Odum Library, dedicated in 1972, is the center of academic life for the campus. In August of 1990, the library was renamed the Gertrude Gilmer Odum Library after Gertrude Gilmer Odum who was a major benefactor of the University and Professor Emerita of English. Housing approximately 530,000 bound volumes, the library is staffed with trained librarians to lend every assistance to students and faculty. The library also contains approximately 3,300 print periodicals and newspapers and a substantial microform collection. In 2004, a new addition opened, doubling the size of the library and adding an Internet Café, an auditorium, additional computer labs, classrooms, and a new archives section. In 2019, Odum Library welcomed the Academic Support Center into the library as part of a new learning commons on the second floor of the building.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Unsure where to find scholarly or academic resources? Don’t be! Schedule an appointment with a reference librarian today and learn how to find reliable information with ease by filling out a consultation request form.

Professors/Instructors can request library instruction for their classes. Reference librarians will customize library instruction to meet the specific research needs of each class.

Have a project that includes multimedia? The New Media Center can assist students with multimedia projects. Professors/Instructors can request instructional workshops for their classes or for one-on-one training.

THE POWER OF RESEARCH

Information is at the core of everything you do. At Odum Library, we provide the tools you need to find, evaluate and process, and share information.

Find research articles and academic resources you need to complete your assignments using the library’s databases through GALILEO’s Discover search tool. Use Interlibrary Loan and GIL Express to borrow articles and books not available in our library.

Evaluate and process your research materials in one of the library’s many spacious, welcoming environments. Here you can enjoy a hot coffee from our coffee shop and absorb your materials in one of our many quiet study spaces, collaborative group study areas, comfy chairs and couches. The library has many computer labs, including quiet labs, and networked printers.

Share your media with your class with the help of the New Media Center. Here students have access to two open PC labs, one open Mac lab, three private studios, and one classroom. Students can work with our audio-visual equipment and software, 3D-printers, poster printers, and helpful and knowledgeable staff. Our labs are all open to students, staff, and faculty at VSU. Do you need a laptop, tripod, and camcorder for your class? Not a problem! Visit our Equipment Checkout station, show us your VSU ID, and get what you need.

We are proud to be the heart of VSU’s campus, serving our students, faculty, staff, and the community.

MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of Odum Library is to be a leading educational and cultural resource of the University.

The statement of purpose is supported by the following library goals:

1. Student Success: Provide students with the needed resources, infrastructure, and assistance to foster and support a culture of student success.

2. Student Engagement: Promote and support a culture of student engagement and experiential opportunities using programs, student employment, and internships.

3. Regional Engagement: Promote and support a culture of regional engagement by providing the resources and infrastructure needed to further the university's mission of regional impact and through improving relationships with campus and community constituencies.

4. Faculty and Staff Engagement: Promote and support a culture of university employee engagement using programs and strategic partnerships.

Organizational Chart