Academic Resources
University Libraries
Old Dominion University Libraries enrich the academic, research, and learning experience of the University community through our people, our resources, and our spaces. The University Libraries provide students access to extensive digital resources, online journals, e-books, streaming media, and other electronic resources in all fields of research and instruction. On the University Libraries’ website at www.odu.edu/library, students can find library guides, instructional videos, Chat reference, and many other services. The Libraries include the Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library, the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library, and the Music Library and F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room. Each facility holds specialized book collections, maps, scores, recordings, microforms, and equipment available for borrowing. At our Help Desks, staff are on hand to provide assistance with information, location, instruction, and informational technology questions. Additionally, students and faculty members have online access to the Virtual Library of Virginia’s collections and may borrow books and other materials from participating libraries across the commonwealth.
Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library
Barry Arts Building, 47th Street and Monarch Way, Room 2008, second floor; 757-683-4059
The Hofheimer Art Library contains specialized books, journals, online resources, videos, audio-visual titles, and other materials for students and faculty in the visual arts. Reserve materials for ODU Art Department classes are available at the service desk. Individual and group study space, computers, drawing tablet, scanner, and network printer are available. Visit the Art Library at www.odu.edu/library/art.
Music Library and F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room
Diehn Center for the Performing Arts, Room 189; 757-683-4173
The Music Library contains print scores, music audio, and video content. Reserve materials for School of Music classes are available at the service desk. Students have access to PC and Mac computers, a DVD/VCR player, CD player, audio cassette player, turntable, flatbed scanner, and network printer.
The Diehn Composers Room is co-located with the Music Library and contains unique and rare manuscripts, scores, audio recordings, memorabilia, and other specialized music materials. Reference and research services are available in the Reading Room, including the use of a Steinway grand piano by appointment only. Visit the Music Library and Diehn Composers Room at www.odu.edu/library/diehn.
Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library
Perry Library offers quiet study space, collaborative rooms for group projects, accessibility services, a café, meeting space, and other facilities for student success.
Learning Commons @ Perry Library
First Floor, 757-683-4178
The Learning Commons @ Perry Library is a collaborative project of the University Libraries, Information Technology Services, and the Office of Academic Success Initiatives & Support (ASIS), providing year-round services with 24/5 operating hours during spring and fall semesters. The facility includes individual study space, group collaboration space, presentation practice, computers, wireless access, printers, scanners, GIS/digital media/other specialized software, and a sound room that can be reserved by students. Students can access research assistance and resources, information technology assistance, tutoring and writing centers, and other services supporting student success.
At the Perry Library Help Desk, located in the Learning Commons (www.odu.edu/learningcommons), students with a valid University ID may borrow equipment, media, books, reserve materials, and other items. Graduate student study carrels are also available. Information on borrowing privileges, loan periods, and policies is available at www.odu.edu/library/services/borrowing.
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services
757-683-4170, 4172
Interlibrary loan allows ODU students, faculty, and staff to request journal articles, books, and other needed research materials not available in the University Libraries. The Commonwealth’s Virtual Library of Virginia interlibrary loan agreement ensures that students, faculty, and staff may obtain items located in other Virginia libraries. Document delivery services provide copies of materials held in the University Libraries’ collection to distance learners and other eligible students, faculty, and staff. Interlibrary loan and document delivery requests can be submitted online at www.odu.edu/library/services/interlibrary-loan.
Research Help Services
Help Desk, First Floor, 757-683-4178
ODU Libraries staff assist students and faculty with all types of research using all formats of library resources. Librarians and staff provide direct individual assistance by telephone, e-mail, live online Chat, and face-to-face and virtual consultation by appointment. Local and distance learning students may obtain assistance by visiting or calling the Help Desk, directly contacting a subject librarian, using the Chat service, or submitting a question through Ask-A-Librarian at www.odu.edu/library/help/ask-librarian.
Instructional Support
ODU Libraries offer library instruction sessions to courses with research assignments or library-related learning goals. The Libraries also provide online tutorials, videos, and online guides to help students build research skills and increase knowledge in information literacy, as well as workshops and programing designed to support student learning and to facilitate connections between students, the Libraries, and the University community. Additional information can be found at www.odu.edu/library/services/instruction.
Special Collections & University Archives
Third floor, 757-683-4483
Special Collections & University Archives, located on the third floor of Perry Library, preserves and provides access to the Libraries’ unique and rare collections documenting the history of ODU, Virginia, and the region. The collections cover a wide range of topics that enrich scholarly opportunities, and students and faculty are encouraged to visit and use the collections and services. Special Collections’ materials include rare books, diaries, letters, legal and campaign files, oral histories, music, film, photographs, maps, and more. Moreover, the University Archives document the history of the University and include yearbooks, department records, student organization records, course catalogs, film, photographs, etc. Special Collections staff are available to assist students and faculty with research requests and host class sessions specializing in active-learning exercises with primary sources. Visit Special Collections at www.odu.edu/library/special-collections.
Several digitized collections of materials from Special Collections & University Archives are also freely available online. Visit the ODU Digital Collections at dc.lib.odu.edu.
ODU Digital Commons and Scholarly Communications Services
The Department of Scholarly Communication & Publishing provides services at all levels of the scholarly research life cycle, ranging from copyright and author rights to data management, publishing, and research impact. ODU Digital Commons (digitalcommons.odu.edu), the University’s institutional repository, is integral to these services as it brings together scholarly, creative, and institutional works for preservation, visibility, and worldwide open access. Digital Commons also provides a publishing platform for hosting journals, proceedings, and events.
Accessibility Services
First Floor, 757-683-4178
The Library Accessibility Room in the Learning Commons provides specialized equipment and quiet space for students registered with the University’s Office of Educational Accessibility. This wheelchair accessible room can be reserved for individual use. The facility houses CCTV, workstations with FUSION Professional, Read and Write Gold, and other adaptive technologies. Orientation, reservations, and research consultation appointments are available through the Learning Commons Help Desk.
Also, the Help Desk provides on-demand paging to students who need special assistance with retrieving materials from the upper floors. Information about accessibility is available on the University Libraries’ web site at www.odu.edu/library/services/accessibility.
Career Pathways
Career Pathways offers a gateway to resources, programs, events, and planning tools for all Old Dominion University graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The program is designed to meet graduate students’ career and professional development needs, preparing students for successful transition into thriving careers. Career Pathways offers two professional development programs and associated certificates:
- Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) - designed for graduate students interested in an academic career. Graduate students can earn the PFF Certificate by: (1) completing a mentored teaching experience; (2) creating a CV; (3) attending PFF and other professional development events; and (4) producing an ePortfolio to document and highlight their professional development and growth.
- Preparing Future Professionals (PFP) - designed for graduate students interested in a non-academic career such as in industry, non-profit/non-governmental organizations, or government agencies. Graduate students can earn the PFP certificate by: (1) developing an individual development plan; (2) creating a resume; (3) attending professional development events or completing professional development activities; and (4) producing an ePortfolio to document and highlight their professional development and growth.
The Career Pathways program is free, and is open to all ODU graduate students. Workshops are offered on campus and can be accessed via web conferencing. An archive of previously offered professional development workshops is also available for students to access 24/7.
More information about Career Pathways is available at http://sites.wp.odu.edu/careerpathways.
Writing Center
The Writing Center provides supplemental instruction to help students improve their writing strategies. Instead of providing a proofreading service, the Writing Center offers tutoring sessions that assist students in learning to proofread their own work, in getting projects started, and in developing the writing process for a paper.
The Writing Center offers 45-minute appointments with graduate student tutors who work with individual students or with groups. Most tutoring sessions are by appointment; walk-in appointments are provided when tutors are not in a scheduled session. For distance students, we use WCOnline for online appointments. Students have the option of making standing appointments with tutors once per week, for up to four weeks at a time.
In addition to tutoring services for undergraduate and graduate students, the Writing Center will visit classrooms to provide writing lessons and group tutorials, and it offers a program called Graduate Student Write-Ins. Graduate Student Write-Ins are weekly retreats hosted by the Writing Center on Saturdays designed to provide a structured time for graduate students to focus on their writing without interruption in a supportive environment, and WC tutors are available for 30-minute appointments during the session.
The Writing Center is located at 1208 Perry Library. For more information, go to https://www.odu.edu/al/centers/writing-center or email writingcenter@odu.edu.