Library Support Services for Undergrads Smathers Libraries are here to support your success
We provide you with a wealth of physical and digital resources to support your research, provide a variety of welcoming spaces and technology for you to learn and create, and offer in-person and online research support that will help you succeed.
Study Spaces
The Libraries offers rooms for group study at branches across campus. These study spaces can be reserved in advance for groups of two or more.
Textbooks
The University of Florida created the Affordable UF Initiative, a wide-ranging effort that brings together partners across campus to tackle the affordability challenge from multiple perspectives.
Wellness
The Libraries believe success is directly tied to personal wellness. The Libraries provide space, insight and collections of resources for your wellbeing.
Library Employment
Employment opportunities range from entry level positions shelving books to higher echelon jobs utilizing advanced subject knowledge and expertise.
Research Assistance
Get help with topic exploration, developing research questions, evaluating and citing sources, and more!
Accessibility Services
The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries provide a number of services to ensure access to library collections and services for individuals with disabilities.
Undergraduate Guide to the Smathers Libraries
Written by undergraduate students like you, for you. Inside, you will find a wealth of information about what the Libraries have to offer, including research help, spaces, technology, collections, electronic resources, and more.
Student Success at George A. Smathers Libraries
At the heart of your academic journey, the Libraries are where knowledge meets ambition and where every field of study converges. Our extensive resources and supportive environment are designed to fuel your success.
Get help!
- We have librarians for every subject. To get you connected to your subject librarian, you can reach out to the Student Success Librarian and she can assist or direct you to the right person or you can check out the Subject Area Specialist list!
- You can also chat online with a librarian via text, call, chat and email using the Ask A Librarian page.
- And always, you can stop into any one of our six on-campus branches for real-time help! Check out our hours and occupancy.
Library locations
Large scale accessible PDF of the UF Library locations map
Academic Resources
Citation tools: Citation management software helps you to store, organize, and output your citations in the format you prefer.
Databases: Search for academic journal, magazine, and newspaper articles using the library databases. Most academic journal articles cannot be found using Google and require access through the libraries.
Journals: Academic journal articles are reports of an expert’s original research, analysis, or review of the research available on a topic
Sage Skills: Practice and master essential skills for academic success and beyond
Workshops and events: Attend these free workshops to learn how library resources can help you research more efficiently and confidently. We offer sessions on information literacy skills, citation management, using databases, systematic reviews, and much more. Library workshops and events are offered in person or online and are open to everyone in the UF community.
Peterson’s- Test Preps: A virtual, one-stop experience for test preparation for college and graduate/professional school standardized exams. Provides practice tests and prep materials for: GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, ACT, CLEP, DSST, PSAT, SAT and TABE. Also assists with graduate school searches, scholarship information, resume and cover letter building, and vocational test prep. Requires you to create an account to access resources.
Other services & support
Undergraduate Library Advisors cohort 2023!
Undergraduate Library Advisors (ULA) is a peer mentor program that aims to increase undergraduate student engagement with libraries by training a cohort of student leaders to represent, promote, and teach library services to their peers. Our ULAs are instructed on library resources and information literacy, participate in campus-wide student orientation activities, and create engaging content and resources to be shared with undergraduate students.
class of 2025
Annika Cruz
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Campus Involvement: Undergraduate Library Advisor
Project interests: student engagement, content creation, video editing
What’s your favorite Smathers Libraries resource or service?
I personally love the Take-Home equipment from the libraries, and I’ve had many friends borrow really nice cameras for events. I’ve been able to avoid going home to grab a charger when it’s available at the circulation desk, but I also want to start renting camera equipment for fun!
class of 2025
Sophia Medina
Major: English
Hometown: Hialeah, Florida
Campus Involvement: UF Fencing Club’s saber team
Project interests: Student engagement.
What’s your favorite Smathers Libraries resource or service?
I want students to know just how much they (Smathers Libraries) have to offer with their extensive collections and resources! I think what I find most useful from the libraries as a student is the Primo Search option on the UF libraries’ website. Sometimes, I’ll need a book for a class, and I can search it up there quickly to see if the UF Libraries have it, whether online or in a physical collection! You can also search by ISBN, and I’ve done that often to borrow specific versions of books for my classes. On another note, I think the scrap paper at the front desk of Library West can come in handy too. I forgot to bring lined paper one day, so I used that in class instead.
Class of 2025
Braulio Q. Quintana
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Miami, FL
Campus Involvement: Undergraduate Library Advisor, Mexican American Student Association (MASA), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Hispanic Student Association (HSA)
Project Interests: Student engagement, content creation
What’s your favorite Smathers Libraries resource or service?
Personally, the library catalog and databases are my favorite resources as they simplify hunting down subjects of interest into material that I can use for FREE for classroom use or on personal projects.
Class of 2026
Rebekkah Hudson
Major: Dual Major (history and art history)
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Campus Involvement: Undergraduate Library Advisor, History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta, Survivor: Florida.
Project interests: Student engagement and content creation with an emphasis on services related to historic preservation (given I intend to work in that field post-graduation).
What’s your favorite Smathers Libraries resource or service?
The Smathers Libraries offer many resources and services, but my favorite has to be the University Archives. As a history major, the ability to access primary and secondary sources is especially important when considering crafting research questions and carrying out research for practicums, theses, and dissertations. Within the University Archives, thousands of materials are present, ranging from magazines to photographs to artifacts and more. Given this vast range, I especially appreciate all of the librarians who are more than willing to help direct you as you navigate through the archives, as its size can be overwhelming.
Questions about the ULA program?
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Jasmine Simmons at jsimmons3@ufl.edu.