By Jonah Grinkewitz
For 50 years, the Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library has served as a central hub for learning and research at Old Dominion University.
Initially opened in 1976 as The New Library Building, the first expansion of the building was completed in 1999, featuring a 76,000-square-foot addition that included the building’s iconic tower. The then-newly renovated library was dedicated in honor of Patricia Perry ’89 and her husband Douglas Perry, generous benefactors of the University. A second expansion in 2011 created the Perry Library Learning Commons to offer students a collaborative workspace and enhanced technological resources.
Today, Perry Library holds a vast collection of print, media and electronic materials supporting research, including a Special Collections and University Archives department with essential resources on University, state and regional history.
For students, Perry Library is where they enjoy study spaces, computer labs and more.
"It's not just a library,” said Roland Davis, a double major in History and English from Richmond, who interned with and is now a student worker in Special Collections and University Archives. “It is a massive creative space for thousands of Old Dominion University students. It's a community for great thinkers."
Roland said his favorite part of the experience is interacting with patrons of the archives to learn about their projects and the passion they have for their work.
“It's really exciting to see the students coming in using and engaging the Libraries for not only their academic pursuits, but also more of that collaborative space, giving them a place for belonging,” said Elizabeth Burns, interim dean for University Libraries. “And that, I think, is something that we can really be proud of. Everyone can find their space and place here at the Perry."
Perry Library is also a valuable resource for the Hampton Roads community. In 2024, it welcomed Naro Video @ ODU Libraries, restoring access to over 43,000 videos from the cherished Norfolk video store. Linda McGreevy, a retired Old Dominion University art history professor, ran the video store from 1996 to 2019 with her husband Tim Cooper.
University Libraries, of which Perry Library is a part, has launched a campaign to celebrate this golden anniversary and raise awareness of the myriad ways the Libraries inspire and empower the University community to learn, grow and create.
In addition to Perry Library, University Libraries includes the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library with new acquisitions of art books and other resources; the F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room within the F. Ludwig Diehn Center for the Performing Arts, which features a music library and a reading room for viewing composers' manuscripts and other music special collections; and the Edward E. Brickell Medical Sciences Library on Old Dominion University’s medical campus, which brings new opportunities to grow research across disciplines.
Visit the University Libraries' 50 & Forward website for more information about this year's celebration of Perry Library.
