Washington and Lee University
University Library home | Information Technology Services home
The main floor of Leyburn Library was extensively renovated in 2008. The floor plan is open and inviting, with lots of new seating areas, study tables, and computer clusters. It also includes a drink and snack area called the Book Nook. Rotating art exhibits -featuring both student and professional art work-are displayed on its walls.
The University Library and Information Technology Services have integrated their services and share the centrally located Information Desk. From this desk, we deliver many services, including:
The University Library comprises the James G. Leyburn Library and the Robert Lee Telford Science Library. The University Library supports Washington and Lee's central mission of teaching, learning and research in the liberal arts by providing a wide range of materials in all formats for use in the classroom, in student learning, and in faculty research and preparation for teaching, and by offering a highly skilled staff to assist faculty, students, and other users in their knowledge inquiries. In addition to more than 650,000 volumes housed onsite, the Library's website provides access to many databases.
The Special Collections Department includes rare books, manuscripts, and the University's archives. The collection emphasis is on the history of the University and Rockbridge County, Generals Lee and Washington, and the Shenandoah Valley.
The University Library is open to students 24 hours a day when classes are in session, and provides wireless internet access throughout. The Library Catalog provides access to holdings in the Leyburn, Telford, and Law libraries.
The Wilbur C. Hall Law Library is located in the Law School and is administered separately.
The technology environment at Washington and Lee offers a rich array of technology resources for students, including discipline-specific software for instruction and research, course management software, personal and shared network storage, and dedicated support for student technology needs.
More than 95 percent of W&L students own a computer. The University licenses anti-virus and office productivity software for all student computers. Students living in University residence halls, apartments, fraternities, and sororities enjoy wired connections to W&L’s high-speed network. In addition, wireless coverage is offered in all academic spaces and is being rapidly expanded to include all student residential areas.
The University also makes more than 300 computers available to students in general purpose computing labs, teaching labs, and departmental labs. In addition, students may check out laptop computers at Leyburn Library. Nearly all classrooms are equipped with digital projection and other technology tools to aid in instruction.
Examples of instructional technologies used in W&L courses include: searchable image databases in art history and Irish literary studies; a Beowulf computing cluster in computer science; and a W&L-run, Web-based Digital Library for Nuclear Issues funded by the National Science Foundation.
The University supports the use of Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
For more information, see:
