Grambling State University: the first HBCU with $16.6M digital library

GRAMBLING, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—Grambling State University entered the digital age on Thursday with a ribbon cutting to celebrate its new Digital Library and Learning Commons. They declare the $16.6 M facility is the only of its kind at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the U.S.

According to GSU, the digital library is a state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot facility where people can connect, create, and collaborate and features 150 computer stations, 17,000 square feet of study space, and multipurpose space for events, meetings, and seminars.

The Dean of GSU’s Digital Library and Learning Commons, Adrienne Webber, said the new facility will propel GSU and its students into a bigger and brighter future than ever before.

“We need to have things like 3-D imaging and 3-D printers because they can change the world. Students at another institution designed a straw that filtered water, which was later purchased by Walmart. … That can happen right here at Grambling State University because this library will have the tools that the students will use to do that,” stated Webber.

Students can check out a laptop, research over 100 databases for specialized subjects, browse electronic references, and borrow e-books from several collections.

According to Grambling State University’s digital library’s opening hours:

• Monday – Thursday from 7:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• Friday 7:30 am – 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Sunday 3 p.m. – 11 p.m.

GSU details that in 2017, then-President Rick Gallot began a digital library project to replace the existing facility. ‘With the support of alumni, faculty, and students, the project gained funding and commitments, and in 2019, construction began on the first digital library at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).’

“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,

“It equips our esteemed faculty and staff with immediate connectivity to a vast repository of digital resources and pedagogical tools. This milestone is a testament to the audacious spirit of Grambling State University, where no vision is too big or too bold,” says Gallot, now President/CEO of the University of Louisiana Systems.

GSU’s current president, Dr. Martin Lemelle, Jr., was the Executive Vice President during the planning and groundbreaking for the Digital Library and Learning Commons.

“There will be some books, but as a library, that is a connectivity hub. Think about a student who might not have access to a laptop. They can reserve one and check one for their use here,”

“And so you have technology at your fingertips but also a place of human connection. For human-centered design, ” said Lemelle.

GSU notes the Digital Library is closed during home football games.