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The GS Libraries support the University’s academic programs and the scholarly needs of students, faculty, and staff by providing information resources, high quality research services, and contribute to the University’s teaching mission, within the Information Studies concentration, by providing instruction in metaliteracy. The GS Libraries are a gateway to electronic resources, books, government information, periodicals, electronic books, audio-visual materials, and educational software and gaming.
The Library houses over 400 Internet-accessible personal computers, both Windows and Macintosh. Wireless access to the Internet and the campus network are offered for personal or portable devices. Laptops, iPads, graphing calculators, educational games, cameras, and several other electronic devices are available for loans at the Welcome Desk. Support for a variety of standard and advanced software programs, including 3-D printing and scanning are also available at the Tech Desk. The total square footage of the building is 245,888 and seats about 2,000 visitors.
The Lane Library measures 50,000 sq. ft. and seats about 500 visitors. The space devoted to library services grew by about 25% with the 2013 opening of the Learning Commons, in an adjacent renovated building. The Learning Commons seats about 250 visitors and provides space and furniture for group learning activities, as well as a collection of educational games and 3D printing services. Both feature group study rooms, 21 Macintosh and 147 Windows computers in-building, laptops that students can borrow, and Wi-Fi access.
The GS Libraries have extensive collections of scholarly books and journals, government publications, special book and manuscript collections, AV materials, and links to networked information resources in various electronic formats. The Libraries provide access to a growing number of electronic resources which includes over 1.1 million electronic books, 147,000 electronic journals and related resources, 167,000 digital media titles, and 363 databases containing indexes, abstracts, full-text articles, and digital images. Currently, the Libraries’ physical collections contain over 930,000 volumes of printed books and bound periodicals, and 49,000 physical media. In addition to its extensive resources, the Libraries offer physical spaces for both individual and collaborative study. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to utilize designated quiet areas or engage in group work within the Libraries.
The Henderson Library’s Special Collections unit houses rare books, manuscript collections, and artifacts relating to the history of the Statesboro region and Georgia Southern University. Special Collections has materials documenting the Civil War, World War II, southern railroads, early businesses, and local genealogy. The Lane Library’s Special Collections include the University Archives and the Florence Powell Minis Collection, which contains published materials on local history and culture.
Books and other materials held at Henderson and Lane Library may be requested for delivery to patrons at the other campuses within one or two business days. In addition, books from other University System of Georgia Libraries can be requested free-of-charge through the GIL Express service. Through the state-sponsored GALILEO system, and selected resources, library users have online access to hundreds of databases, five million book titles, thousands of academic journals, and many forms of media. Most journal articles and books that are not otherwise available can be requested from other libraries in the United States and around the world via an interlibrary loan service.
The Libraries’ Liaison Program facilitates an active partnership between each academic department (or program) and Library faculty who are knowledgeable about that department’s library collection, curriculum, and research needs. The library faculty teach multiple literacies across disciplines and in the Information Studies Concentration; provide research consultations for students, staff and faculty; develop resource guides for disciplines, courses, topics, and events; collaborate with researchers on data management plans for grant proposals; develop collections to support the teaching, learning, and research needs of the students and faculty; and promote awareness and advocate for the adoption of Open Educational Resources at the institution.
The GS Libraries are officially designated by the US Patent & Trademark Office as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), one of only two PTRCs in the state. The center assists the university and local communities with questions and issues related to intellectual property. The PTRC provides access to patent and trademark research databases and explains a patent or trademark application process.
Another unique resource is the Brain Booth, an experiential space to learn about the mind-body connection, reduce stress and optimize academic performance. The Brain Booth accommodates individual and class visits.
A notable and unique resource is Georgia Southern Commons, an open access digital collection whose purpose is to collect and disseminate the intellectual and creative output of the University’s faculty, staff, and students. Contributions come from all over the University and include theses/dissertations, conference proceedings, research publications, brochures, and newsletters.
The Libraries offer extensive service hours during academic semesters, with some variation between facilities. The schedules vary for holidays and the intersession, so check the Libraries web site for details: https://library.georgiasouthern.edu. The web page also gives you the connections to our electronic resources, online catalog of library holdings, interactive reference service, and useful tips on finding the information you need. Off-campus library services are supported through the online services described above and by local libraries. Off-campus faculty and students have access to online library resources via the Libraries’ web page using their MyGeorgiaSouthern credentials. Off-campus students may also request materials that are not available in full text online by using the Libraries’ online fulfillment service.
The Libraries’ administration actively seeks comments and suggestions concerning any aspect of its operations, services, programming, and collections. Our vision at the University Libraries is to be intellectual and cultural centers on campus where our users gather to meet their information needs in communities they create.
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