University Library News

At the Perimeter campuses, library teams spent the year building community through updated spaces, collaborative initiatives, meaningful staff achievements, and events that connected students to resources and to one another. These updates reflect a shared commitment to creating welcoming environments and strong campus partnerships.

Decatur Library Upgrades Space for Students

The Decatur Campus Library made significant changes to library spaces over several years to address students’ changing needs.  In 2024, the library got a big boost in those efforts.  Students needed more space to collaborate on assignments and develop connections with classmates.  Through generous funding made available through Perimeter College, the Decatur campus library replaced outdated single-use student seating with comfortable and flexible collaborative work spaces, including wheeled work tables, high-top cafe tables, a large banquette, and mobile power towers. Additionally, through library facility funds, a prominent accent wall behind the service desk was painted GSU Blue.  Through these investments, Perimeter College and the library are working together to advance two pillars of GSU’s Strategic Plan: Student Success and Identity & Placemaking.

Reimagining Student Space: Alpharetta Campus Library Transformation

In 2024, the Alpharetta Campus Library began a thoughtful redesign to enhance the student experience, thanks to funding support from Perimeter College. The initiative focused on rethinking how students interact with library spaces, prioritizing flexibility, comfort, and collaboration.

Outdated, fixed-size dark wooden study carrels were removed to make way for a vibrant mix of movable tables, comfortable seating, and long worktables paired with casual rolling pouf ottomans. This modular setup empowers students to customize their workspace to suit individual or group needs, supporting both focused individual study and dynamic collaboration.

The upgrade also introduced a sofa, a variety of rolling and fixed chairs, and a streamlined print station/visitor computer workstation – all designed to maximize space efficiency while maintaining accessibility and ease of use.

This revitalized environment reflects the library’s commitment to student-centered design and its role as a center for learning, creativity, and connection across all campuses.

One Vision, Shared Spaces: The Student Information Hub Initiative at Clarkston

The Student Information Hub at the Clarkston Campus Library initiative is a collaborative effort to reimagine student-centered spaces across Perimeter College. The newly reimagined Information Hub Pilot is a collaboration between Instructional Innovation & Technology (IIT) / Learning and Production Environments, the University Library, and Perimeter College.

The goal of this initiative is to test a unified model of co-located student support services that brings together technology access, specialized equipment, training, and personalized assistance into one integrated service point. By consolidating resources, the pilot enhances visibility, streamlines support, and creates a more seamless student experience.

The Information Hub at the Clarkston Library features:

• A modern service desk designed to serve as the central hub for student, staff, and faculty support;
• CATLAB equipment checkout directly from the library; and
• Four new workstations at the front desk complemented by upgraded lighting.

By integrating technology, training, and support in one accessible location, the Clarkston Library is becoming more than a place to study and evolving into a true hub of learning, innovation, collaboration, and student success.

Perimeter Campus Libraries – News and Notes

Community Engagement & Cultural Relevance 

Alvin Blount, Learning and Engagement Librarian at the Clarkston Campus, took the stage at the National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL) July 2024 with “The Librarian Plants Small Seeds: Strategies for Library and Community Engagement,” a session that highlighted the transformative power of local outreach. 

Advancing Library Impact and Professional Development 

In October 2024, Tamika Barnes, Associate Dean for Perimeter Library Services and Georgia Library Association’s President-Elect, co-presented “Moving Student Retention and Success Forward: Insights and Strategies from Academic Library Leaders” at the Georgia Libraries Conference (GLC). In January 2025, Tamika Barnes also co-presented “Successful Submissions – How to Write a Conference Proposal” at LibLearnX, offering attendees a practical roadmap for turning ideas into accepted sessions.  

Teaching History, Building Bridges 

At the Georgia Library Conference (GLC) in October 2024, Scott Pieper, Department Head for the Decatur and Newton Campuses, presented a session titled “Enhancing Student Learning of the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia: When Archivists & Librarians Go to Middle School.” This collaborative effort brought together Perimeter College, Research & Engagement (Lauren Bellard), Special Collections & Archives (Christina Zamon), and Druid Hills Middle School teacher Kendra McClure to connect archival resources with classroom learning. 

AI in Action 

Amy Stalker, Department Head for the Alpharetta and Dunwoody Campuses and Ozlem Gurlek led a virtual session for the Georgia Health Policy Center November 2024, exploring “Prompt Engineering and AI Tools for Research.” Coordinated by Decatur’s Learning and Engagement Librarian Jennie Law and Leslie Madden, this session helped researchers navigate the evolving AI landscape. 

Amy Stalker also facilitated a roundtable at Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2025 titled “Navigating AI in Academic Libraries: Bridging Gaps in Interest, Experience, and Trust,” and co-led a session with Jennie Law and Newton’s Learning and Engagement Lauren Rich at the Summer 2025 Humanities Inclusivity Program June 2025 called “AI Chatbots & You,” which included hands-on elements in prompt engineering and source evaluation. 

Fighting Disinformation with Literacy 

At the Southeastern Association of Law Libraries (SEALL) Conference in March 2025 LaLoria Konata, Amy Stalker, and Zanada Joyner presented “Fake News is Lethal: How Critical Media Literacy Aids to Avert the Violent Consequences of Disinformation.” Their session underscored the urgent need for librarians to lead in media literacy education. 

Teaching & Learning Across Georgia 

In April 2025 Angiah Davis (right), Department Head for the Clarkston and Perimeter College Online Campuses, represented the library at the USG Teaching and Learning Conference in Columbus, GA, sharing insights into innovative pedagogy and librarian-faculty collaboration. 

Pop Culture Meets Openness 

Alpharetta’s Learning and Engagement Librarian, Brooke Fry, presented at the GLC October 2024 with “Bending Boundaries: Team Avatar’s Lessons for Openness,” alongside Charlene Martoni, Hosana Fletcher, and Christina Gangwisch, all from GSU. Then in April 2025, she delivered a plenary session at The Library Collective titled “Less but Better: Rethinking What Matters in Your Library Life,” with Kate Tompkins-Gross of Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library.