Since 1980, the Thomas G. Carpenter Library has served as an excellent common space for UNF students to gather and study, but Tommy G’s offers more to students than they might be aware of. 

Students need their Osprey1 card to get into the library, but senior Jaryl Cabatingan has a tip for easier access. 

“You don’t have to swipe your card! Just tap to get in,” he said in a response to Spinnaker’s Instagram poll.

Forgot your laptop charger? Have a math test and forgot your calculator? Don’t worry, Tommy G’s has your back. With a valid Osprey1 card, students can rent a variety of supplies for a limited amount of time, free of charge.  

 Tommy G’s currently consists of four different levels to accommodate students’ preferred environment and houses 20 group study rooms. The first rule of thumb that students should be aware of is what’s allowed on each floor.  

“The level of quietness increases as the floors go up,” UNF sophomore Cadi Swaim explained, “so, if you have a study group, do it on the first and second floors.”

Floors one and two are considered group study floors, and talking with peers is allowed; floors three and four are reserved for quietly studying and talking is highly discouraged. 

If you’re looking to eliminate as many distractions as possible, private study rooms are available on the first three floors by reservation only. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance. Students are permitted three hours a day and up to three days a week. 

The first three floors also supply printers and copy machines available for students using their Osprey1 Card.  

The first floor houses the Perdue learning area, which offers tutoring opportunities. The first floor is also where students can find the Information, ITS Help and Research Help desks. From these areas, students can receive help to find books, special collections, research material, UNF archives and more.

Students can purchase snacks or drinks from the vending machines found on the first and second floors. The first floor also offers an additional vending machine for other necessities and school supplies. Students can purchase pens, hand sanitizer, batteries, scantrons, and more.

 The first and second floor also offers several media-scape tables designed to support collaborative group work. These spaces allow devices to connect to monitors, maximizing group study efforts. More information on how to reserve these spaces can be found here. 

If someone is looking for a space to study without noise and too many distractions, the third floor will be the best bet. The three larger quiet study rooms students are made of glass windows, so natural light is let in, making for a beautiful view on a nice Florida day. 

The third floor is also home to the Virtual Learning Center where students can immerse themselves in a wide range of Virtual Reality (VR) programs. Visits can be made by reservation here. Something to look out for will be a podcast or audio recording studio that will be coming to the third floor soon. 

 Periodicals and journals can be found on the third floor, along with the Q-Z general collection. 

 The fourth floor consists of a limited number of graduate study rooms available to currently enrolled doctoral students, thesis-writing graduate students and graduate students on an annual basis. 

 The A-P general collection lives on the fourth floor along with the Curriculum Collection.  

Improvements are being made to the UNF library to welcome as many Ospreys as possible. New students should know that Tommy G’s offers more than just a place to study, but also access to a wide range of materials and services, you just need to know where to look and who to ask

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