University of South Florida Tampa Library

The facility houses several special and digital collections, including literature, oral histories, photographs, artifacts, and the university archives.

When John S. Allen was named the first USF president in 1957, his first academic appointment to the staff was Elliott Hardaway, at the time the assistant librarian at the University of Florida.

[3] For the first year of classes, the library was temporarily located in the University Center ballroom until the completed five-story facility opened in 1961.

The campus was planned so that the library was the tallest, most conspicuous building, to symbolize what John Allen considered to be the heart of the university.

[5] Opened in 2012, the Science, Math, and Research Technology (SMART) Lab, provides a hands-on learning space which includes more than 300 computer work stations.

Tampa Campus Special Collections supports University of South Florida by encouraging use of primary resources that document the history and culture of both USF and the broader community.

Over the last few decades, SCUA has grown dramatically, with most of this growth having taken place since 1996 when the present library building opened with an expanded area for special collections.

The range in subject matter for these digital collections reflects the academic aspirations for students, staff, and faculty within the University of South Florida.

Currently, the USF Tampa Library facilitates three main activities in order to promote textbook affordability: recommendations to faculty, Course Reserves, and the E-books for the Classroom database.