All exhibits are free and open to the public during the same hours as the building in which they are housed, unless otherwise specified and with occasional exceptions for maintenance.
Smathers Library Gallery | April 18, 2022 – June 24, 2022
“I Wanna Tell Ya…” About Bob Hope
Bob Hope left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry through his work in vaudeville, theatre, radio, television, recordings and film. His career grew from local vaudeville to the global stage. Born Leslie Townes Hope in England in 1903, he immigrated with his family to the United States at a young age. Over a long career, he came to represent the good will of the United States on stages around the world. Curated by Jim Liversidge.

Albert H. Nahmad Panama Canal Gallery | March 26, 2022 – February 28, 2023
The Digging is the Least Thing of All: Health & Medicine at the Panama Canal
The tremendous public health infrastructure necessary before and during Panama Canal construction evolved into an equally monumental and vital system designed to protect the Canal’s functioning and keep the people operating it safe from injury and disease. Individuals living at the Canal had typical healthcare needs, but they also faced unique and significant challenges brought on by their location at the crossroads of global trade. Curated by Elizabeth Bemis.

Library West | February 18, 2022 – September 16, 2022
Freedom is Not Free: Ax Handle Saturday
Beginning August 13, the NAACP Youth Council organized sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in downtown Jacksonville. On August 27, white Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members attacked Black people in downtown Jacksonville. Although often overlooked, Ax Handle Saturday is a significant part of Florida and American history that mirrors and expands the national civil rights movement. Curated by Antonette Jones.

Marston Science Library | February 4, 2022 – May 6, 2022
African American Agricultural Extension Agents in Florida
Celebrating the contributions historically made by African American extension agents throughout Florida. Curated by Melody Royster.

MARSTON Science Library | February 4, 2022 – May 6, 2022
Selections from Book STEAM
Scientists seek answers via evidence and data; artists use intuition and aesthetics to tease out the truth. The fundamental aim of both is to understand the universe and humanity’s place in it. The works on display demonstrate the artists’ interpretations of the basic nature of our existence via literal and figurative translations of scientific concepts. They may or may not be “true” in a scientific sense, but these books make us feel something. Who can argue that is not just as important as a technological advance? Curated by Ellen Knudson.

Education Library | September 2, 2021 – December 17, 2021
Let’s Talk About Sex
Children’s literature illustrates the changing attitudes towards sex education over time. Increased sex education has grown young people’s sexual knowledge, awareness, and autonomy. It has also improved their attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health and behaviors while affirming the position of sex education within a larger framework of human rights. Curated by Hunter McDaniel.

Library West | January 7, 2021 – December 31, 2021
All Black Lives Matter: Documenting Community Response to Racial Injustice
Photographs documenting the Gainesville community’s response to calls for justice for Black, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized groups during the summer of 2020. Curated by Tiffany Pennamon, with assistance from Sarah Coates.
