Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

Member Library Interviews (2017-2019)

VIVA Featured Member Library: Virginia Wesleyan University

An interview with Sue Erickson, Library Director, on July 7, 2017

What are three points of pride in your library?

• The staff works together as a team to creatively address any challenge that comes our way. This includes our student staff and we are committed to helping them understand how the work that they do in the library can translate into career development. We have added student assistants to work teams to get their valuable input and to get them even more engaged in the work of the library. The full-time library staff are very engaged in what’s happening on campus, serving on committees, helping plan events, and we even offer a weekly guided meditation led by one of our librarians.
• The library was renovated in 2009, adding student space and an art gallery. When students were asked to rate facilities on campus in 2016, the library got top marks!
• For a small institution, we are able to provide a large number of resources, thanks to our membership in VIVA and in cost-sharing arrangements through VICULA.

What is the most popular spot in the library for users?

• Our five group study rooms are very popular with students. They appreciate that they can reserve them online. Our 24-hour study is also popular, especially leading up to exam times.

Which VIVA resource or service do we value the most, and why?

• There are so many resources we value from VIVA that it is hard to choose a favorite. Mergent is a resource that we would not be able to afford without the cooperation of VIVA and it is used frequently by our students and faculty in the Management, Business and Economics department. As we begin a new MBA program, this resource is likely to be used even more.