Who is behind the mini plastic ducks at USF St. Pete library?

Miniature rubber duck found on top of floating structure hanging in library. Farther than arm’s length away, this duck is unreachable without external help.

Photo courtesy of Nadia Colimon.

By Nadia Colimon

Miniature plastic ducks and other animals have quietly appeared around the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library (NPML) at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, leaving both students and staff intrigued about who is behind them.

Students started noticing these creatures pop up around the library in the beginning of the fall 2023 semester, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. These plastic animals mostly consist of miniature plastic ducks, but there have also been miniature frogs and flamingos. They can be found in the bookshelves, tables, counters and even on structures hanging from the ceiling. 

*Miniature rubber duck found on top of floating structure hanging in library. Farther than arm’s length away, this duck is unreachable without external help.*
*Photo courtesy of Nadia Colimon*.

“You can find them all over the stacks, on the stairwell, they’re everywhere,” said Amanda DeArmon, the Library Specialist at NPML. “It is an anonymous staff member; that’s all I can say.”

“I assumed it was some kind of game, so I started to collect them,” said Ben Mach, a senior majoring in psychology. “Later on, a library worker told me that someone has been putting ducks around and that I can take them if I see it.”

*Mach’s miniature collection of ducks, frogs, and flamingos. His collection has a total of 90 miniature animals. Some ducks are seen with sunglasses, fedoras, or Christmas hats.*
*Photo courtesy of Ben Mach.*

It’s become such a big thing that Mach put a duck sticker on his iPad. He started a collection of these ducks in his bedroom, and since he visits the library daily, he has accumulated dozens.

NPML staff members have also been enjoying the mysterious duck hunt around the library.

*An instance of library staff collecting these miniature animals, displaying ducks and a frog in their office windowsill.*
*Photo courtesy of Nadia Colimon*.

“I know the librarians find and collect them,” said Bella Molinari, an NPML staff member. “We used to have them up here at our front desk.”

Most ducks look like a traditional miniature rubber duck, but whoever is behind this had gotten creative with the way these ducks are presented.

A bin of 3D printed USF jibbitz made for Crocs. Mach claims to have found a duck jibbit in this bin during his fall 2023 semester. The business card shown is for Summer Natali, the worker that told Mach he could take ducks when he sees them.
Photo courtesy of Nadia Colimon.

“There were some ducks by the 3D printer,” said Ivy Kent, an integrative biology major and NPML staff member.

Along with 3D printed ducks, there are larger versions of ducks displayed by workers around the library.

*A real rubber duck toy displayed in the windowsill of the special collections department. Although this is not part of the miniature duck hunt, it is a playful nod to the game.*
Photo courtesy of Nadia Colimon.

Roaming the library to find these animals is a fun game for students to play in their free time, however most students are unaware that this is happening. These ducks are hidden so that only those who visit the library frequently would recognize the pattern.