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Expanding and Strengthening Smathers’ Oscar Wilde Collection

Interest in Oscar Wilde among UF students has grown notably in recent years, highlighting the need to expand the university’s library holdings in Wilde and Wilde Studies. This enhancement seeks to complete UF’s set of The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Oxford University Press) and acquire recent monographs and critical collections recommended by leading presses and the Oscar Wilde Society. These acquisitions will support ongoing research and dissertation projects in Victorian Studies, a long-standing strength of UF’s English Department, as well as related fields such as philosophy, aesthetics, queer studies, and modernism. The expanded collection will fill critical gaps, especially in up-to-date scholarship, and offer richer resources for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates alike. Wilde’s continued appeal—particularly to undergraduates drawn to his wit, identity, and cultural relevance—makes these materials a valuable investment in student engagement and the future of humanities education at UF.