{"id":421519,"date":"2026-10-07T20:32:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T20:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421519\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T20:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T20:32:09","slug":"students-give-positive-reviews-to-usf-librarys-renovated-study-floors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421519\/","title":{"rendered":"Students give positive reviews to USF Library’s renovated study floors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>The USF Library completed renovations that added seating, new furniture and a police substation, and students say the updates made it a better place to study. ORACLE PHOTO\/COLE ABRUZZESE<\/p>\n

The USF Library finished renovating its third and fourth-floor study spaces in August, completing a project that also updated the first and second floors.<\/p>\n

Each floor is a collaborative study space with its own volume level and environment, and the first floor also houses the library\u2019s help and computer centers.<\/p>\n

Zibby Wilder, associate director of communications and marketing for the University of South Florida Libraries, said each floor now has new and updated furniture, including added seating on the third and fourth floors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work increased the total seating in study spaces on the third floor from 229 to 250, and on the fourth floor from 123 to 156,\u201d Wilder said.<\/p>\n

Wilder said work on the first and second floors took place from March 2025 to August 2026, while work on the third and fourth floors ran from July to August 2026.<\/p>\n

Students say the renovations have improved the library\u2019s study spaces and amenities.<\/p>\n

Thomas Catalano, a senior information security major, said he enjoys the changes to the third-floor study spaces because of the added seating.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore they added more spaces, it was hard to find a spot where my friends and I could study and it was honestly annoying,\u201d Catalano said.<\/p>\n

Related: USF Tampa Library debuts new tap ID entrance to boost security<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Wilder, the project finished on schedule and addresses multiple student demands for each floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cImprovements were also made to the second floor, providing additional classroom and study space, as well as more workspace for building partners,\u201d Wilder said.<\/p>\n

Catalano said he has noticed the new floor layouts, particularly on the second floor, which give students more space.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was always really packed and felt all over the place, but now they\u2019ve changed it so now everything is organized and that everyone can have their own space,\u201d Catalano said.<\/p>\n

Catalano said he feels USF took student feedback seriously and that the changes show it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe library feels like it\u2019s a comfortable place to study now unlike before because of the old furniture and outdated look,\u201d Catalano said.<\/p>\n

Wilder said the renovations also extended to the library lobby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe project also included the addition of a University Police substation in the Library lobby, providing a police presence on the south side of campus,\u201d Wilder said.<\/p>\n

Catalano said the first-floor changes also make the library look better and more inviting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that the help desks would\u2019ve helped me a lot if I was a freshman and although the new e-gate system can be a hassle at times, it does keep the library a quiet and safer space,\u201d Catalano said.<\/p>\n

Wilder said the front entrance and lobby renovations cost $2.3 million, but there is not a final number for the cost of all renovations yet.<\/p>\n

Related: USF Tampa Library upgrades near final steps\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Amanda Perez, a junior biomedical science major who frequently visits the library, said she appreciates the added space on each floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe renovation on the second floor specifically was much needed, it used to be squished and uncomfortable in the back but now it has its own area and it looks very nice,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

Perez said the upgrades make the third- and fourth-floor study spaces look nicer and cleaner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new tables are very nice, the old ones would either have stains or were scratched up, and the new outlets are very convenient, since these floors are always busy,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

Perez said she has not noticed many first-floor changes beyond the new security e-gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it is annoying to take out my ID every single time, I do appreciate the security aspect of it and the measures that USF is taking to keep us safe,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

Perez said that although she enjoys the renovations, she believes there is still room for improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they could make plans to update the fifth floor furniture, the chairs have rips in them and the fabric on them is really uncomfortable,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

Perez said she also wishes the study rooms on the fourth and fifth floors were more soundproof because she constantly hears people yelling or laughing in them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rooms have a very loud echo to them so if they were sound proof, it would cause less disruptions and people would be able to focus more,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Library is constantly looking for ways to use space effectively and provide the best and most secure environment possible for all,\u201d Wilder said. \u201cThe feedback received so far has been very positive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The USF Library completed renovations that added seating, new furniture and a police substation, and students say the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421520,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-421519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}