Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

Member Library Interviews (2017-2019)

VIVA Featured Member Library: University of Lynchburg

An interview with Haley Lott, Outreach/Public Services Librarian, on February 27, 2017

What are three points of pride in your library?

• On March 23, 2016, we introduced our Digital Showcase, the institutional repository of Lynchburg College. Its mission is to provide an online platform for the preservation, dissemination, and promotion of the intellectual works of the students, faculty, and staff of Lynchburg College. The primary emphasis is on student works. It includes dissertations, master theses, honors theses, senior capstone projects, and the presentations and posters from our annual Student Scholar Showcase. Since its launch, the repository has grown to include 60 works. There have been 588 views and 379 downloads from 44 countries. We look forward to also providing the online version of several college magazines and journals.
• In 2015, because of a decreasing collection of bound periodicals, the library gained some floor space and wanted to provide the types of spaces students would use.  After a space study which included visiting other libraries and meeting with student focus groups, we determined that we would add more individual and group study spaces.  Ultimately, we added booths, a tech bar made from recycled shelving, carrels, cubicle study spaces, and collaborative seating arrangements. In comparison to what was previously available, study space available for students in the library was increased 400% during this project.  We also improved existing study spaces with the addition of more power outlets, a mobile display unit, and movable whiteboards.
• With combined years of library experience dangerously close to 150, our library staff provides service to the academic community with abundant resources and positive attitudes. During the 2015-2016 school year, we had 3000+ interactions at the reference desk and provided over 140 hours of individual research appointments to our LC students. We also taught 1,727 students during our library instruction sessions - that’s nearly 40% of the full-time enrollment at Lynchburg College! We are well on our way to meeting or exceeding all of these statistics during our 2016-2017 school year.

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

• The most popular spot in the Knight-Capron library is the booth room. The booths are a relatively new addition to our library and they are always packed with students doing everything from studying and writing essays to playing games and binge-watching the latest Netflix original. Our booth room is equipped with a mobile display unit that easily connects to students’ devices and makes collaboration a breeze. The movable whiteboards in the booth room are also a hit with our students!

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

• The Knight-Capron Library values the bargaining power of the VIVA consortium. The combined cooperation of both private and public institutions helps us provide a high quantity of resources and services of the best possible quality.