The Virtual Library of Virginia
STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA
1998-2000 BIENNIAL BUDGET PROPOSAL
Since its inception in 1994, VIVA's contributions have been significant. They include but are not limited to:
- Improved service to the academic community of 39 public institutions at 52 campuses by adding resources exceeding 32,000 new titles (indices, reference sources, full text of journals). The result has been the delivery of a wide range of carefully selected resources to every student enrolled in a Virginia public institution whether at a community, comprehensive or doctoral college or university. The added value is estimated to be $5.4 million of new resources, which are available for the first time ever at many Virginia colleges and universities.
- Substantially increased the buying power of Virginia's academic libraries (public and private) by negotiations with vendors of electronic sources for group purchases resulting in savings of over $14 million savings which would not have been available through individual library purchases.
- Integrated VIVA resources into the curriculum. Many VIVA member libraries have included VIVA resources on their homepage. Increasingly faculty and librarians working together have incorporated these sources into the research courses of the disciplines as well as introductory course sequences for entering students. This important goal was furthered by a recent VIVA User Services Committee sponsored workshop - "Teaching in an Electronic Environment" which attracted 97 attendees from both public and private institutions.
- Increased resource sharing among VIVA libraries. A 20% increase in this past year in interlibrary loans among VIVA member libraries is testimony to the success of this effort. Because of the technology available through VIVA and a restructuring of library staff, users of VIVA libraries enjoy a delivery of materials through interlibrary loan that is one-third faster than the national average. Large numbers of requests are now filled within 48 hours.
- Set in place a critical component of distance learning and continuing education.
- Upgraded the skills and knowledge of librarians, faculty and staff. Because VIVA resources are digital, their delivery requires a high level of technical expertise. VIVA funding for training has contributed to this effort.
- Developed cooperation, teamwork and collaboration among librarians and staff of both private and public academic libraries that has been extraordinarily rare in a statewide effort.
- Encouraged Virginia's private colleges and universities to successfully seek funding from the Teagle Foundation to help pay for VIVA resources.
- Gained a national reputation as one of the most successful statewide consortia efforts.
VIVA is uniquely a Virginia institution. It is not seen as a part of any one institution but is an organization
in which the stakeholders are from every area of the state. It does not have a central bureaucracy. Rather it is
a distributed effort managed by representatives of doctoral, comprehensive and community college libraries in which
all institutions contribute. It is a collaborate effort that is team based. VIVA is also a learning organization
that is making a substantial contribution to its members and to national library consortia efforts.
VIVA has matured and changed since its beginning. The first years were devoted to start up activities - setting up the infrastructure, identifying resources, establishing operational guidelines, etc. There is now in place a better understanding of the implications of distributing large and sophisticated databases statewide. There is also a sense of purpose and commitment to VIVA as a lasting entity. This has emboldened its members to think to the future - of VIVA as a true consortium of libraries working together for a common purpose. This includes not only responsibility for VIVA funded efforts but also includes using local institutional funding to support VIVA. As will be noted in the proposal for 1998-2000 contractual service needs have been identified to help the VIVA committees meet these new obligations.
One of the key factors in the success of VIVA is the richness and depth of the individual collections of the Commonwealth's academic libraries. Regrettably the growth and maintenance of individual collections are being threatened by continued erosion of purchasing power due to significant price increases in periodicals. Nearly every library has had to reduce the number of periodical titles and the number of books purchased over the past several years. It is critically important that adequate funding levels be in place to maintain and grow individual library collections or the success of VIVA's resource sharing goals cannot be met.
In addition to continuing to meet the original objectives of VIVA, the Steering Committee has also recognized the need to monitor other statewide library consortia and to link with them where appropriate. As a result, a committee has been appointed by the VIVA Steering Committee and the Library of Virginia. They are exploring the possibility of the Library of Virginia becoming a full member of VIVA. There is also a recognition that most of the students at member institutions come from Virginia's public school systems. It would be a logical next step to explore the development of prototype activities with a segment of the K-12 community. The Steering Committee has been approached by one of the Governor's schools to provide VIVA resources to its students. During 1998-2000 VIVA is proposing that efforts be made to collaborate with all the Governor's schools, perhaps seeking matching funds for the purchase of relevant and available indices and reference sources.
Stability and continued support by the Commonwealth for VIVA has also encouraged the Steering Committee to move toward the solicitation of grant funds. Digitizing Virginia's historical records held in VIVA libraries, for example, has tremendous implications regarding the availability of primary source materials to students and faculty not only in Virginia but nationally and internationally. As a result, one of the new objectives for the next biennium will be a focused effort on obtaining grants.
VIVA BASE BUDGET FOR 1998/2000 BIENNIUM
During the last two biennia VIVA has developed a base of services and collections which need to be continued. These
include:
- VIVA collections consist of many continuing subscriptions which will need to be renegotiated as contracts expire. The current base budget of $3,600,000 will not be sufficient to cover current obligations due to anticipated price increases.
- The delivery of VIVA services is highly dependent on computer and telecommunications technologies. Funds in the base budget are adequate to maintain local technological support for the delivery of VIVA resources. However, the lack of stability of network connections to local, state and national networks, including the Internet limit VIVA's full potential as a consortia.
- Resource sharing, a key to the success of VIVA's efforts to share existing print collections, will continue to need the base budget resources of the six positions assigned to the doctoral institutions as well as for delivery costs plus an increase to support anticipated increase in the volume.
- User services and training have become a very important component of the success of VIVA. The variety of resources have reached a critical mass which now necessitate continued ongoing training for VIVA member institutions - librarians, faculty and staff. The base budget of $100,000 will be used to continue and expand these efforts.
- Contractual services were authorized for the purposes of meeting the technical and administrative needs of VIVA. Funds will need to be continued and enhanced for this purpose.
The proposal which follows will enhance the base budget and is well within the goals and objectives of VIVA.
PROPOSAL FOR AN INCREASE IN THE 1998-2000 BUDGET
Collections
Selection of digitally based resources for statewide consortia is an extraordinarily complex undertaking. It is
also a new experience for vendors who do not have a great deal of experience in marketing to organizations such
as VIVA. The Collections Committee is the largest of the VIVA committees responsible for a $3,600,000 biennial
budget. With the core resources in place, in 1998-2000 the Collections Committee will focus on its recently initiated
efforts to guide VIVA libraries into a new era of shared collection development. This activity will result in a
reduction in duplication of expenditures of local funds in member institutions as well as developing focused responsibilities
for individual libraries.
Collections Maintenance and Growth:
During its first three years of existence, VIVA has proven that the group purchase of databases is extremely cost-effective. Not only can purchases be made at a lower cost than would be possible if institutions bought the resources individually, but VIVA also makes resources available to institutions which could never afford to purchase them individually at all. The impact is especially significant for the Virginia Community College System schools. Over 50% of the undergraduate students in the Commonwealth are enrolled at VCCS campuses. Increasingly in this era of life long learning students and faculty go to libraries of all higher education institutions. For example, there are over 500 PhD's enrolled in Northern Virginia Community College. VIVA has made resources available to these students that would have been unimaginable otherwise.
Increases are requested for the collections budget to cover price increases estimated to be approximately 11%.
plus adjustments in the subscription periods and to expand this effective means of purchasing new resources. VIVA seeks to expand its coverage of bibliographic and textual databases so that faculty and students in a larger variety of disciplines will have access to the key literatures they need. The major databases in chemistry, physics, psychology, and engineering are among those under consideration. General purpose databases such as full text newspapers are also desirable. Finally, VIVA wishes to work as a partner with emerging electronic publishers and aggregators so that an increasing variety of full-text journals may be received, accelerating the Commonwealth's transition from the ownership of voluminous paper collections to reliance on immediate electronic access.
Collections Budget Request:
| 1998/99 | 1999/2000 | Total | |
| Price increase adjustments | $350,000 | $420,000 | $770,000 |
| Expand collections | $347,500 | $546,500 | $894,000 |
| Total: | $697,500 | $966,500 | $1,664,000 |
Contractual Services
The first biennial request which funded VIVA (1994-1996) allocated six positions to the doctoral institutions to meet resource sharing needs through interlibrary lending. These positions have been and remain critical to the success of the interlibrary loan operations of these major research institutions. Five years of experience now point towards the need for additional assistance. It is important to note, however, that this is not a request for permanent staff or positions but rather is for funds that will be used for contractual services for the work that needs to be done. Each request should be seen as support to the VIVA committees that will continue to do the principal work of VIVA.
Steering Committee
Since 1994 George Mason University has contributed a librarian one-half time as a project director to serve as a staff liaison with the Steering and other VIVA Committees as needed. By the beginning of the 1996/97 fiscal year it became apparent that the project director was becoming more and more involved in support of VIVA activities. Resources were allocated to bring this person on full time (.5 contributed by George Mason, .5 by VIVA). Funds are requested to continue this contractual relationship with George Mason University and to meet the expanded needs of VIVA due to grant development, linking with other state consortia efforts, etc. Funds were also contributed by the VIVA member institutions to James Madison University that acted as the VIVA purchasing agent. These are expenses that are more appropriately assumed by VIVA. Therefore funds are requested for this purpose.
Assessment data on how well the VIVA project has met its stated goals continues to have a high priority. However,
there is a limited knowledge among those involved as to how to effectively design and administer assessment instruments.
The Steering Committee has determined that during 1998-2000 there needs to be a major effort to do an assessment
of VIVA at all levels. This can best be done by contracting with one of the several research centers found in Virginia's
doctoral institutions.
During the 1998/2000 period the VIVA Steering Committee will explore the possibility of developing a pilot project
with a limited number of K-12 schools. In all probability this will be with the Governor's schools in the Commonwealth.
Funds are requested for the second year of the biennium for potential matching funds.
Steering Committee Budget Request:
| 1998/99 | 1999/2000 | Total | |
| Contractual Services | $120,000 | $120,000 | $240,000 |
| Assessment Contractual Services: | $ 45,000 | $ 45,000 | |
| Governor's School | $ 25,000 | $ 25,000 | |
| Total: | $165,000 | $145,000 | $310,000 |
Technical Support
Internet pathways are getting crowded. Most of the major information resources that make VIVA so successful are located at provider sites somewhere out on the Internet - not in Virginia. When the Internet is crowded there are frequent slowdowns in the speed of the information packets that go out from the VIVA library and those that come back to the VIVA user. Sometimes the whole message can get stopped, or even lost, at a major connector node on the pathway. A dependable network is a keystone that supports the doorway into the Virtual Library.
In this biennium proposal the VIVA Technical Issues Committee is interested in examining ways to ensure that the connection between the student or faculty member and the VIVA information resource they need is speedy, direct, and dependable. It is important to focus on projects that assess the most efficient and cost-effective ways to guarantee a reliable and direct network path for delivering VIVA information. The intent is to use Virginia's own emerging technologies, such as Virginia's high-speed information system - Net.Work.Virginia - to examine best practices for VIVA delivery of information. What is learned will improve information delivery for the current VIVA participants. It will also create a body of technical practice options that could be used by other types of libraries should they choose to create virtual libraries for their constituents.
Funding is requested to support two network stability projects using the Virginia network.
- Establishment of a direct connection from the FirstSearch service at OCLC to the Virginia network of libraries to bypass the current unreliable pathways. FirstSearch is one of the most highly used VIVA resources. A direct connection will also assist VIVA libraries in meeting the requirement of a dedicated line for the cataloging of library materials.
- Provision of access to one of VIVA's important databases by installing it on a local server at a VIVA library so VIVA users can use the high capacity Virginia network to transport the information, and bypass congested out-of-state systems.
Technical Support Budget Request
|
1998/99 |
1999/2000 |
Total |
|
| OCLC Connection | $ 81,000 | $ 81,000 | $162,000 |
| Mounting Local Databases | |||
| Contractual Services | $ 52,000 | $ 54,080 | $106,080 |
| Supplies/Travel | $ 10,000 | $ 2,000 | $ 12,000 |
| DS3 Connection | $ 60,000 | $ 60,000 | $120,000 |
| ATM Equipment | $ 25,000 | $ 2,500 | $ 27,500 |
| Total: | $228,000 | $199,580 | $427,580 |
Resource Sharing
The sharing of resources between member libraries continues to be a critical factor in VIVA's success. As noted previously there will be a concerted effort by the Collections Committee to identify areas for shared collection development beyond that which is funded by VIVA. The risks involved can be reduced if there is confidence that shared resources can be delivered in a timely manner from one library to another. Indeed, there has been a 20% increase in interlibrary loan traffic in this past year alone. Furthermore, the VIVA Interlibrary Loan Enhancement Committee successfully met one of its objectives of promoting guidelines which would assure load leveling so that reliance would not be as great on the six doctoral institutions as it has been in the past. Libraries have reallocated their own resources to meet these needs but are finding it increasingly difficult to continue. During the 1996/1998 biennium, VIVA subsidized interlibrary loan costs through an allocation of funds to help offset the cost of delivery. Funding is now requested to help offset the increased costs of interlibrary lending being born by VIVA libraries.
Resource Sharing Budget Request:
| 1998/99 | 1999/2000 | Total | |
| Interlibrary Lending | $30,000 | $30,000 | $60,000 |
| Total | $30,000 | $30,000 | $60,000 |
User Services
VIVA's User Services Committee has assumed a key role in the training and development of librarians and teaching faculty in the use of VIVA resources in teaching and learning. The resources are now of a significant number and complexity that additional resources will be needed to develop and train librarians and faculty in web based instruction that can be transported to all VIVA institutions.To promote and facilitate the use of VIVA resources, and to document ownership by VIVA libraries, VIVA resources need to be described and cataloged at each library. The number of VIVA resources is substantial and their access complex. To provide description of the current and future VIVA resources will require assistance from vendors of cataloging records. The VIVA Users Services Committee will contract with a cataloging service for cost effective creation, acquisition and distribution of records.
User Services Budget Request:
| 1998/99 | 1999/2000 | Total | |
| Training | $20,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Cataloging | $ 5,000 | $ 5,000 | $10,000 |
| Total | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
Special Collections
The special collections in the Commonwealth's academic libraries are among the richest in the nation. Because of digital technology, many of these resources can be made available on the World Wide Web. Once that is accomplished, links can be developed which will provide faculty and students at any Virginia college or university access to sources that heretofore were available to only a select few. Further, the original resources are protected and preserved for future generations. For the next biennium the Special Collections Committee is proposing to digitize primary materials on periods and themes of the Commonwealth with finding aids for not only higher education but for K-12 in preparation of the celebration of the 400th anniversary (2007) of Virginia. The Committee believes such a project will be an attractive grant to a major foundation or as a partnership with a vendor.
VIVA Biennial Budget Request
Additional Funding to the Base
|
1998/99 |
1999/2000 |
Total |
|
| Collections | |||
| Price increase adjustments |
$350,000 |
$420,000 |
$770,000 |
| Expand Collections |
$347,500 |
$546,500 |
$894,000 |
|
Subtotal |
$697,500 |
$966,500 |
$1,664,000 |
| Steering Committee | |||
| Contractual Services |
$120,000 |
$120,000 |
$240,000 |
| Assessment Contractual Serv |
$45,000 |
$45,000 |
|
| Governor's School |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
|
|
Subtotal |
$165,000 |
$145,000 |
$310,000 |
| Technical Support | |||
| OCLC Connection |
$81,000 |
$81,000 |
$162,000 |
| Local Database Mounting | |||
| Contractual Services |
$52,000 |
$54,080 |
$106,080 |
| Supplies/Travel |
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$12,000 |
| DS3 Connection |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$120,000 |
| ATM Equipment |
$25,000 |
$2,500 |
$27,500 |
|
Subtotal |
$228,000 |
$199,580 |
$427,580 |
| Resource Sharing | |||
| Interlibrary Lending |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
$60,000 |
|
Subtotal |
$30,000 |
$30.000 |
$60,000 |
| User Services | |||
| Training |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
$40,000 |
| Cataloging |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
|
Subtotal |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
$50,000 |
|
TOTALl |
$1,145,500 |
$1,366,080 |
$2,511,580 |
|
1998/1999 |
1999/2000 |
TOTAL |
|
| Collections (SCHEV) | |||
| Subscriptions | |||
| Continuations |
$1,550,000 |
$1,620,000 |
$3,170,000 |
| New Titles |
$347,500 |
$546,500 |
$894,000 |
| One-Time Purchases |
$600,000 |
$600,000 |
$1,200,000 |
| subtotal |
$2,497,500 |
$2,766,500 |
$5,264,000 |
| Steering Committee (SCHEV) | |||
| Contractual Services |
$130,000 |
$130,000 |
$260,000 |
| Assessment Contractual Serv |
$45,000 |
$45,000 |
|
| Governor's School |
$25,000 |
$25,000 |
|
| subtotal |
$175,000 |
$155,000 |
$330,000 |
| Technical Support | |||
| Expanded disk storage (5) |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
$60,000 |
| Access Servers (12) |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
|
| Workstations (51x2) |
$178,500 |
$178,500 |
$357,000 |
| Contractual Services (SCHEV) |
$50,000 |
$40,000 |
$90,000 |
| Applications Software (6) |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$30,000 |
| Maintenance & replacement (6) |
$37,200 |
$37,200 |
$74,400 |
| OCLC Connection |
$81,000 |
$81,000 |
$162,000 |
| Local Database Mounting | |||
| Contractual Services |
$52,000 |
$54,080 |
$106,080 |
| Supplies/Travel |
$10,000 |
$2,000 |
$12,000 |
| DS3 Connection |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$120,000 |
| ATM Equipment |
$25,000 |
$2,500 |
$27,500 |
| subtotal |
$538,700 |
$560,280 |
$1,098,980 |
| Resource Sharing | |||
| Statewide Delivery (SCHEV) |
$205,000 |
$205,000 |
$410,000 |
| Support Staff (6) |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
$270,000 |
| subtotal |
$340,000 |
$340,000 |
$680,000 |
| User Services | |||
| Training |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
$120,000 |
| Cataloging |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
| subtotal |
$65,000 |
$65,000 |
$130,000 |
| Total |
$3,616,200 |
$3,886,780 |
$7,502,980 |
1 Serial Prices 1993-1997 with Projections for 1998, EBSCO Subscription Services, 1997