The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) is the consortium of the nonprofit academic libraries within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Members include all of Virginia's state-assisted colleges and universities, as well as 33 private, nonprofit institutions and the Library of Virginia.
Members of the General Assembly and their staff members are invited to select the state seal to access VIVA resources.
VIVA levels the academic playing field: Through VIVA, students and faculty at institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth have access to digital and print journals, books, reference sources, and databases that are essential for educational success and research enterprise. Whether you are at a community college or a large public university, a small liberal arts college or an elite private university, the same VIVA is available to you.
VIVA advances research enterprise within Virginia: The cornerstone for successful research is access to the research literature: great research universities always require great libraries to advance their work. In Virginia, every institution of higher education has access to a great library of essential research literature through VIVA. Researchers at institutions throughout the State can count on VIVA for the critical research and scholarly literature they need.
VIVA sets the gold standard for efficient use of taxpayer dollars: Working together through VIVA, academic libraries across Virginia have eliminated duplication and leveraged resources to get the very best value for the Commonwealth's investment. For every one dollar invested, the Commonwealth receives five dollars in valuable research material. And less than 4% of VIVA's budget is spent on administration: a full 96% 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.
Member Spotlight
Highlighting Special Collections
James J. McDonnell Transportation Collection 1939-1995. George Mason University Libraries Special Collections.
May is all about moving. Who knew that it's National Moving (as in relocating) Month and National Bike Month?!?
Getting from here to there is a factor for many people in deciding where to live (especially in Northern Virginia) so this month's Special Collection is the James J. McDonnell Transportation Collection in George Mason University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Born in 1930, James McDonnell worked as a civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s, then built an extensive career as a highway engineer for the Bureau of Public Roads (which would become the Federal Highway Administration). During his 33-year career with U.S. government transportation agencies, McDonnell was recognized as a national expert in transportation data collection and use. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he directed the Shirley Highway corridor study inNorthern Virginia. His study led to the widening of the four-lane, World War II-era freeway into the first freeway with reversible high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes in the median (that would be I-95/395 for those of us who prefer numbers.)
So hats off to you, Mr. McDonnell, but looking at the picture above, maybe a few more bike lanes would be good too!