Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Academic Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The Georgia Southern University Libraries


The GS Libraries support the University’s academic programs and the scholarly needs of students, faculty, and staff by providing information resources and high quality research services. The GS Libraries are a gateway to the Internet, electronic information resources, books, government documents, periodical articles, electronic books, audio-visual materials, and educational software.

The Libraries are also excellent locations for quiet or group study. For contact information, access to online resources and services, and full descriptions of the support we offer to faculty and students, visit library.georgiasouthern.edu, whether you are on the Statesboro, Armstrong, or Liberty campus.

Henderson Library, Statesboro Campus

The Zach S. Henderson Library opened in 1975 after outgrowing the Rosenwald building. A $22.75 million expansion/renovation project began in summer 2004 and was completed in August 2008. This expansion added 101,000-square feet to the original building and included the first Automated Storage and Retrieval System in any library in the southeast. The total square footage of the building is 245,888.

The Library houses over 400 Internet-accessible personal computers, both Windows-compatible and Macintosh. Wireless access to the Internet and the campus network are offered if you wish to bring your own laptop or portable device. You can also borrow laptops, iPads and small portable whiteboards for use within the building at the checkout desk on the second floor. Support for a variety of standard and advanced software programs is available.

Lane Library, Armstrong Campus

Named for Mills B. Lane, prominent Savannah-Atlanta banker, philanthropist, and an early patron of the university, Lane Library was built in 1966 and substantially enlarged in 1975. The building was completely renovated in 2005-2006. Lane Library measures 50,000 sq. ft. and seats about 500. 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 and provides space and furniture for group learning activities. Both the Library and the Learning Commons feature group study rooms, Macs (21) and PCs (100), laptops that students can borrow, and Wi-Fi access.

Collections

The GS Libraries are a major academic resource for three campuses, with their 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.

Currently, the Libraries’ collections contain over 947,200 volumes of printed books and bound periodicals, and 50,000 physical media. In addition to the extensive physical collections, the Libraries also provide access to a growing number of electronic resources which includes over 916,100 electronic books, 121,800 electronic journals and related resources, 178,500 digital media, and 315 databases that contain indexes, abstracts, full-text articles, and digital images. These electronic resources are easily accessible both on and off campus 24/7.

Both libraries house special collections that contain rare books, manuscript collections, and artifacts relating to the history of local areas and the University. 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 and first editions by Conrad Aiken and other Savannah writers.

The Zach S. Henderson Library’s Special Collections division 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. Popular collections include: the Okefenokee Swamp Collection, the Bulloch County Historical Society Collection, and the Lucile Hodges Collection. Also available for research are the Marvin S. Pittman Collection and the Charles Holmes Herty Collection, to name only a few.

Services

Books and other materials held at Henderson Library in Statesboro and Lane Library at the Armstrong campus 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 through locally 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 from University System of Georgia Libraries can be requested from other libraries in the United States and around the world via an interlibrary loan service.

A notable and unique resource is Digital Commons@Georgia Southern, 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 Library Liaison Program was created to provide better engagement with academic departments and their faculty and students across campuses. Liaison Librarians are available for providing one-on-one consultations, giving special seminars, teaching library/Internet-use workshops, creating subject guides for disciplines and courses, offering individualized research assistance, locating resources, and collaborating with researchers on data management plans (DMP’s) for grant proposals. 

The Libraries offer extensive service hours during academic semesters, with some variation between facilities. The schedules vary for holidays and between semesters, 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 and collections. The Dean of the Libraries is available to meet with any member of the academic community to discuss the resources of the Libraries or its connections to other information networks and services throughout the world. To contact the Libraries, please visit the Libraries’ website at https://library.georgiasouthern.edu/about/contact/.