Minutes of VIVA Outreach Committee
October 16, 2000

Present: Ralph Alberico (chair), Jack Bales, Patricia Butler, Patricia Hardesty, and Berna Heyman.

Chair Ralph Alberico called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in the Alderman Library at U.Va.

I. Statewide Forum.

Ralph Alberico opened the discussion by reintroducing the idea of hosting a statewide forum on integrating VIVA resources into the curriculum and/or using them to promote information literacy. This could be a meaningful project, bringing together instructional librarians, and encouraging them to "buy into" important VIVA goals. The concept of a day-long workshop hosted by a speaker, with travel expenses paid by VIVA, was presented by Ralph to the Steering Committee, which was interested in a fleshed-out plan for the day.

Berna Heyman noted that there is a problem for us in that faculty don't pay attention to where a resource comes from. Assessment of the success of such a program could be gauged by faculty awareness of VIVA resources before and one year after the program. Seeing an increase in VIVA use statistics would also be a good measure of success.

Ralph envisions bringing instructional people together to collaborate on a statewide level and share ideas about how they are promoting information literacy and integrating resources into the curriculum. Meeting together will help to avoid the duplication of effort at every library. Patricia Hardesty suggested surveying the list-serv to find out about faculty projects that emphasize information literacy. Jack Bales and Pat Butler also noted that it would be good to hear what faculty expect of librarians.

Committee members discussed what was going on at their institutions to promote information literacy. Technology is a component in the Virginia standards upon which funding is based. Perhaps a forum could help libraries meet standards, or even set Virginia-wide guidelines for information literacy.

Some suggested titles for the forum are: "VIVA Across the Curriculum" and "Out of the Library-Into the Classroom."

Ralph summarized the discussion by outlining a forum that would begin with a keynote speaker of national reputation. Special issues could then be discussed in breakout sessions moderated by instructional librarians. The afternoon could have another speaker and additional breakout sessions. Might the outcome be a plan for projects that VIVA might sponsor?

The group decided to continue the discussion by e-mail.

II. VIVA Web Site.

The Committee turned its attention to the VIVA web site. As it is designed now, the website does not make it easy for the main target groups of the Outreach Committee (decision-makers and faculty) to find pertinent information.

The Committee recommended that new gateway levels be introduced that would be addressed to three groups, as follows:

For Faculty and Students
  1. Databases-Alphabetical
  2. Databases-Subject
  3. Off-Campus Access [?]
  4. Virginia Libraries
  5. VIVA Announcements
  6. VIVA Fact Sheet
For Decision-Makers
  1. VIVA Fact Sheet
  2. "testimonials" [with new name to be decided]
  3. VIVA Announcements (PR)
  4. VIVA in the News
  5. Budget & Financial Benefits [separated out]
  6. VIVA Member Libraries
VIVA Community
  1. [to be completed]

III. Upcoming Press Releases.

OVID's Open Links will probably prompt the next press release.
The meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia Hardesty