Grambling State Becomes First HBCU In The Country And First Overall University In Louisiana With A Digital Library

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of Grambling State University ‘s new Digital Library and Learning Commons on Thursday.

It was a historic moment for GSU , as it is the first digital library at an HBCU and the first digital library at a Louisiana institution. The updated 50,000-square-foot facility boasts 150 computers as well as multipurpose rooms for events.

The institution’s prior facility, A.C. Lewis Memorial Library, was opened in 1962, and an addition was built in 1986. During his tenure as president, Rick Gallot initiated a project to replace the existing library with a digital one. Grambling State began construction on the digital facility in 2019 after alumni, faculty and students donated funds.

“The ribbon cutting of the GSU Digital Library and Learning Commons marks a transformational moment for Grambling State University, the University of Louisiana System, and the global landscape of academia,” Gallot said, according to a news release . “This modern marvel provides GSU scholars with a digital learning environment that rivals—and indeed, exceeds—the offerings of many world-renowned and well-resourced institutions.”

Adrienne Webber, GSU’s dean of Digital Library and Learning Commons, said the renovated facility will advance GSU.

“Let me tell you what’s going to happen with this program — we’re going to have a ‘Maker’s Space’ because our students think differently than I did when I would go to class, learn something, graduate, and do what I learned.”

The process of opening the $16.6 million library was slowed “due to circumstances beyond the university’s control,” per the news release. At the time when GSU’s Digital Library and Learning Commons were being planned, Dr. Martin Lemelle Jr. was the university’s executive vice president. On Thursday, Lemelle described the grand opening as a test of dedication.

“It will be where we light the torch of victory,” he said, according to the news release. “Victory in learning. Victory in innovation. And victory in community. It is here that we will fight for Dear Ole Grambling, and in this fight we will arm ourselves with the knowledge, perseverance, and the unyielding spirit that defines us.”