Virtual Library of Virginia
The Virtual Library of Virginia is a consortium of nonprofit academic libraries within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Members include all of the 39 state-assisted colleges and universities, as well as 34 of the independent institutions and the Library of Virginia.
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 Records, 1994-2004 is hosted on the George Mason University web site.
Organizational structure
VIVA operates under a memorandum of understanding. VIVA is headed by a steering committee with 15 members elected from the member institutions, supported by various committees 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 managed by the VIVA staff, consisting of the Director, Associate Director, and Executive Assistant. More information on the VIVA Organizational Plan is available on the VIVA web site.
Budget and funding
In fiscal year 2012, funding from the General Assembly accounted for 44% of VIVA's total budget, down from 77% in fiscal year 2006. Meanwhile, VIVA member institutions increased their contributions to 56% of the total budget. This demonstrates the extraordinary commitment of VIVA institutions to acquiring and providing essential resources to the Virginia higher education community, highlighting the power of the VIVA cooperative. Previous biennial budgets allocated to VIVA by the General Assembly can be found on the VIVA site .