The new Allen Lastinger Center for Florida History will hold its grand opening at the library this fall on September 5, according to the UNF Library website.  

Hilary Streifer, the librarian overseeing the center, said that this new addition to the University of North Florida is a new resource consisting of primary and secondary source material related to Florida’s transportation and economic industries.  

The Allen Lastinger Center for Florida History will be an interdisciplinary center for academic excellence, according to Streifer. She said this will be a great resource for student researchers of many backgrounds to access new source material and rare books to work with. The collection will also be accessible to the public. 

In 2023, the Lastinger family donated a collection of unique and historic Floridian artifacts, books, and maps, according to their website. Most of the collection will be digitized and available for anyone to access online. 

According to Streifer, the former student body vice president at UNF sat down with the project’s advisory group to give a student perspective through its planning process.

“I really want to stress that these materials are open for everyone to come and use. It’s a great opportunity for students to experience different types of source material here on campus,” said Streifer.  

The center will be a place for students to browse, request material, or use the space for quiet study, according to Streifer. 

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