The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) is the consortium of the nonprofit academic libraries within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Members include all of the 39 state-assisted colleges and universities (the six doctoral degree-granting universities, nine four-year institutions, and 24 community and two-year branch colleges), as well as 34 of the independent (private, nonprofit) institutions and the Library of Virginia. Benefits of VIVA:
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VIVA levels the academic playing field: VIVA allows access for students and faculty of any institutions of higher education access to digital and print journals, books, reference sources, and databases that can aid in education and research. VIVA allows equal access to all students in the commonwealth no matter the type of school.
VIVA advances research enterprise within Virginia: VIVA organization supports the idea that access to information is key to research. Libraries help advance research inside of universities and VIVA is developed to organize and allow access to research. Students in any Virginia higher education institution can use VIVA to advance their scholarly needs.
VIVA sets the gold standard for efficient use of taxpayer dollars: VIVA is a network of librarians working together throughout Virginia to organize and categorize the information in VIVA, this has allowed for librarians to eliminate duplicated works. For every dollar invested in the VIVA, the Commonwealth receives five dollars in valuable research material. Less than 4% of VIVA's budget is spent on administration costs: 96% of the funding goes towards obtaining digital and print library materials for students and faculty throughout Virginia.
VIVA's contribution to the quality of education in Virginia is appreciated by students and faculty at all levels of higher education.
VIVA is an active member of the International Coalition of Library Consortia.
History
The Virtual Library of Virginia was established in July 1994. In September 2003, VIVA received the Governor's Technology Gold Award for Government Service in Higher Education.
A Guide to the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Records, 1994-2004 [1] is hosted on the George Mason University web site.
Organizational structure
VIVA operates under a memorandum of understanding (MOU). VIVA is headed by a Steering Committee with 15 members elected from the member institutions and supported by a variety of committees, also drawn from the constituent organizations. The three standing VIVA Committees are the Outreach Committee, Resources for Users Committee, and the Resource Sharing Committee. Operational responsibility for VIVA is conducted by the VIVA staff, currently the Director, Associate Director, and Executive Assistant. More information on the VIVA Organizational Plan [2] is located on VIVA web site.
Budget and funding
The VIVA community works diligently to use taxpayer dollars wisely and always looks for opportunities to develop flexible and innovative cost-sharing arrangements. In FY12, Virginia General Assembly funding represented 44% of the total VIVA budget (compared to 77% in FY06) while VIVA member institutions increased their contributions to 56% of the total budget. The commitment of VIVA institutions to acquiring and providing key resources to the Virginia higher education community is extraordinary and reveals the power of the VIVA cooperative. Previous biennial budgets allocated to VIVA by the General Assembly are posted on the VIVA site [3].