4 words: FREE LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM…read more This review is specifically for the Tower Branch Road location of the Alachua County Library District. This location is near and dear to my heart, because it is located on Tower Road and in a close proximity to Gainesville's best schools and many families of various nationalities that use the library space in an amazing way, as a community center for learning. Tower Branch Library is also very unique because of the free language exchange program they offer. At the time, I was able to volunteer as an English language tutor to a wonderful group of Korean and Mandarin speaking adults. Along the way, making many lifetime friends and acquaintances. Also, learning some Korean in the process. As you can see, I HIGHLY recommend their language exchange program at this location. It is a rare find. Many people that I have talked to say that public libraries are a daycare center for the homeless, aging, and children. At this location, that is very far from the truth. This is the best community based, learning environment library that I have been to. The management and librarians at this location are so down-to-earth, kind, and organized. I was blown away by their professionalism throughout the year that I volunteered there. The Alachua County Library district is funded in many ways, but I do notice the public library fee on my family's monthly escrow property payment. It is not that much per month and is totally worth it.

The reconstruction on the library is fabulous! So many more options here now. My daughter is 8 and…read morelove going to the library even more. They have classes that are relevant to all ages (babies all the way to seniors citizens). You can check out their events online to find the most updated list. The staff is always very helpful. I usually have no clue what book my daughter is wanting and one of the librarians helps her in just a few minutes.

Wow! I haven't had a library card in decades! Why not?!? With all the computers and programs, games…read moreand software, sometimes it is nice to just have a book in your hand that is full of information that you are passionate about! I went to the front desk with my ID and asked for a card, and I got so much more!! Not only can I get books of fiction amd non-fiction loaned to me for a whole month, I can get audio books and books online as well! There is so much information out there, and all you have to do is pick your favorite subject and take a deep dive. The front desk librarians were so polite and informative! I was actually excited, almost as if I won some kind of lottery! I am so happy woth my bird books and my books helping me learn Mandarin. I can't wait to read them! Find your passion, then get a library card! You will not regret it!!

I grew up coming to this library with my granny and my mom. However, this library is a far cry from…read morewhat it used to be. I decided to catch up on some work and went into the study room, which was pretty empty and nice to be in. The room was filled with high ceilings and multiple tables and outlets for charging laptops or phones. There were only a few people in there so that was very nice. It also has a view of the outdoor area, which was nice to look at since it was a beautiful day. Onto the main part of the library, there are a lot of homeless or displaced people that frequent the library and utilize the services. There is a security guard that is walking around to ensure the safety of people. One thing I really like about this library and comparison to other county libraries are that they have great signage and labeling for the different sections like nonfiction or fiction. I wanted to check out a book however it was not available at this location. I was able to place it on hold for a location closer to my home very easily. Since this is the headquarters, they have a vast amount of books and resources but the library itself is very outdated. If I'm on this side of town, I would stop back to the library to utilize their study room since it's a quiet area and I was able to get work done while I was there.

This library is like my second home. It is conveniently located in the heart of the Health Science…read moreCommunicore building, with a Starbucks right outside. The location is great. If you're studying for a long time, you have plenty of food options. Starbucks, Panda Express, Chik-FilA, Einsteins, and Salad Creations are all located within two minutes in the Sun Terrace. If you want other options, you can walk over to the Shands food court for the Global Exhibition, burrito bowls, pizza, sushi, Wendy's, Subway, froyo, or the cafeteria food (which is cheap and delicious). The sushi they serve is the Sushi Gusto kind that comes from Fresh Market, which is the best grocery store sushi in my opinion. Ever since the new renovation, the second floor has been the place to be. The new seating is reminiscent of Marston. There are plenty of options and even the couches have outlets. You can choose to stand at certain workstations since they have adjustable tables. The overall atmosphere is very calming with the soft blue and silver hues. It is a definite upgrade from the cold, hospital like thing it used to be. The library is organized by noise level. The higher you go, the quieter it is. The first floor gets REALLY LOUD and depending on the day, so does the second floor. It is a great place to collaborate, but a major con would be the noise level. The HSC library is food friendly so you can eat whatever you want wherever. The students are very respectable since they are mostly in professional school so the library is very clean. There are even little cleaning kits dispersed around to ensure cleanliness. The cons to the library are the hours. It is only open from 7:30AM-midnight. If you want to study later than that, the Blue Room is located on the second floor and is open for 24 hours. This library also has weird times when there is no one working on the second or third floors, so you are not allowed to exit from those floors to use the restroom. Overall, this is my favorite library on campus. I basically live here on most days so I am glad it is such a comfortable place to be.

The health science library is the one stop destination for pre-health, graduate, researcher, and…read morequite honestly anyone in particular. It's been my study spot since the beginning of school. Hours do fluctuate between semester but if you're a graduate student, you can request to have 24/7 hour access on the 2nd floor. The only thing is that to access a computer you need a UF ID! With a UF ID, you can also rent out skulls, equipment, and rooms! The higher you go up the library, the quieter it is! It

Gainesville is home and so hard to rate. It's changed so much over the years, and sometimes…read moreunrecognizable. Graduation and the annual Nutcracker performance at the Phillips Center, plays at the Hippodrome, UF cheer and basketball camps at the O'Connell Center, proms held at the Women's Club, walking in the Gator parade, and UF homecoming being a local, public school holiday-- because #GatorNation. The Harn Museum of Art and Reitz Union after-school visits while waiting for my mom to get off work. It's a small, hipster, college town that's so full of art and culture. Now, I can liken it to having a tiny "keep Austin weird" -ish vibe. All in all-- Ode to Gainesville-- the backdrop of my childhood, and the occasional nostalgia-filled stomping grounds of my adulthood! Fave spots: The Top Sidecar/V Pizza Baby J's Dragonfly Mojo's Public & General Satchels Pizza Cheers!

For many, the city of Glainesville, Florida is known best as where Tom Petty came from. Others…read moreembrace it as the college town that it is. Gainesville, Florida was established in 1854 and was named in honor of Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Gainesville was incorporated in 1869 and chartered as a city in 1907. Gainesville has a lot going on for it and while the area around the university can be a bit crazy traffic-wise, it for the most part is an enjoyable place. Business takes me here somewhat frequently and I do have my favorite places to grab a meal and they have some nice parks to walk. Whatever your reasons might be to find yourself in Gainesville, Florida, I am sure you can make this an overall positive experience. Gainesville, Florida has come a long way since it was established in 1854 and Gainesville will continue to evolve and move forward.

The Marston renovation made this library spectacular last Fall. The new comfy chairs, addition of…read morestate of the art study rooms, outlets, and Made@UF lab really made Marston the premiere library to study in. It was a nice well kept secret during the Fall. By Spring time, Marston became ridiculously crowded. It's central location and new amenities made it the most popular library. This all made sense when it became UF's new 24 hour library. Ever since Marston became the new 24/5 library, it has become less and less appealing. Students really do not appreciate the facilities we are blessed with. It is now the dirtiest and most uncomfortable library. For some reason, it is too hard for students to clean up after themselves. The study rooms are filled with old food, empty Starbucks cups, and scraps of paper. Everyone needs to realize that is it THEIR OWN responsibility to clean up after themselves and not the custodial workers'. There are three delightful, hard worker ladies working tirelessly every morning to maintain the cleanliness of the library. They are doing their part, but students are not doing theirs. Every morning, they report to work, with smiles on their faces, ready to tackle the catastrophe that is Marston. There are garbage cans everywhere so there is no reason why someone can't dispose of their garbage on their way out. There is no reason to draw on tables or to leave boards unerased. The facilities are spectacular. Every computer has the entire Adobe suite. We can print posters at Marston now. Students can use the Made@UF lab to create apps. (UF will not in any way obtain compensation from an app developed here. You sign a disclosure before using the lab. It's great!) The way students have treated Marston is not. This library would be awarded five stars if students cared more and treated the library with respect. As for now, three stars is more than enough.

Ha! Mike beat me to Marston... but honestly I'm not there often enough to say a lot... BUT…read more The building itself is another of those horrors from the late 70s, early 80s... a big ugly bunker that will one day be blown up and no one will miss it. The French Fries and the cut thru so you can see Century Tower are nice touches... but really, this building should never have cut off the lawn leading to the Union from the auditorium. Terrible place, bad location. Now the good: The map library is a damned cool place. They're working on getting it all online, but there is still a LOT of value in looking at the original Sanborn fire maps of various cities. So, my verdict is based on the parts I have used, and as an Urban Planning grad student the maps are MY space in this building. Too bad the building itself is such an affront to good planning and architecture.

Alachua County was formed in 1824 from the Timucan word meaning "sinkhole." Gainesville has been…read morethe county seat since 1854. This courthouse is located on a prime city block in downtown Gainesville, surrounded by retail and restaurants and an open square that seems to be used occasionally for music festivals or farmers markets. The structure is an Art Deco / Modern style that is four stories of concrete and glass. Because of the nearby buildings and massive trees next to it, it's challenging to get far enough away to get a proper photograph. But it's in mostly good condition considering the Florida weather. It could use a good pressure cleaning of the exterior. The marker nearby reads, "The Alachua County Commission, by authority of the Florida Legislature, selected this site for a courthouse in 1854, moving the county seat from Newnansville. The first courthouse was a frame building completed in 1856. It was demolished on the completion of a red brick courthouse in 1886. The current building, completed in 1958, and its 1962 addition, were erected in response to the continuing expansion of governmental needs in Alachua County." [Review 357 of 2025 - 2009 in Florida - 23919 overall]

This courthouse is quite dated and looks pretty much straight out of the 70s or something like that…read morebut it gets the job done The inside and the outside architecture are both in need of some renovation however they keep it very clean inside All the employees I encountered were very friendly and helpful, it seems like mostly everybody except the litigants had a smile on their face. The location in downtown Gainesville is nice, it's close to the park and parking is pretty decent, there is parking all the way around the block for two hours or less for free and if you need more Parking than that you can park across the street in the pay lot. There is free Wi-Fi sponsored by the city in the area. I would not suggest filing a lawsuit to go experience this courthouse, however if you got to come here it's a decent place to go.

Century Tower is an icon of the UF campus. It can be heard on the hour or when the carillon studio…read morehas students performing music on the bells. Great place for photo ops for those visiting or graduating on campus.

As a proud double Gator, Century Tower has served as a beacon of hope. It represents the heights…read moreyou can reach with whatever you decide to purse at the University of Florida. Located in the center of campus, it demonstrates the fact that everything you decide to do is within reach after leaving the Gator Nation. It is a symbol for our university and is a beautiful one at that. You can sometimes hear your favorite tunes chiming from its bells, offering a reminder of how Florida Gators like to be whimsical and silly sometimes too. It stands tall and can be seen anywhere from campus like the Gator Nation which can be found anywhere. It is a part of our tradition keeper book, so at the end of every semester you are allowed to climb it and explore the inside. It serves as a meeting place, a memory and an icon for our fine university and I'm glad that it greets me every morning as I make my way to campus. Go Gators!!

Cool little downtown area of Alachua, Florida. There are multiple small businesses call Amelie…read morestores and restaurants that remind us that there was a world and still is a world in certain places before the big box stores came and took over. It is tranquil here, a nice place to walk and see the world slowly going by. All in all, I would definitely recommend coming down here.

Quaint, and charming small downtown! I love the vibe on Main Street. Small businesses for shopping…read more A few different restaurants to try. Conestogas' Restaurant has been in business since 1988. Alachua also hosts several craft fairs during year, with music, food. Worth visiting for sure!