We welcome visitors, guests and researchers. All campus libraries are open to the public during the defined hours. This Web site has information to help you plan your visit. If you are representing a high school group that would like an orientation to the university libraries, please contact staff at the Library you wish to visit.
Our collections support the research needs of undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty in over 170 academic programs. With an emphasis on scholarship, we are different from a public library as we do not collect popular fiction, how-to books, or general magazines. Smathers Libraries is a regional federal, state, and European Union documents depository, and our Government Documents Department is open to all U.S. residents and others interested in government policies and regulations.
Some of our "crown jewels" that you might wish to visit are
- Special and Area Studies Collections of rare books and manuscripts
- Latin American Collection
- Map & Imagery Library
Smathers Libraries subscribes to literally hundreds of electronic databases, e-books, online guides to the literature, and fulltext journals. Most of these resources are licensed only for UF students, faculty, and staff. However, all visitors to the campus libraries can access these online resources. See below: Using the Public Workstations at Any Smathers Library.
- Library news and special events
Smathers Libraries sponsors various exhibits and educational programs throughout the year - Libraries, location, telephone, maps
- Virtual tours of the Libraries @ UF
These short (3-10 minute) videos are designed to offer you a quick overview of our collections and services. - Directory: hours, services, giving opportunities
Hours will vary during semester breaks and holiday weekends . - Overview of library collections
- Smathers Libraries online catalog
- Free online reference sources
Reference / Research Assistance Services Available
The following websites provide visitor and guest information, including a campus map and accommodations. If you’d like to pay for private parking near the Libraries (these lots charge by the hour), call 352-273-2616 for details.
- Visiting Gainesville
- Directions to campus
- Plan ahead and save time:
With 9 campus libraries and numerous special collections, you might wish to check the Library Online Catalog before you made the trip to campus. Check for titles/authors/keywords and subjects of interest and note the library locations and call numbers for each. We welcome you to use the library collections in-house. Check-out permissions are limited. To see if you qualify to check-out materials, see: Smathers Library Unaffiliated Circulation Policies
- Please remember to check the defined public visiting hours for the library branch(es) you plan to visit.
Using the Public Workstations at Any Smathers Library
- Requires on-site registration at any Smathers Library
- Present a government-issued photo I.D. at any library service desk
- Campus visitors can use the Libraries' public computers to access online research resources and electronic databases that are otherwise restricted to UF-affiliated persons.
For more information, see: Smathers Library Computer Use Policy.
Guides to Using Smathers Libraries
- General Information
Call or visit the Research Assistance/Information Desk at the campus library or department
- General Public Policies
- Subject Specialists/Subject Guides
Contact for assistance in starting your research. Please call ahead if you'd like to make an appointment.
- UF Libraries Online Catalog
- Policies and Guidelines for User Conduct
Some of our most popular requests from visitors concern genealogy questions. Smathers Libraries are not a genealogical library, but many of our resources, such as census records and biographical guides and narratives, can help a genealogist find information. Here is a brief Guide to Selected Genealogical Resources. Guides to other libraries on the web and websites can be found at Genealogy Resources LibGuide.
Due to strict license agreements, only UF students, faculty, and staff have remote-access privileges. However, with on-site registration, visitors have the privilege of free on-campus access to all library databases when using our library public workstations.
