Students in Library on steps

A Year of Success: Meet Partners From Across Campus

In this video, you'll meet a few of the Georgia Tech faculty and staff members who were able to use the Library's audio and video studios to improve their outreach, research, and teaching efforts over the last year.

Leslie Sharp

Welcome from Dean Leslie Sharp

Xxxxx.


-Dean Leslie Sharp

Did you know?

Through course reserves, Interlibrary Loan, Gadgets, locker rentals, room reservations, and more the Georgia Tech Library saved students, faculty, and staff more than $2.3 million in 2025.

Check out our Services!

Did you know?

In 2025, more than 11,639 users made 59,213 room reservations in the Library buildings and Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons. That's a cost savings of more than $850,000.

Reserve a space

2025 Spotlight: Library launches expert team model

In July 2025, the Georgia Tech Library announced a shift in how Librarians interact with students, faculty and staff: a team model for subject matter experts to improve service across the Institute. 

To find your librarian team, visit our experts page or e-mail us at academicengagement@library.gatech.edu.

“We’re proud to roll out this new model to campus,” said Liz Holdsworth (now August Englesworth), Head of Academic Engagement at the Georgia Tech Library. “In this past, individual librarians served as liaisons for each of the Institute’s schools. Tech’s recent growth requires a new, more strategic model ensuring researchers find the best resources for their work”

Each Georgia Tech college now has in place a team of librarians ready to help with everything from finding an article to navigating open access publishing. This new team model for research assistance makes it easier to connect, get research help, and utilize Library resources.

Learn more
Impact Report experts image

Did you know?

Interlibrary Loan saw a 20 percent increase in 2025, resulting in a cost savings to students and faculty of more than $78,000.

Use ILL today!

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 2025.

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.

2025 Spotlight: Library launches AI Week

AI Week main image

In October, the Georgia Tech Library celebrated its first AI Week with panel discussions and seminars, celebrating and investigating the myriad ways researchers, students and faculty harness the burgeoning technology.

“We’re thrilled to bring this slate of events, discussions and learning opportunities to campus focused on the game-changing use of artificial intelligence happening across the Institute,” said Dean Leslie Sharp. “The Library has brought together industry experts, student practitioners and research faculty to offer a varied and intriguing set of learning opportunities for our community.”

Learn More

Media Scholarship Events

Media Arts Day 2025

 

Media Arts Day 2025

In January, Library and Interdisciplinary Media Arts Center (IMA) brought Media Arts Day 2025 to campus, featuring events throughout the day in various locations throughout the Library.

“This event is a celebration of new ways of learning and creating knowledge born from the intersection of arts and technology,” said Yanni Loukissas, director of IMA. “It marries the Library’s reputation as a space for experimentation, connection, and communication with the School of Literature, Media and Communication’s work defining new models of intellectual inquiry and practice.”

Media Arts Day 2025 was co-sponsored by the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Learn more
love data week 2025.png

 

Love Data Week 2025

In February, The Library brought campus Love Data Week, an international celebration of data, taking place every year during the week of Valentine's day. Universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, corporations and individuals host and participate in data-related events and activities.

The 2025 theme is “Whose Data Is It, Anyway?”

Learn more

Did you know?

In 2025 the Georgia Tech Library saved faculty and staff more than $XXXXXX in author publishing costs through its read and publish agreements covering more than XXXX articles in the XXXXXX, and more.

Learn more

Our Story

Below you will find highlights from the Georgia Tech Library's incredibly successful year. We start with a look at how we expanded services and resources in 2025, then introduce you to a few of our media scholarship partners. Next we look at our public programming efforts over the last year, then elaborate on our faculty and staff achievements and publications. We conclude with Archives, including a look back at the exhibits held this year.

-retroTECH-Open-House.png

Updating Services & Spaces: retroTECH and Gadgets

In February. the Library's retroTECH Lab, located on the third floor of Crosland Tower, began open lab hours anew. Throughout the year it was open 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday. retroTECH allows faculty, staff and students to interact with vintage technologies, from slide rules to Sega Genesis, as well as emulations of retro platforms on modern devices. 

Later that year, in July, the Library moved its popular Gadgets service from Crosland Tower's third floor to Grove Level of Price Gilbert. The service had grown so much it needed more space, and a service point closer to INFODesk. 

 

12C2302-P1-119.jpg

How to Use Your Georgia Tech Library

Throughout 2025 Library experts produced videos explaining popular services, spaces and resources, including How to Print at the Library, How to Read Articles like a Researcher, Securing Funding, and more.

Learn more

Did you know?

The Georgia Tech Library’s Instant Gadgets service grew nearly 64 percent in 2025, circulating nearly 33,000 items like chargers, headphones, calculators, laptops. That's a savings of $82,500 on instant reservation items alone.

Join the crowd!

A Focus on Growing Library Resources

Tech Tower


In April, the Georgia Tech Library announced it entered into transformative agreements with three new publishing partners for 2025:

  • The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • Elsevier (Please note: This includes hybrid, open access journals only)
  • SPIE Publications

In 2024, 30 percent of Georgia Tech's open access publishing was covered under Library-brokered transformative agreements, saving authors more than $1.6 million in author and publisher costs.

Georgia Tech Campus

 

The Georgia Tech Library announced in March it recently purchased a campus-wide unlimited online storage plan for Zotero, the powerful bibliographic management tool used to collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. 

To take advantage of this new option, simply use your @gatech.edu e-mail address when logging onto Zotero.org.

If you are using Zotero without your Georgia Tech email address and would like to take advantage of the unlimited storage, simply add your institutional address to your account while logged in at https://www.zotero.org/settings/email.

Screenshot-2025-05-06-at-10.40.49-AM.png

 

In May, the Library unveiled the Materials Library, a curated collection of cutting-edge materials and sustainable solutions from Material ConneXion.

Located on the second floor of Crosland Tower adjacent to the Second Floor Classroom, the Materials Library is a physical and digital database. Each sample has a QR code that connects to the online database where you can explore thousands of additional materials.  

Screenshot-2025-07-30-at-10.41.40-AM.png

 

In July, the Library launched a low-cost educational resource primer for faculty and staff. 

Affordable learning and open educational resources (OER) are an important part of teaching at Georgia Tech, as course materials can add hundreds of dollars to a student’s yearly costs. Choosing low or no-cost options can reduce financial stress, increase access, and improve engagement. 

In the past, faculty would place print monographs and course packs on hold for students in their classes as part of the course reserves system. In the digital age however, the range of Library services has expanded to include e-books, journals, streaming media, and tutorials. As such, the Library seeks to support everyone and works to reduce textbook costs by providing best quality materials for faculty and students.

See the full guide here

Screenshot-2025-08-28-at-8.23.21-AM.png

 

In Late August the Georgia Tech Library implemented a faster, easier way to request books, articles, and other materials from providers across the country through its interlibrary loan service. 

Users can now place requests directly from the catalog and receive electronic items in your library account. The Library has also simplified the catalog search experience. 

The default option, GT Library and beyond, lets you search Georgia Tech’s collections plus partner libraries across Georgia and the United States. And have no fear: You can also choose GT Library ONLY to focus just on Tech’s collections, including theses and dissertations.

Questions? Simply visit https://library.gatech.edu/help and get in touch with us. We’re here to help. 

AJC Expansion ad

 

With advocacy from the Undergraduate Student Government Association, in October the Library added campus-wide access to the Atlanta Journal Constitution for students, faculty and staff. The next month, in support of campus well-being the Library announced upgrades to the New York Times subscription. The Library-provided campus license now includes access to Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic.

Author celebration
2025 Spotlight

Author features throughout the year

In February, faculty and staff were invited to join the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and the Library for the fourth annual Georgia Tech Authors Celebration.

The event celebrated Georgia Tech book publications, showcasing the range and depth of scholarship on our campus with those who published books between January 2023 and December 2024.

In October, the Library held its first Read & Publish Reception. This special event honored Georgia Tech faculty who leveraged the Library's new Read & Publish agreements to make their scholarly work freely accessible to the global research community. 

Read & Publish agreements are innovative licensing models that combine the traditional subscription fee (read fee) with the Author Publishing Charges/Book Publishing Charges (APC/BPC) necessary to make publications Open Access. This dual approach not only ensures that Georgia Tech faculty can access a vast array of research materials, it also allows them to publish their own work Open Access without incurring additional costs.

 

Did you know?

In 2025 the Library’s partnership with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering for myDAQs and Mbed kit loans saved students more than $750,000.

Get yours today!

Dean Sharp reappointed, serves multiple boards

25-6201-009-Web-Use---1-000px-Wide.jpg
Leslie Sharp Reappointed as Dean of Libraries at Georgia Tech

Following a comprehensive administrative review, in July Leslie Sharp was reappointed to a second five-year term as dean of Libraries at Georgia Tech.

The decision followed a review process outlined in the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook, which includes feedback from faculty, staff, students, and external library colleagues and an evaluation of Sharp’s performance and accomplishments during her term.

Sharp, who has served as dean of Libraries since July 1, 2020, has played a pivotal role in advancing Georgia Tech’s mission of supporting research, teaching, and learning across the Institute. Under her leadership, the Library has leveraged partnerships and resources to expand its collections. In one of its most effective initiatives, the Library partnered with units to make more affordable learning resources available for students.

“Leslie Sharp’s vision and dedication have strengthened the Georgia Tech Library’s role as a central hub for knowledge, innovation, and academic support for our entire community,” said Karie Davis-Nozemack, associate provost and incoming interim provost. “She brings a deep spirit of collaboration to her leadership, because she believes that the Library should serve and inspire every member of the Georgia Tech community — students, faculty, and staff alike. I am delighted that the Institute will continue to benefit from her impact for another term.”

Did you know?

The Library’s Print Studio produced nearly 15,000 posters in 2025 at a cost savings of more than $167,000. That’s a 12 percent increase in posters produced over last year and a more than 60 percent increase over 2022. 

Get your poster today!

2025 Spotlight: Partners in Media Scholarship

Dr. Misemer

Meet our partners: Graphics in Medicine VIP

In this video, you'll learn about the Graphics in Medicine Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team, which showed off their work in the Library's Third Floor Crosland Data Visualization Studio in late April. The group is planned a full exhibit in the Interactive Media Zone in Fall 2025.

Learn More

 

In this video, you'll meet some of the partners who used the Library's Grove Level Interactive Media Zone for exhibits in Spring semester 2025. The work includes the Institute-wide Quality Enhancement Plan and student projects covering a range of topics.

 

In this video, you'll meet some of the partners who used the Library's Media Bridge for projects in Spring semester 2025. The work includes a graduate thesis project to lower the barrier for student participation on the bridge, to interactive art, to AI visualizations of popular movie dialogue. 

 

Did you know?

By using Reading Lists from Leganto for course reserves, faculty saved students nearly $205,000 in 2025 -- about $170 per student.

Start saving your students money today!

2025 Roundup: Promoting Programming

retrotech game day march 25.png

Game Days and Long Now Lectures

In 2025, the Library took advantage of the retroTECH Lab reopening for lab hours and held mulple game days and Long Now Series Lectures. 

Game Days included opportunities for students to try out Mario Kart, Halo, Super Smash Brothers, and more. retroTECH’s Long Now Lecture Series is part of the LIbrary's charge to create the future by exploring and preserving our technological pasts. Each month participants dip into the archive at longnow.org and find a talk that connects with retroTECH’s research concern -- how our lives shape technology, and are shaped by it, over time – and follow that with an open discussion guided by a Georgia Tech librarian, archivist, or faculty member.

 

Gadgets Petting Zoo

In September, the Library held its first Gadgets Petting Zoo. Unfortunately, there were not any barnyard animals. However, it was be a hands-on showcase of the wide range of gadgets available for checkout through the Library, including:

  • Instant Gadgets: Available for same-day checkout at the INFODesk, these include laptops, accessibility devices, and other essential tools; and
  • Reservation Gadgets: Requiring an online request at least 48 hours in advance, these include high-quality audio and video equipment for your media projects.
Gadgets Petting Zoo
trick-clough.png

Trick or Treat at Clough

In October, the Library, in collaboration with the Clough partners -- those campus units housed in Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, held the first Trick or Treat at Clough event. 

Students went door-to-door at the various services and offices at Clough to learn what each unit does, what they offer, and how jackets can benefit from the help they give. Participants who visited every unit on the card received a free t-shirt provided by the Office Of Undergraduate Education and Student Success. 

Did you know?

Library-led instruction offerings increased about 63 percent in 2025, which attendance in those classes and workshops up 79 percent. Nearly 6,800 students took part in these courses, or about 13 percent of the entire student population. 

See what we offer!

Faculty & Staff Achievements

Throughout 2025 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.

Alison, Liz and Matt

Librarians receive promotions

In July, the Library announced three of its faculty members received promotions.

Head of Academic Engagement August Englesman (then Liz Holdsworth) and Assessment Librarian Matt Frizzell both moved from Librarian II classifications to Librarian III. Emerging Technologies Librarian Alison Valk was promoted to Librarian IV, the highest classification available. 

“We’re extremely proud of our incredible faculty here at the Georgia Tech Library,” said Dean Leslie Sharp. “Through their hard work, dedication and commitment to scholarship, these longtime librarians exemplify the best of what this institution brings to students, faculty and staff daily.”

Learn More

Library employees honored at awards event

In late May the Library held its annual awards ceremony honoring the employees whose hard work makes the 24-hour operation possible. 

Head of Academic Engagement Liz Holdsworth won the Frances Kaiser Faculty Award for their exemplary leadership and demonstrated success both as a supervisor and as an advocate for Academic Engagement projects and people. 

Technical Services Associate I Nicholas Cooper-Kedrick, Technical Services Associate Lead Glenna Barney, and Public Services Associate II Randall James won Price’s Pride staff awards for innovations in the collections management, Interlibrary Loan and front-line customer service. 

Finally, AV/IT Support Professional Senior Quincy Thomas won the Dean’s Choice award for his work supporting public programming, events, teaching and visiting scholars.

Learn More
awards_main-image.png

2025 Publications

Alex Brinson and Alex McGee
“Hidden History: Georgia Tech Archivists Share the Impact of Inclusive Description”
Archival Outlook

Presley Dyer
"Participatory Community Archiving to Preserve and Sustain North Georgia Appalachia’s Language, Literacy Practices, and Histories”
Georgia Library Quarterly

Justin Ellis and John Mack Freeman
"The Expert Behind the Desk: Collaborative Cross-Training in Unlocking Potential in Frontline Academic Library Staff"
Journal of Library Administration

Vanesa Evers
“Empowering Knowledge: Sustaining a Library Publishing Program at a Consortial HBCU”
ACRL chapter 

Aisha Johnson and John Mack Freeman
Guest Editor and Contributor
The Political Librarian

Cliff Landis
“Archiving without Access is Hoarding: Global Approaches to Improving Access to Born Digital Archives”
CILIP Focus on International Library and Information Work

Jordan Moore
“Going around in Circles: Interrogating Librarians’ Spheres of Concern, Influence, and Control”
In the Library with a Lead Pipe

Martin Patrick, Danielle Evans, Stephanie Galipeau, Nicholas Cooper-Kedrick and Hyun Chu Kim
“Swank vs. Kanopy: A Comparison for Course Reserves use at Georgia Tech”
Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship  

Did you know?

In 2025, students, faculty, and staff spent nearly 1,800 hours in the Library's audio and video studios. That's a savings of about $88,580 in a single year.

Reserve now!

Archives

Portman Banner PNG.png
2025 Spotlight

Defining Skylines: John Portman and the Architectural Evolution of Downtown Atlanta opens

In March, the Library’s special exhibition highlighting the extraordinary life and work of John Portman, the visionary architect behind some of Atlanta’s most iconic buildings, opened in the Price Gilbert first floor Exhibit Gallery.

The exhibit was open until December and included programming throughout fall semester -- with a GT Arts Salon in September and, in November, a panel discussion with local architects, historians and community organizers and a virtual tour of Portman's homes. 

In September, the Library announced the exhibit won the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) Best of the South award for excellence in preservation education, research and outreach.

Learn More

Did you know?

Lost in the Stacks, the original research library rock n' roll radio show, created 45 episodes in 2025 that were downloaded 23,131 times.

Listen Now!

Exhibits and More

Exhibition-2.jpg

How to Train Your Algorithm

In April and May, Archives hosted “How to Train your Algorithm,” a new exhibit from Christina Shivers, the 2023 Ventulett NEXT Fellow. It was on display in Crosland Tower’s second floor.

“This exhibit explores AI and its relationship to the development of ecologically experimental material and craft practices in architecture,” Shivers explained. “I produced it as part of my Ventulett NEXT Fellowship in the School of Architecture.”

Learn More

Rare Book Events

Archives held rare book spotlights in February and August. 

The first, Theater of Machines, included a presentation about the creation and historical context in which these books were distributed followed by an invitation for attendees to explore the books from the Georgia Tech Library’s Archives and Special Collections.

The second, an open house, allowed visitors to view a selection of the newest acquisitions in rare books, science fiction, and university archives from the Library’s Archives and Special Collections department.

 

theater of machines.png
History of Calculation

A History of Calculation

In September, Archives installed a new exhibit in the Archives Reading Room, located on Crosland Tower's first floor. Crunching the Numbers: The History of Calculation included manual calculators from abacuses to first-generation Texas Instruments digital models.

Archives and Special Collections reorganizes

In its continuing effort to better serve Georgia Tech and the campus community, in August the Library’s Archives and Special Collections announced a new leadership team. 

Jody Thompson is now Assistant Dean for Archives, Records Management and Digital Curation, and Alex McGee is Head of Archives and Special Collections. Previously Thompson was Head of Archives and McGee was University Archivist. 

“We’re thrilled to announce this exciting change to campus,” said Library Dean Leslie Sharp. “Jody and Alex bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Archives, ensuring we continue to collect and preserve unique historical materials to inspire new creations, advance knowledge, and encourage innovation in service towards the public interest.”

Learn More
archives-reorg.png

Previous Years