The Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library is home to most of the Old Dominion University Libraries' collections and services. The University Library was opened in its present location off 43rd street in 1976, with a major addition and renovation completed in February 1998. It was renamed the Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library and was dedicated on April 15, 1999. In 2011 a Learning Commons opened on the 1st floor.

The Perry Library includes an impressive collection of print, media, and electronic materials to support the research needs of the students, faculty, and community at Old Dominion University. The Learning Commons @ Perry Library is a dynamic, collaborative environment jointly operated by the University Libraries, Information Technology Services, and Center for High Impact Practices. It creates an environment with access to campus resources, services and expertise in a single location, as well as facilitates student learning through exploration, collaboration, and discussion.

Additionally, the Perry Library contains the Special Collections & University Archives Department which is open to the public and includes the University Archives, manuscripts, and books and printed material relating to Virginia and Tidewater History.

The F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room houses the Music Library and Music Special Collections and is located in the Diehn Center for the Performing Arts. There are three key areas in the Diehn Composers Room: The Listening Room, the Reading Room, and the Seminar Room. The Listening Room provides music students, faculty, and community the opportunity to listen, individually or in groups, to the collection of scores, sound recordings, and DVDs available; many also use the room to compose. The Reading Room offers a place for music scholars to study manuscripts and other music special collections materials, for students to study quietly, and for the Diehn Composers Room and Old Dominion University Libraries to host special events. The Seminar Room gives the opportunity for small group meetings and presentations.

Music Special Collections in the F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room include the Contemporary Music Research Collection which supports research leading to the performance of contemporary musical works, the Historical Recordings Collection which contains original 45s, 78s, and LPs that would be of interest to the researcher in music history, and the New Music Performance Collection to serve music faculty members who incorporate new music in their teaching. The Diehn Composers Room and the Old Dominion University Libraries sponsor numerous presentations, exhibits, and performances that highlight a Diehn Composers Room composer or collection. These events are open to the public.

The Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library moved from the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center to the newly-constructed Barry Arts Building in July, 2014. It includes a collection of over 10,000 volumes on architecture, sculpture, drawing, painting, print media, photography, and arts & crafts. It also includes an art reference section, over 40 periodical subscriptions, and a guide to selected art resources on the Internet.

Special features in the Art Library include: a current display of new art books, catalogs & news bulletins of the Chrysler Museum of Art, a bibliography of the History of Art & Art Index, workstations with access to online resources, slide viewing tables, VCRs & monitors, and a photocopy machine. Art library news can be found at the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library blog.

The Old Dominion University Libraries mission is to enrich the academic, research, and learning experiences of the University community through access to its staff, collections, and spaces. The Libraries' are committed to creating, nurturing, and sustaining an organizational culture built on core principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We apply these principles throughout all phases of operations and services, including, but not limited to: selecting and enabling access to resources; providing users with physical and virtual spaces; developing policies and procedures; and recruiting and managing personnel. The Libraries evaluate on an ongoing basis the effectiveness of our efforts to achieve inclusive excellence. Beyond the University, we seek to further core principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion through active participation in state and regional library consortia including VIVA and the Virginia Tidewater Consortium.

The Libraries enrich the academic, research, and learning experience of the University community through people, collections, and spaces.

Recognized as one of Virginia's premier research libraries, Old Dominion University Libraries are essential partners in teaching, research, and scholarly communication through expert, flexible, and entrepreneurial staff, access to information resources, and spaces that encourage reflection, exploration, and interaction. As collaborative leaders in the facilitation of information discovery, creativity, and innovation, the Libraries empower the ODU community to provide solutions to complex, real world problems.

• The transformative nature of teaching and learning
• Excellence in service
• Responsible stewardship and ethical practices
• Creativity, innovation, collaboration, respect, and teamwork
• Recognition, development and empowerment of staff
• Regard for diversity of people and of ideas
• Commitment to our community
• Preservation of the scholarly record

The University Libraries Strategic Plan is focused on the following seven strategic goals:

1. Promote an effective organizational environment. The Libraries will facilitate organizational transparency, responsibility, and professional self-development to help staff excel in an environment of constant change. The Libraries will foster a culture of innovation, engagement, and assessment within a structure that promotes collaboration, openness, and effectiveness.
2. Ensure access to the full scholarly record for the University community. Through the investment in focused local collections, especially in areas of ODU's intellectual strengths, and collaborations with other institutions, the Libraries will enrich the research environment for the Old Dominion University community and ensure the ongoing accessibility of the comprehensive scholarly record.
3. Contribute to student success. In collaboration with faculty and other academic partners, the Libraries will develop programs and services that help undergraduate, graduate, and professional students excel in their academic careers and beyond.
4. Provide services to support the full cycle of research and scholarly exchange. Through their teaching, research, and academic services, the Libraries will foster the work of Old Dominion University researchers at every stage of the research process from idea generation through dissemination of findings and data management.
5. Provide flexible and responsive physical and virtual spaces for the University community. The Libraries physical and virtual spaces will engage the ODU community in active learning, collaboration, and content creation, serving as centers for access, research, networking, and learning, both on and off campus.
6. Build mutually beneficial relationships with University and local/regional partners. The Libraries will engage in more partnerships and will make those partnerships more productive. These relationships will enhance the public engagement efforts of Old Dominion University.
7. Develop diversified, sustainable funding. The Libraries will develop innovative funding strategies and enhance promotional and marketing efforts to garner increased and diversified funding from public and private sources.