The Smathers Centennial 5K race brought students, faculty and community members together Sunday morning, turning UF’s walkways into a moving tribute to 100 years of Smathers Library history.
The race began at 8 a.m., marking the symbolic finish line of the library’s centennial year. The route started at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and passed each of the six libraries before returning to the start. The first 25 female and 25 male runners received commemorative T-shirts, while participants could also grab centennial-branded stickers, snacks and water.
In its centennial year, the library is highlighting a century of excellence and curiosity while celebrating its role past, present and future, said Alex Avelino, director of marketing and communications for the Smathers Libraries.
The Smathers libraries are open to the public, not just UF students. Avelino encouraged people to explore all six library branches; everyone will likely find something to enjoy, she said.
“Whether they like reading for pleasure or 19th century rare books, or whatever you’re into, you can find it online on the library website,” Avelino said.
Nadia Gandhi, an 18-year-old UF finance major, said her friend inspired her to run the race. Gandhi had wanted to run a 5K for a while, so both of them registered online.
“It honestly makes me feel more a part of the UF community, being a part of such a big celebration here at UF,” Gandhi said. “It’s really nice to be able to celebrate together with like-minded people and celebrate Smathers.”
Aarón Mares, a 27-year-old data scientist at UF, said the UF libraries have had a special place in his heart since he was younger. For him, they represent learning, comfort and pushing yourself to do more — similar to a 5K in a lot of ways.
“It's nice to get to do it in celebration of that [the centennial], and also just through the campus as well,” Mares said. “Kind of revisiting memory lanes and some old pains and also high points.”
Irene Martínez, an 18-year-old UF psychology major, joined the race with her father to contribute to the community. Smathers Library is the place where she focuses the most.
“It’s hard to grasp that something that's so new to me has been here for 100 years, and I think that's beautiful,” Martinez said.
University Archivist Sarah Coates said before Smathers Library became the central building on the Plaza of the Americas, UF had no single building devoted entirely to books or study.
“The library on campus was scattered across the handful of buildings that were here during that time period,” she said.
That changed in 1925, when the University Library, Smathers’ original name, opened its doors. It was one of the largest libraries in the southeast U.S. at the time, Coates said.
Over the next several decades, UF’s academic programs expanded, and new libraries followed. Library West, originally called the Graduate Research Library, opened in 1967 to serve graduate students, while Smathers became the undergraduate library.
After funding its renovation, Sen. George A. Smathers was honored in 1987 when the University Library was renamed for him.
Today, the library holds a different kind of treasure. Smathers is home to the university’s Special and Area Studies Collections, which include rare archives, manuscripts and historical artifacts, such as a wool Rat Cap that freshmen were required to wear in the ‘20s through the ‘50s at UF.
“We have an immense amount of really cool and interesting, unique collections here, where sometimes what we have is literally the only copy or version of it in existence in the entire world,” Coates said.
For Coates, the library’s centennial was not only a moment of celebration, but also reflection. She wondered what the library was like a century ago — how many books it held, what the spaces looked like and how people used them at the time — compared to the much more expansive library system today.
“It gives you a chance to really step back and look at where we were 100 years ago,” she said.
Ornella Moreno is a contributing writer for The Alligator. Contact her at ornellamoreno@ufl.edu.
