Minutes of VIVA Outreach Committee, November 1, 1999
Present: Ralph Alberico (chair), Jack Bales, Patricia Butler, Sharon Goad, Patricia Hardesty, and Berna Heyman.
I. VIVA Brochure
Ralph Alberico emphasized that the intended audiences for the brochure is the legislature, conference attendees and the general public, not libraries and students. The committee used the mock-ups from Ralph and Pat Butler as a starting place for recommendations on the layout, logo, graphics and text of the brochure. Berna Heyman volunteered to relay the layout recommendations shown below to the graphic artist at William and Mary and to edit the brochure.
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What is VIVA Description of VIVA collections and resource sharing |
Funding Support for VIVA
Financial benefits
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Map of Virginia with VIVA libraries |
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How VIVA Enhances Higher Education |
Mission Statement
Contact Information
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Cover page
Envision a library... VIVA logo |
The committee's goal is to have a new brochure approved by the Steering Committee and ready for distribution in January.
II. VIVA Spotlight
Jack Bales explained how he aimed the VIVA Spotlight on Periodical Contents Index to faculty and students. He wanted to pique their interests and quickly teach them how the index can be used.
The VIVA Spotlight will be used to feature the capabilities and potential uses of VIVA databases, share faculty and student success stories, and discuss how VIVA has improved the quality of library resources.
The committee decided to remove the "monthly" designations so the spotlight could be left up for longer periods. After the graphic is ready, Ralph will send an announcement to the VIVA listserv explaining how to add the VIVA Spotlight link to library web pages and ask librarians to send suggestions for additional topics to the committee.
III. Outreach Committee Responsibilities
All members agreed that the principal responsibility of the Outreach Committee is public relations: documenting VIVA's successes, writing press releases on new VIVA databases, and updating promotional materials, such as the VIVA brochure and give-away items. Responsibility for creating a clearinghouse for database tutorials, contact information for technical support services, and FAQ's, belongs to the Resources for Users Committee - Training Subcommittee. Ralph will contact Jane Schillie to let her know that the Outreach Committee would be happy to help publicize the activities of the training subcommittee.
IV Outreach Committee Web Site
The Committee discussed several page design features and agreed:
- to increase the font size of the links.
- to make the links bold and to use color for the links.
- to eliminate the Outreach Committee header from each sub page.
- to change "promotional materials" to publicity.
- to discontinue "VIVA in Action."
- to make the VIVA Spotlight a stable url.
- to create a link for archived Spotlights.
Ralph will ask John Duke to change the "VIVA in Action" link on the main VIVA web page to "VIVA Spotlight." Berna will ask the graphic artist at William and Mary to design an icon for "VIVA Spotlight" and for "Search Tips".
The press releases on OVID databases, Harp Week and Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) have been well received. The timely dissemination of the press releases saves individual libraries from creating similar types of announcements.
V. Legislative Outreach
Ideas on how the committee could generate SCHEV and legislative support
were discussed. The committee rejected the idea of compiling legislative
contact information and cross referencing it with the the list of VIVA
libraries. Sharon Goad mentioned that student support of VIVA helped
to secure funding for the private institutions. Ralph will contact
Carol Pfeiffer to determine if a VIVA demonstration by reference
librarians during the General Assembly would be welcomed. VIVA give-away
materials will be worked on after the brochure is completed.
VI. Committee Projects
Pat Butler volunteered to write the press release on HighWire.
Suggested future VIVA Spotlights features include:
- quality of information in VIVA resources compared to Internet sites (Ralph Alberico)
- the new First Search interface features (Sharon Goad)
- the Oxford English Dictionary (Patricia Hardesty)
- possible interview with William and Mary graduate students who helped with the creation/indexing of HarpWeek (Berna Heyman)
- faculty use of VIVA resources (Jack Bales).
No new business was discussed.
If another meeting is needed, it will be held on Thursday, December
16, at the UVA Clemons Library in Charlottesville.
Respectfully submitted,
Patricia Butler, Secretary