$16.6 M facility is only of its kind at an HBCU in the U.S.
Submitted by Tisha D. Arnold
Grambling State University is set to open the door to a new age and era on Thursday, Aug 22 at 10:00 a.m. with the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the institution’s Digital Library and Learning Commons.
It’s a historic moment for GSU, which saw the opening of the old A.C. Lewis Memorial Library in 1962, with an addition built in 1986.
The new library is a central academic information hub that aims to facilitate access to resources and connect users to community information.
But what makes the new Digital Library and Learning Commons so important is the fact that its created specifically for the new age of information that exists today and will only continue growing and evolving.
GSU’s new Digital Library and Learning Commons is designed to do just that.
The state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot facility is designed as a space to Connect, Create, and Collaborate to support all aspects of learning. With over 150 computer stations, 17,000 square feet of study space, and multipurpose spaces for events, meetings, and seminars, the Digital Library and Learning Commons is the ultimate intersection of academics, curiosity, and community.
The old A.C. Lewis held 198,193 volumes of reading/research material. The new Digital Library and Learning Commons will provide access to more than 1,613,929 items, including books, periodicals, research journals, films, filmstrips, microform resources, electronic re-sources, and media materials and equipment.
It is designed to provide equitable and ample bibliographic access to resources in all formats and extends access to library resources and services beyond the physical library building through the library’s digital/online collection system and access to all academic library resources statewide through membership with LOUIS, a consortium made up of 47 college and university libraries in the state of Louisiana.
