This month we are celebrating 30 years of John C. Hodges Library. In that time, many changes have occurred inside these walls, but Hodges Library has remained the heart of campus.
Nearly 2 million people visited the library in the last academic year to meet up, grab a snack, attend meetings, conduct research, grab a great book, and get help on academic projects from our team of dedicated subject librarians and the more than 3 million titles in our stacks and digital collections.
The library offers so much more than a quiet place to study. Here are four of our favorite things about the library:
- The space is always evolving. The Paul M. and Marion T. Miles Reading Room on the first floor has been refreshed with new furnishings, more power outlets, and an open study environment. The Special Collections Reading Room recently received an update, and the Elaine Altman Evans Exhibit Area was added to the first-floor galleria last spring to allow more visitors to discover our special collections.
- Hodges is home to a team of innovators. As an electronic resources specialist, Corey Halaychik’s work on agreements for the yearly licensing of electronic resources has saved the university hours of negotiations. Faculty who want to preserve their research data or enhance their research with media can consult Chris Eaker, Michelle Brannen, and the other librarians of the Scholars’ Collaborative. Scholarly Communication librarian Rachel Caldwell helps Vols openly archive their research, publish in open access journals, found new e-journals, and use open educational resources (such as open textbooks), so everyone gets to see Big Orange’s Big Ideas. Thura Mack’s Community Learning Services and Diversity Programs bring information literacy into the Knoxville community with events like Big Orange STEM Saturday. The student success team, including Ingrid Ruffin and Anna Sandelli, helps students engage in campus life and participate in research, and is behind programs like De-stress for Success, the Station Eleven Escape Room, and the Discovery Living and Learning Community. Learn more about the many ways our librarians impact the campus community.
- Hodges is a hub that contains many essential services. The newly opened Veterans Resource Center and One Stop keep the ground floor of the library hopping. The Student Success Center, Math Tutorial Center, Stat Lab, and Writing Center all have outposts in the Commons on the second floor. Faculty and staff also can take advantage of the wide range of meeting and conference spaces equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
- Hodges plays host to many great events for the campus. Writers in the Library brings world-class writers to campus to read from their works. The Libraries’ Diversity Committee facilitates campus conversations on difficult topics through its Lunch and Learn discussion series. We always roll out the red carpet for our students with special events for Graduate and Professional Students Appreciation Week, Welcome Week, and De-stress for Success.
Join us for a street fair in the Commons, 3-5 p.m. Monday, October 23, followed by a reception in the first-floor galleria at 5:30 p.m. as we celebrate all the ways Hodges Library serves our campus.