Smathers Library just got a makeover.
A ceremony was held Wednesday morning to recognize lobby renovations that began in August, said Barbara Hood, George A. Smathers Libraries spokeswoman.
The interior was painted, new lighting was installed in the lobby, and the woodwork was stripped and restained, Hood said.
“It was described as looking like a haunted house because of the dim lighting in the lobby before the renovation," Hood said.
The lobby now also features displays honoring George Smathers.
Bruce and John Smathers, sons of the late George Smathers, were joined by their wives along with Dean of University Libraries Judith Russell to cut an orange and blue ribbon at the ceremony commemorating the improved lobby and celebrating their father’s contributions.
A black-and-white photograph of George Smathers and President Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House is illuminated in one of the three display cases dedicated to the philanthropist within the lobby.
Other photographs, medals and documents in the display cases also highlight contributions he made to UF as a student and a benefactor and his contributions state and nationwide as a U.S. senator.
“Many of the libraries are administered as George A. Smathers Libraries as a system, but this rededicates the renovations that were made due to his contributions,” Russell said. “The bronze plaque outside, the portrait of Sen. Smathers, artifacts, documents and overall appearance of the lobby is a much more appropriate dedication to Sen. Smathers.”
Hood said rare photographs, books, artifacts and documents that are also showcased in the lobby were chosen from the special and area study collections like Asian and Africana studies, The Price Library of Judaica and the Latin American Collection, which are housed within the library.
“As a research university, we acquire materials for scholarship and research, and we preserve the artifacts in such a manner so anyone can come in and use these items for education,” Russell said. “You want people to come and feel like these materials are open to you.”
The improvement of the lobby is expected to lead to more progress and renovations within Smathers Library as well as throughout the campus to meet the educational needs of the students, the public and scholars and researchers around the world.
Plans are being made for the renovation of the Special Collections Research Room on the second floor of Smathers Library to increase the amount of space in the study area and overall usefulness of the room.
Bruce Smathers said in order for UF to be ranked nationally in the top 10 universities, it is necessary to provide top 10 research libraries to the students.
“Everyone wants to contribute to the athletic program, but my father recognized that this is the future of the University of Florida as an academic institution, which greatly depends on the school, but really on an excellent library system,” Bruce Smathers said. “Education is everybody’s birthright, and hopefully UF will become one of the top 10 universities in the country.”
