Getting Started at the Library

Gordon Library's Main Collection

Gordon Library has six primary collections of books and periodicals:

• The Main Collection (2nd floor) contains a wide array of scholarly and fictional books to serve students in their academic pursuits as well as their leisure reading.
• The African American Collection (2nd floor) contains works of scholarly and fictional writing by African American authors.
  • Did you know? The African American Collection began as an effort from the earliest Savannah State librarians to collect scholarly and fictional works by African American authors and about the African American experience in one easily accessible location. To this day, Savannah State librarians carry on this work.
• The Gertrude Greene Collection* (2nd floor) contains works written by Savannah State University faculty, staff, and alumni.
• The Course Reserves** (1st floor) are books that professors put on hold for their students' use. Typically, this collection includes articles or textbooks required by the course, and the professor will let you know if the book is on reserve at the library.
• The Bound Periodical Collection** (1st floor) contains bound periodicals of academic and trade publications.
• The Reference Collection** (1st floor) contains reference books such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, and more.

Gordon Library also has an A/V Collection that contains DVDs and CDs. This collection is housed behind the front desk, so you will want to use our online catalog to browse available DVDs or ask the library staff member at the front desk if we have a title. Once you know what you would like to check out, just ask the library staff to retrieve it for you!

* The Gertrude Green Collection is housed within the Archives and Special Collections. It is available by appointment only. Contact a librarian to make an appointment.

** Due to high demand, books on the first floor are not available for circulation and must remain inside the library, but they can be scanned or copied for personal use at no additional charge. Please ask a librarian for assistance if you need help!

You can search for books, DVDs, and more using the library's online catalog, GILFind, at gilfind.savannahstate.edu. Doing this will show you if Gordon Library has online access to an e-copy of the item or if it is available in our physical collection.

You can narrow your results by applying the filters on the left-hand side of the page.

When you find a title you are interested in, click on it, and you will see information about whether it is a physical or digital resource, where it is located in the library, whether it is checked out or available, and more.

If you log into your library account on GILFind, you can place a hold on available items, so they will be waiting for you at the library.

GILFind can also be used to find books at other University System of Georgia libraries, which can be delivered to Savannah State in 3-5 days at no additional charge through a service called GIL Express.

To do this, use the drop-down box to the right of the search bar to expand the search from Savannah State University's collection to the entire collection held by the University System of Georgia.

Then, use the Find & Request feature by clicking on the title that interests you, which will allow you to see which institutions have a copy and easily order the book in just a few clicks.

The librarians will contact you when the item arrives, and you can pick it up from the front desk.

For more information about GIL Express and Inter-Library Loan, check out our Resource Sharing page!

Each book in the library has a unique call number. A call number is like an address: it tells us where the book is located in the library.  Call numbers appear on the white labels affixed to the spines of books and journals and in the library's catalog. 

Books in Gordon Library are shelved using Library of Congress classification. Each stack, or shelf, is labeled with the beginning of each call number to help guide you to the book you are searching for.

Sample call number: PS3602 .E66444 V36 2020

Browsing the stacks is simply a matter of knowing where the books you are interested in browsing are shelved. Library of Congress classification groups together works on the same subject. Click on a classification letter to see more detail about which subject each letter at the beginning of a call number signifies.

A  General Works
B  Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C  Auxiliary Sciences of History
D  World History and History of Europe, Asia, Africa, Austalia, New Zealand, etc.
E  History of the Americas
F  History of the Americas
G  Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H  Social Sciences
J  Political Science
K  Law
L  Education
M  Music and Books on Music
N  Fine Arts
P  Language and Literature
Q  Science
R  Medicine
S  Agriculture
T  Technology
U  Military Science
V  Naval Science
Z  Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources (General)

Checking Out

Students can check out books, A/V materials, and more at the front desk of the library. There is no need to register for a separate library card; your student ID also serves as your library card during any semester in which you are registered for classes. Another form of official picture ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) can also be used.

Books are checked out to the student for a period of 28 days. A/V materials can be checked out for a period of 7 days.

Renewing Books

Items may be renewed twice, for two additional periods of 28 days. This can be done online by logging into your library account on GILFind, or you may renew items at the front desk of the library using your student ID or other official picture ID.

A/V materials may not be renewed by students.

Late Fees

There are no daily fines for overdue books!

Lost or Damaged Items

The only time students will be charged by the library is when they fail to return an item or when they return an item that is damaged beyond repair. Items 56 or more days overdue are considered lost, and the replacement cost of the item must be paid in full in order for students to register, receive grades, borrow library/audiovisual materials, and graduate. If an item is lost a $15.00 processing fee (per item) is charged in addition to the replacement cost. The replacement cost for lost materials, along with the processing fee is nonrefundable.

Gordon Library's robust resource sharing services connect students to materials such as books, journals, articles, CDs, and more - which may not be available at Gordon Library but can be borrowed from other institutions - through GIL Express and Interlibrary Loan. This service allows students to access materials from all 26 University of System of Georgia institutions, as well as any library that participates in Interlibrary Loan in the U.S.

You can find FAQs and detailed guides to walk you through the process in our Resource Sharing guide. If you have any additional questions, please contact Gordon Library's Resource Sharing Specialist:

Janice Shipp
(912) 358-4339
shippj@savannahstate.edu