Latest Posts

Celebrating Women’s History Month with Snapshots of the Florida Citrus Industry

Reading Time: 6 minutesSince the mid-1800s, Florida groves have been peppered with oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. While not native plants, their fruit have become irrevocably linked with the Florida landscape. From postcards and packaging to advertisements and film, the image of Florida is one that combines beauty, sand, and citrus. For over 150 years, farmers have invested in citrus crops, laborers have relied on the fruit’s growth for work, and canneries have preserved these pieces of edible sunshine… (Continue Reading)

USF Curiosities: Planting trees at “Sandspur U”?

Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat are you most proud of in your tenure at the University of South Florida? Margaret Fisher didn’t select a moment of personal triumph or individual achievement in response to this question. Instead, she honed in on a moment that united the campus community. Recorded in the USF 50th Anniversary Oral History Project, Fisher, who arrived at USF in 1960 as the director of women’s affairs, describes how she was particularly proud of an “all-university enterprise,” where faculty, staff, and students came together to plant trees in the quad… (Continue Reading)

USF Curiosities: Bottle Cap U? Sandspur U?

Reading Time: 3 minutesWith the name “University of South Florida,” most people except USF to be located in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Instead, USF is located in the middle of the state in Tampa, a city that is not near southern Florida at all! So, how did the University of South Florida get its name? When Florida Governor LeRoy Collins signed a law in 1955… (Continue Reading)

USF Curiosities: Chickens in the elevator?

Reading Time: 2 minutesWell, you can’t say that we don’t have fun at the University of South Florida…
As one of the first resident instructors at USF, Phyllis Marshall came to the Tampa campus in the fall of 1960. At the time, Marshall was in charge of 47 women, who lived on the 4th floor of the University Center. She remembers the way the residents developed a set of rules for themselves and created new social organizations. She also remembers how the residents participated in some early antics… (Continue Reading)

Trint Transcription Service

Reading Time: 2 minutesA comprehensive oral history interview can sometimes run up to 3 hours long. If you’ve ever transcribed an oral history, you know it can take at least 4 hours of typing for every hour of audio, if the speaker is easily understood and the audio is of high quality. Once this first phase of transcription is complete, the finer points of editing are tackled: formatting, proper punctuation, and research of key terminology is done, adding significantly to the overall timeline for the completed transcript… (Continue Reading)

Library Exhibits on Environmental Studies

Reading Time: 3 minutesUSF Libraries’ program partners, donors, staff, and faculty have created several exhibits that highlight the Tampa campus library’s digital collections that focus on environmental studies.  These exhibits work to provide additional context and connect digital resources to tell the full story of events that have shaped the Florida environment.