Dedication

Derrick Foster

 

This Impact Report is dedicated to the memory of 10-year member of the Georgia Tech Library family Derrick Lamar Foster (1968-2024).

 

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Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, Crosland Tower and Price Gilbert Memorial Library by Graduate Student Trisha Mitra

Dean Welcome Header

 

It has been another banner year at the Georgia Tech Library, and I am thrilled to share this report with you. Again and again, I am reminded that by putting students first, being responsible stewards of the state’s funds, celebrating collaboration and championing innovation we remain the heart of campus.

As you read on, I would like you to pay close attention to the following pieces:

First off, we have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming our two inaugural Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Residents, Alex Brinson and Kayleah Brown, to the Georgia Tech Library family. In less than a year, they have done truly impactful and important work, including publishing their first article, Librarian Residency Programs: A Vital Solution for Increasing Representation in Academic Libraries, in November's Georgia Library Quarterly.

Second, I want to highlight the ways our talented and dedicated faculty and staff have been able to increase in-person help and reference interactions, course-integrated instruction, overall attendance at instructional offerings, and the circulation of physical items among students. We continue to see year-over-year increases in these vital performance indicators as clear signs we are fulfilling our service mission to campus.

All that data, and more, is available both in interactive Tableau charts and simple animations.

Next, make sure to note how our efforts in making education affordable – including read and publish agreements and the launch of Leganto for connecting online resources to syllabi – continue to gain steam. These efforts, bolstered by increases in Gadgets circulation, e-resources use, e-book downloads and database use, mean we continue to serve our students and faculty more directly, and at a cost savings to them.

Last, look at the work our Archives and Special Collections Department has done to bring cherished personal collections to campus and make visible the valuable material we collect.

All of this work is a testament to my amazing colleagues who work tirelessly to serve the Georgia Tech community. Please dive in and find out more about our programs, initiatives, and achievements. Please reach out if you have any questions or just want to learn more.

Welcome Video Card

Welcome to the Georgia Tech Library

We create, maintain and secure for the future an environment where scholars can access the vast digital cloud of humanity’s recorded knowledge and engage in discourse with both the future and the past.

Did you know?

Did you know that through course reserves, Gadgets, locker rentals and room reservations the Georgia Tech Library saved students, faculty and staff more than $1.33 million in 2023?

2023 At a Glance

Did you know?

In 2023 more than 7,000 users made more than 41,000 room reservations in the Library buildings and Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons? That's a cost savings of nearly $860,000.

2023 Spotlight: Library welcomes ACRL Diversity Residents

The Georgia Tech Library kicked off 2023 in a big way, welcoming two inaugural Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Residents for a term of up to two years.

The residents, Alexandra “Alex” Brinson and Kayleah Brown, are both early-career librarians looking for an opportunity to bring new perspectives and fresh ideas to the Library, said Dean Leslie Sharp.

“We are thrilled to welcome these two emerging professionals to our Library,” said Sharp. “We cannot wait for them to help our multi-year mission of highlighting and increasing the diversity of faculty positions at major research libraries.”

Brinson (she/her) holds a master’s in Library and Information Science from Kent State University and a bachelor’s in English Literature from Agnes Scott College in Decatur. Her research interests include metadata design, special collections and how technology can improve the discoverability of cultural heritage materials.

Kayleah Brown (they/them) joined the Georgia Tech Library from Emory University. As an Electronic and Continuing Resources Specialist, they oversaw acquisitions and electronic resource management for the Robert W. Woodruff Library.

Brown received their master’s of Library and Information Science from Valdosta State University in 2020 with a focus on collection development in academic libraries. In addition to their work in libraries, they have a background in literary studies. In 2016, Brown earned their Master of Arts in English from Emory University, where they studied posthumanism and the representation of marginalized identities in 20th-century literature.

In November 2023, Brinson and Brown coauthored their first publication, Librarian Residency Programs: A Vital Solution for Increasing Representation in Academic Libraries, in November's Georgia Library Quarterly.

ACRL video card image

Meet ACRL Residents Alex Brinson and Kayleah Brown

The residents are both early-career librarians looking for an opportunity to bring new perspectives and fresh ideas to the Library.

Play Video

By the Numbers

In accordance with the Institute's core values of being responsible stewards and acting ethically, the Library is proud to present this look at the data driving our decision-making in 2023.

Below you will find interactive Tableau visualizations, allowing the reader insight into each data point for the last several years. Feel free to choose the views and visualizations you feel are most informative.

Under each visualization you will find more context for the data and key takeaways for the year in review.

Circulation

Key Takeaways: Circulation

  • Total physical item circulation: Physically circulating items, like Gadgets and books, grew more than 26 percent in 2023, topping out at nearly 22,000 items. These statistics are bolstered mainly through the lending of Gadgets, which remains a growing service year over year.
  • A closer look | Gadgets circulation: Here we see the overall growth of Gadgets circulation over 2022. With nearly 17,000 total Gadgets circulated in 2023, the service grew some 49 percent over last year. Internal studies have shown that from 2019 to 2022 Georgia Tech’s student population increased by about 19 percent, but Library Gadgets use increased by 215 percent. That equals about ten Gadget uses for every new student.
  • A closer look | Library Service Center Item Requests: Items requested and delivered from the Library Service Center, the climate-controlled facility jointly operated by Georgia Tech and Emory, remained consistent. In 2023, we saw slightly more than 4 percent growth.
  • Library Service Center Item Delivery Time: Average delivery time for 2023 rose slightly from 2022, from about 27 hours to just over 33. This increase is due to staffing shortages at the Library Service Center, part of a larger trend in employment since the pandemic. Please note: Months where averages jump drastically are caused by holidays during which the LSC was closed
  • Interlibrary Loan: Interlibrary loan lending remained virtually unchanged from 2022 to 2023, indicating the Library continued to meet on campus and virtual user needs without resorting to outside lending.

Instruction

Key Takeaways: Instruction

  • Instruction | Classes by Category: Overall instruction dropped about 4.5 percent in 2023, largely due to fewer walk-in workshops, a result of several key faculty members leaving. Despite that downward trend, course-integrated instruction, where Library faculty or staff gave specialized instruction in an existing for credit class, jumped dramatically in 2023, rising 43 percent.   
  • Instruction | Attendance: Despite fewer instructional offerings overall, there was an increase in the total attendance for courses offered from just over 11,000 to nearly 12,380. This represents an increase of 12 percent year over year. The largest portion of this audience is undergraduates, which grew some 43 percent over 2022.
  • Instruction | Classes by Department: English 1101 and 1102: classes represent the bulk of course integrated workshops. The number grew 87 percent in 2023, from 90 to 168.

Consultations

Key Takeaways: Consultations

  • Research consultations: Research consultations decreased in 2023 about 23 percent from 651 to 504. Like the decrease in drop-in workshops, this drop is due to key faculty members leaving.
  • Consultations by Department: This graph simply gives insight into the departments meeting with faculty and students.

In-person and online help

Key Takeaways: In-person and online help

  • INFODesk Help: Interactions with Public Services staff (those working at the INFODesk on Grove Level of Price Gilbert or overseeing the web chat and phones) exploded in 2023, increasing more than 128 percent. The largest growth was for in-person walk-ups to the desk, meaning more students than ever are using on campus help options.
  • Web Chat Help: Correspondingly, users who chose to chat with Public Services staff online decreased some 21 percent over last year. This is part of the larger trend of a post-pandemic return to campus.

E-Resources

Key Takeaways: E-Resources

  • E-Resources Usage: Overall use of electronic resources increased nearly 40 percent in 2023, growing from 4.11 million to 5.838 million downloads. Recent acquisitions pushing those numbers include Historical Black Newspapers, the LGBT Magazine Archive, and the ProQuest Digital National Security Archive. This trend is expected to continue and was the driving factor in the decision to build the climate-controlled Library Service Center to house physical collections.
  • Website Pageviews: Views of the Library’s website dropped slightly in 2023 from more than 701,000 to nearly 686,000 – a change of about 2 percent. This graph displays data for only part of 2022, as the Library changed website vendors that year.

Gate count and room reservations

Key Takeaways: Gate count and room reservations

  • Public Programming and Event Coordination in Price Gilbert, Crosland and Clough: For the first time, the Library was able to track the total number of events throughout its three-building complex thanks to a transition to the LibCal booking system. Note: The Wilby Room on Crosland Grove Level was utilized by Georgia Tech’s Tutoring Services while their spaces were under construction in Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons.
  • Gate Count for Price Gilbert and Crosland: Overall gate count decreased slightly in 2023, dropping around 7.5 percent from 1.129  to 1.044 million. These numbers are approximate, as the system counting daily users aged out in 2023. Starting in December, the Library launched a new occupancy monitoring system, and we expect the numbers for 2024 will be exact.

Archives

Key Takeaways: Archives

  • Reading Room usage: Archives Reading Room usage decreased in 2023 by about 24 percent, largely due to truncated hours from staffing shortages.
  • Archives Instruction: Despite those same staffing shortages, Archives and Special Collections faculty and staff were able to teach 10 more courses in 2023, increasing attendance for those classes by about 15 percent.

2023 Spotlight: Read and Publish Agreements

Throughout 2023, the Georgia Tech Library executed several Read and Publish agreements, a game changing new model for scholarship that allows Institute researchers to publish their work freely.

These agreements included partnerships with:

  • The Association of Computing Machinery;

  • The American Chemical Society;

  • Cambridge University Press;

  • Cold Harbor Lab Press;

  • Company of Biologists; and

  • The Institute of Physics.

Learn more about the impact of the Library's efforts in the video to the left.

Did you know?

Did you know that in 2023 The Georgia Tech Library saved faculty and staff more than $1 million in author publishing costs through its read and publish agreements?

Our Story

Below you will find highlights from the Georgia Tech Library's incredibly successful year. We start with our partnership with Artist-in-Residence Tristan Al-Haddad, then explore our efforts to welcome everyone to the Library, regardless of first language spoken. From there we look at how we brought new resources to students, then detail our faculty and staff achievements throughout 2023. We conclude with Archives, including our exhibits this year, and a look at how we align our portfolio management process with the Institute's Strategic Goals.

CULC

Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons by Graduate Student Trisha Mitra

A focus on art and technology: Artist-In-Residence Tristan Al-Haddad

Throughout 2023 the Library partnered with former Georgia Tech assistant professor and double-graduate Jacket Tristan Al-Haddad for the second installment of the Artist-In-Residence program. Al-Haddad, who also designed and implemented the Library’s seventh-floor roof terrace Crosland Chroma project, said his "RAW AIR" project “seeks to transform the written knowledge stored in the library into large-scale, interpretive drawings across the north façade of the building.”

“We are delighted to welcome Tristan into the Library once again to grace us with his unique artistry and vision,” said Dean Leslie Sharp. “I am excited to see his project take shape through the marrying of student creativity with his experience as an artist and teacher.”

For this project, robotically enabled machines translated the library’s information resources into a sprawling work of art spanning a whole side of the Judge S. Price Gilbert Memorial Library (this work took place in January, 2024). The work will be co-created by students and executed by the human-style painting robot from Ph.D. student Gerry Chen.

GT Gaffiti Robot

Learn more about the human-style painting robot

The system uses motion capture technology to record human painting motions and then composes and processes the gestures to program a cable-driven robot that spray paints graffiti artwork.

Learn more

Did you know?

Did you know that the Georgia Tech Library’s Gadgets service grew more than 63 percent percent in 2023, circulating nearly 6,519 instant-reservation items (chargers, headphones, calculators, laptops)? That's a savings of nearly $46,000 on instant reservation items alone.

Video features: Arts and Technology in the Library

Steamed watercolor

 

This video, featuring Georgia Tech STEAMed Student Mural Team members, explores their work, The Golden Ratio. The mural is currently on display on Price Gilbert’s third floor in the Multimedia Scholarship Commons.

On Air watercolor

 

In this video, you'll meet Ann Shirra, who designed a piece called Tech TV with the Georgia Tech community in mind. From finding inspiration through the 100-year-old oak in her yard to working with native grasses as a master gardener, Shirra talks about her creative process and the submission process for being an Art-O-Mat artist.

Art O Mat watercolor

 

Clark Whittington, creator of the Art-O-Mat project, visited campus to talk about the history of the project, his inspirations and advice for budding artists. This free event was held in Price Gilbert's first-floor Scholars Event Network Theater Monday, March 28.

2023 Spotlight: Library launches occupancy monitoring

Reading Room

In December 2023, the Library launched occupancy monitoring in both Library buildings (Crosland Tower and Price Gilbert) and the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons.

The launch meant students, faculty and staff have real-time data showing the most crowded areas of the Library and Clough, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To view the live data in its pilot stage, click here.

Here’s how it works: Occupancy monitoring sensors plugged directly into power outlets throughout the buildings count Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals anonymously. Those counts are continuously monitored against the maximum occupancy of defined spaces – for instance, the first floor Price Gilbert Reading Room – to give a real-time view of how many people are in Library and Clough.

We are proud to bring this new technology to campus,” said Library Dean Dr. Leslie Sharp. “It is a direct result of the in-person interviews we conducted last year. We heard over and over that people wanted to know where the crowds were in the Library and Clough so they could find an open space and maximize their study time.”

Did you know?

Did you know that in 2023 the Library’s partnership with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering for myDAQs and Mbed kit loans saved students more than $248,000?

Crosland Tower

Crosland Tower by Graduate Student Trisha Mitra

Welcoming our scholars: Multi-language videos and Who Was?

Getting Started watercolor
Who was watercolor

In late August, the Library produced a series of videos in the top languages spoken at Georgia Tech as part of the Library's ongoing commitment to serve every student, faculty and staff member.

The videos quickly explain our spaces, services and educational opportunities and are available 24 hours a day on our YouTube channel. See an example above.

Languages include: 

  • English;

  • Spanish;

  • French;

  • Hindi;

  • Tamil;

  • Mandarin;

  • Arabic; and

  • Korean.

That month, the Library also launched its popular "Who Was? Series on Instagram and YouTube produced in conjunction with our Special Collections and Archives. The videos explore important landmarks or items around campus. Watch the first episode above.

2023 Spotlight: Leganto integration brings resources to students

Electronic resources

More resources for you

Last fall, the Georgia Tech Library launched Reading Lists by Leganto, an integrated resource list management system allowing faculty and instructors seamless access to course materials directly from any device.

With Reading Lists, instructors can link Library resources – from articles, eBooks, audio, video and open access materials to external resources available on YouTube – directly through Canvas. This means students have access to those resources as though they were in the Library’s catalog – no more missing or broken links, no more searching in multiple places.

Learn more about Leganto

Did you know?

Did you know that by using Reading Lists from Leganto for course reserves, faculty from Electrical and Computer Engineering, Math, Computer Science, Psychology and International Affairs saved students more than $65,000 throughout 2023?

Students watercolor

Bringing resources to students

Accessing e-Resources guide now available

Electronic resources are often available through multiple vendors or content providers, and the Library does not necessarily have subscription access to all of them. That is why the Library unveiled the Accessing e-Resources guide in November.

This guide offers tips and tools to help you locate the resources you need.

Learn more

Gadgets Pro service launches in August

In today's digital age, high-quality media is essential across disciplines.

Gadgets Pro, which launched in August, is a service that provides students, faculty and staff with access to innovative audiovisual equipment and specialized technology. It empowers the Georgia Tech community to unleash their creative potential and foster collaboration through cutting-edge equipment.

Learn more

Library unveils revamped digital repository

In May the Library unveiled its revamped digital repository to the Georgia Tech community.

The Georgia Tech Digital Repository collects, preserves and expands access to the unique digital collections of immediate and long-term value to Georgia Tech and the global community. The site brings together scholarship, archives and special collections and features persistent landing pages for Georgia Tech publications, authors, advisors and units.

Learn more

Faculty and Staff achievements

Throughout 2023 the Library's faculty and staff received numerous awards and recognitions from the Institute, national media organizations and library associations. Below you'll find a few of the notable examples.

Hassan Marshall graduates GT ASPIRE Program

Aspire watercolor

Hassan Marshall, an IT Support Professional II with the Library, graduated from the GT ASPIRE Program in late 2023.

Marshall was part of a cohort including 69 employees representing 40 different departments across campus. They represent a variety of roles across the Institute.

Led by Workplace Learning & Professional Development, the ASPIRE program is designed for those interested in learning to lead from where they are, regardless of position. The program spanned four months, consisting of six asynchronous online learning modules followed by six synchronous workshops, for a total commitment of 40 hours. Since the program launch in 2019, ASPIRE will have developed over 200 aspiring leaders.

Andrew Blakely wins 'Spirit of Georgia Tech' Award

Andy Blakeley spirirt award

 

Public Services Associate II Andrew Blakely, center, received the Spirit of Georgia Tech Award Friday, April 21. Additionally, Blakely recently received his pin for 25 years of service to the Institute.

Learn more

Derrick Foster receives DEIJB Staff Fellowship

Derrick newsletter

 

In January, Longtime Library employee and Public Services Assistant Derrick Foster received a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) Staff Fellowship.

As part of the Keen-funded fellowship, Foster implemented a transformative project for undergraduates to increase the number of Black, Latin, first-generation, and limited-income undergraduates.

Learn more

Library employees graduate Inclusive Leaders Academy

Inclusive Leaders

 

In August four employees graduated from the 7th cohort of the Institute’s Inclusive Leaders Academy (ILA). ILA is a 13-week, hybrid leadership development course offered without cost to people and program managers at Georgia Tech.

Learn more

Dr. Aisha Johnson featured on Good Morning America

Aisha GMA

 

In October, Georgia Tech Library Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Outreach Dr. Aisha Johnson, was featured on Good Morning America for her involvement in long time librarian Rodney Freeman's documentary "Are You a Librarian: The Untold Story of Black Librarians."

Learn more

Raven Davis accepted as GTRI Focus Fellow

Raven GTRI

 

In December, the Library’s Research Scientist in Data Analytics, Raven Davis, earned acceptance into the 2024 Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Focus Fellow Program.

Learn more

John Mack Freeman receives GLA Commendation

Mack award

 

In December, Head of Public Services Librarian John Mack Freeman, received a Georgia Library Association (GLA) Presidential Commendation.

Learn more

Did you know?

Did you know that students, faculty and staff spent more than 1,179 hours in the Library's audio and video studios? That's a savings of more than $106,000 in a single year.

Price Gilbert Memorial Library

Price Gilbert Memorial Library by Graduate Student Trisha Mitra

Archives

2023 Spotlight: The Henry Mancini and Cecil Welch Music Collection

Mancini watercolor

Learn about the Henry Mancini and Cecil Welch Music Collection, an archive of sheet music now available in our Archives and Special Collections. This collection contains the sheet music of Cecil Welch, who was the lead trumpeter for Henry Mancini and owned his own music production company that provided orchestras for performers across America.

Learn more

Did you know?

Did you know that Lost in the Stacks, the original research library rock n' roll radio show, created 41 episodes in 2023 that were downloaded 34,151 times?

Exhibits

Fulton Bag watercolor

Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill: New South Industry

From August 2023 through March 2024, the Library hosted Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill: New South Industry. Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill: New South Industry offers a unique opportunity to delve into the rich history and impact of the Mill featuring historic photographs, first-hand accounts, documents and artifacts. 

Learn more

Extension of Community

From August to November 2023 the Library hosted the Media Bridge portion of Extension of Community: what it means to be sustainable in a digital world.

The exhibit examined what it means to exist in today’s technology-enabled world, while ensuring our planet can thrive. It featured solar panels, interactive digital media, geolocation, AI image generation tools, plastics, plants, biosensors and geospatial data visualization.

Learn more
Extension watercolor

50 Years of Title IX learning module

 

Title IX image

 

In May, the Georgia Tech Library launched a new online learning module built to connect users to source materials from last year’s 50 Years of Title IX exhibit and programming with the Offices of Equity and Compliance Programs and Georgia Tech Athletics.

The module, which is available at all times at the Library’s website, includes recorded programs from the Title IX panel discussions in Fall 2020 and links to the first-hand research materials used to produce the panel exhibit on display in Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. 

Learn more

John Young's Lunar Sample

John Young

 

In March, the Library unveiled the lunar sample collected by Georgia Tech alumnus John Young, BSAE 1952, Ph.D. Hon 2003, who walked and drove on the moon as commander of the Apollo 16 mission.

On loan from the Young family and NASA, the lunar sample is now on display on the Grove-level of the Price Gilbert Library.

Learn more

2023 Spotlight: Interdisciplinary Media Arts Center

In April the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and Georgia Tech Library partnered to create a new center called Interdisciplinary Media Arts (IMA).

The center's focus is enhancing artistic expression on campus, preparing students for careers as creative makers and innovators, and helping faculty develop creative approaches to improving scientific and technological research and outreach.

IMA is administratively housed in the Ivan Allen College and draws participants from across campus. It seeks to enhance opportunities for sciences and engineering faculty seeking to creatively enhance their scholarship, consider creative approaches to public engagement, and find new ways to think critically about the societal impacts of technological innovation.

Learn more
Media Arts

Portfolio Management

Strategy Alignment

Library Portfolio engagement continued to show the value of aligning projects to further the Mission and Vision of the Library, as well as contributions to the Institute Strategic Plan. In 2023, faculty and staff approved and executed 29 new projects, improving user experiences with the Library and extending our reach to students and faculty.

Highlights included: projects implementing occupancy tracking to help students find available seating; and a new reservation system to simplify requests for collaboration and meeting rooms in the Library and Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. Improvements in Gadget lending included the addition of extra laptops and reviews of lending activities to identify Gadgets in high demand. Work also continued on making textbook and course reserve materials available to students, plus working with faculty to make resources available.

The implementation of Reading Lists by Leganto provided an integrated resource list, improving faculty and instructors access to course materials, linking to Library resources and submitting purchase requests.

2023 Spotlight: Interactive Media Zone

IMZ vid watercolor

In mid-June, the Georgia Tech Library officially began construction on the Interactive Media Zone (IMZ), the newest interactive multimedia feature planned for the grove level of Price Gilbert. Construction continues through 2024.

The IMZ features a more than 40-foot curved landscape screen and ten interactive tablet stations allowing users to view and experience digital exhibits, project showcases, and other novel forms of learning. It will join the Media Bridge, which opened in March 2022, in exposing students, faculty, staff and visitors to the world of digital scholarship available at the Library. 

Learn more