I finally decided to visit the Perry Library for my academic library visit. Perry Library is located at Old Dominion University. Although I am enrolled at the university, I have yet to see the library. I am so pleased I did because it has so much to offer!

Digital Access

Perry Library’s digital access has lots to offer for students and faculty. I have already used the inline library many times for assignments. I found the website, like other academic libraries and easy to navigate. The Monarch OneSearch is the library’s search tool, front and center on the web page. This search tool allows you to search books, articles, ODU archives, etc. Monarch OneSearch has an advanced setting that enables researchers to find pieces easily. The website highlights services such as student room reservations, library guides, equipment loans, and a directory. I also found helpful tools such as “chat with uu,” which allows students to chat online with a librarian for help. Students and staff also can make research appointments and meet in person or online with a librarian for help.

Another tab on the Perry Libray website is the Directory, which gives a list of staff, and I can discern there are over fifty staff members. The Directory is well organized and differentiates the staff into groups such as administration, learning commons, teaching and learning initiatives, etc. The library offers many helpful services, such as Digital Commons, allowing students to search collections based on department. The website also provides access to e-Books, audiobooks, magazines, and various items. The link below will take you to the https://www.odu.edu/library ODU library.

The Space

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The Perry Library is located on the ODU campus and, like many campuses, is a large building. The building looks like a college building and offers the feel of college life. Several parking garages near the library allow students and faculty to park with permits. Hourly parking is also available. I was able to park close and only had a short walk through the campus to get to the library. The outdoor space was excellent and well kept. I observed a diverse group of people using the outdoor space. I spotted several bike racks, benches, and a few tables near the library. When I entered the library, I noticed large lounge spaces on either side of the entrances. The areas offered comfortable chairs, couches, and small tables on wheels. I observed several students working in these spaces. Once I moved further inside, I noticed many computers available for use, and some had privacy barriers. I also spotted a large “help center” where several students were over-talking

with staff.

There was also an iMac Multimedia area that offered several iMac computers. The first floor also provides six collaboration rooms students can reserve, a conference room, presentation room, and instruction room. The first floor offered a great space to work. The area had a comfortable noise level. Not silent but not too loud to cause distraction.

The second floor provided journals, magazines, newspapers, a general collection, computers, and a sound booth room. At the same time, the third floor included the remainder of the general collection, juvenile collection, special collection, and quiet study space. The last floor offered a sizeable quiet study space and testing centers. Each floor offered restrooms and elevator access.

Collections

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The Perry Library has a large selection of resources and collections. I could locate historical documents related to the university and Norfolk, VA. I was also able to identify collections of rare books, art, artifacts, and more. The materials at this library appeared to be organized using the Library of Congress Collection system (LCC). The Perry Library has a music special collection located in the Diehn Composers Room, and I found that to be rather interesting. With an impressive amount of research journals and materials, Perry Library offers even more resources digitally. Rubin and Rubin (2020) explained how “today, the academic library is less repository of information and more a learning space, a space for collaboration, group work, and provision of complementary services designed to impact learning” (p. 171). Based on my visit to IDU’s academic library, I see that this claim is valid. The space seemed to be used more to work on assignments, group projects, and meet-ups than the physical books.

Patrons and Staff

During my visit to Perry Library, I observed many patrons throughout the entirety of the library. I saw students using various library parts and from the academic lounge to the media center, browsing research books, and grabbing a latte at the café. The entire library seemed to service the students of ODU very nicely. 

I found the library’s layout made it most apparent that the library was an academic library—the flow and organization of research materials, computers, writing labs, study rooms, etc. I was surprised by the size and number of resources available. Looking at the library on google maps, it did not appear to be ample space. Once inside, however, I could have easily gotten lost. I was very thankful for the maps posted throughout the area. I was also surprised by the various amounts of spaces to work and study. I found students working all over the place. There seemed to be desks and cubicles placed around the entire library. I left feeling like I had found my new favorite place to work on assignments. 

Reference

Rubin, R, E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science. (5^th ed.).ALA Neal-Schuman