What is the University Libraries website at Virginia Tech (lib.vt.edu)?

lib.vt.edu is the website of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. It is the online front door to the university's library system, where you can search the catalog, reach databases and journals, place course materials on reserve, request interlibrary loans, check hours across library locations, and reserve spaces or equipment. It serves Virginia Tech faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and community members, and it also supports open access to scholarship and digital literacy work.

What you can do on the site

The homepage centers on a search box with options for Everything, Title, Author, Subject, Call number, ISBN, and ISSN, plus an Advanced Search. From there, the main services are:

• Catalog and discovery – search the libraries' collections by keyword or by specific fields.
• Databases and journals – browse or look up databases and journals directly.
• Course Reserves – find materials set aside for a specific course.
• Interlibrary Loan – request items the libraries do not hold.
• Off Campus Access – reach licensed resources when you are away from campus.
• My Library Account – review your account details and activity.
• Research Guides – subject and course guides to help you start research.
• Ebooks – access electronic book collections.

Resources by user group

The site organizes quick links by audience, so you can go straight to the most relevant starting point:

Hours, spaces, and equipment

The homepage shows Today's Hours for each location, including Carol M. Newman Library, the Art & Architecture Library, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Health Sciences & Technology Library, Academic Building One in Alexandria, Special Collections, the Veterinary Medicine Library, and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Library. A "View all Library Hours" link gives the full schedule.

You can also Reserve a Space and Reserve Equipment from the quick links, which is useful when you need a group room or loanable gear.

News, events, and initiatives

The site publishes Upcoming Events and Latest University Libraries News, covering topics such as graduate student awards, Special Collections stories, digital projects, and author visits. It also highlights initiatives like Global Engagement, which supports making information accessible and publishing scholarship that is freely available regardless of location, and Digital Literacy, which focuses on learning, creating, and collaborating with digital content.

Practical notes

• The libraries may be closed for holidays; the homepage posts notices, such as a Labor Day closure, so check before traveling to a location.
• Some services, such as off-campus access and your library account, are tied to your affiliation with the university. The site does not state that these are open to the general public, so treat access as dependent on your status.
• The homepage includes a purchase signal in its content, but no pricing or payment details are provided; do not assume any service is free or paid without checking the specific page.