Denise Montgomery Honored for 30 Years of Service

Denise Montgomery was recognized by VSU President William J. McKinney during VSU's Employee Recognition Luncheon on Jan. 29

VALDOSTA – Denise Lynne Montgomery has served as the inter-library loan librarian for more than 30 years in Valdosta State University’s Odum Library.

When she first arrived in 1984, the then Valdosta State College had an enrollment of approximately 5,000 students and the library used a card catalog and microfiche catalog, which has now been replaced largely by an online catalog accessible via the Internet.

She has witnessed improved technical progress within the library, as well as an increase in accessibility for students who use the many services provided within Odum Library.

“Articles were looked up in print indexes or in a microfilm index mounted in a mechanical viewer called Magazine Index,” said Montgomery, “and accessibility to any library resources was only available during the hours the library was open, and we closed at 10 p.m.”

Today’s Odum Library is the most active place on campus with more than 300 computers available for student use, WiFi available throughout the facility, and a coffee shop.

The library collection represents approximately 540,680 volumes in print, more than 1 million units in microprint, and roughly 100,000 government documents.

“There was no email or Internet or online catalog or GALILEO databases or e-books and no computers as we know them today, either in public or in staff offices,” Montgomery explained, “though there were some Apple terminals used for word processing.”

Born in Greenfield, Ind., Montgomery said that the best part about working at Valdosta State is the friends and colleagues she has worked with over the past three decades and traveling to numerous cities to attend American Library Association conferences. She also includes editing a book for Scarecrow Press and collaborating with Dr. Louie Schmier and Dr. David Williams on articles about the Farm Security Administration photographers in Georgia. 

She also said researching and writing the biographical profiles of artists accompanying their works hanging in Odum Library, starting the Odum Express delivery service of ILL and GIL Express books to faculty and staff on campus in 2006, moving into the new Odum Library building, and getting an office with a window are highlights of her career.

Montgomery received a Bachelor of Arts from Sweet Briar College in Virginia and a Master of Science in library science from Florida State University.

Montgomery, along with 252 additional faculty and staff was honored on Jan. 29 at Valdosta State University’s annual Employee Recognition Luncheon. To view the complete list of employees honored, visit http://www.valdosta.edu/about/news/releases/2015/02/university-honors-employees-for-years-of-services.php