library) to 1-7 days. Lists of the types of equipment we lend and where to find it.  

What If We Don’t Have It?

If you see something that we don’t have, you can always request that it be sent to campus through our Interlibrary Loan program. This is freely available to all students, as well as to most patrons with borrowing privileges. As a student, your Interlibrary Loan account is tied to your UFID #, and it’s separate from the library account you use to check out and renew other books.  

In some cases, articles you request for electronic delivery can be sent to you in as little as 3-5 days.

You can also check out books from other participating Florida libraries and have them sent to campus through the UBorrow program. Most requests are filled within five business days.

Have an idea or a thought you’d like to share for future Fall Fests? We’d love to hear from you. To get in touch with the Fall Fest Committee, please contact Robin Fowler.

Go to our Libraries & Collections page to find the librarian for you, or use the Ask A Librarian chat box from our library webpages.