VIVA: VIVA Faculty Portal FAQ
- VIVA
- VIVA, Virginia's Academic Library Consortium
- VIVA
- VIVA Faculty Portal FAQ
This guide has variable layouts and houses the majority of the "sub" pages for VIVA's website.
VIVA: VIVA Faculty Portal FAQ
Q: What is included in the VIVA Faculty Textbook Portal?
A: There are currently three types of resources available:
Q: What OER collections have been indexed in the Faculty Portal?
A: The following OER collections are currently available through the Portal:
Q: What is included in the VIVA shared e-book collections:
A: The VIVA shared e-books include all those currently owned in perpetuity by VIVA. The following collections are currently available:
Q: What happens when a faculty member requests a book purchase?
A: When a faculty member requests a book purchase through the Portal, an e-mail with their form responses is automatically sent to vivaoacc@gmu.edu and to the institution’s VIVA Collection Development Contact and OTN Contact. The VIVA Central Office will review the request and purchase the title from GOBI in DRM-free/DRM-light unlimited user e-book format and follow-up with the faculty member with a proxied URL to the e-book.
If the title costs $500+, the VIVA Central Office will verify the faculty member's affiliation and that the title is not permanently available in their collection in DRM-free or DRM-light unlimited user e-book format. Once that confirmation has been received, VIVA will purchase the book with VIVA Central funds on behalf of the institution and follow-up with links for the faculty member.
Q: When an e-book is purchased through the Portal, is it made available to all institutions?
A: No, e-books purchased through the Portal are only made available to the institution requesting the title.
Q: What happens when a faculty member chooses to adopt a VIVA shared e-book or OER? What does filling out this form do for the faculty member?
A: Filling out the adoption form is VERY important for assessment purposes. It enables VIVA to effectively measure OER and VIVA shared e-book adoptions. It also allows VIVA to share adoptions with the institution’s Collections and OTN contacts should they wish to follow-up with the faculty member.
When the faculty member fills out the adoption form, they will receive an e-mail with the link to either the proxied e-book or OER. This may be especially useful for ensuring persistent links are embedded into the learning management system.
Q: Are there any caps on how many textbooks can be purchased?
A: If a faculty member wants to adopt a book for a course and it will save students from having to buy it, VIVA will find the money to purchase it.
Q: Is the Portal available to VIVA’s Private, Non-Profit Institutions?
A: There are discounts to private institutions for local installations.
Q: The EBSCO e-book preview indicates that 3 copies of the e-book are available. Aren't these titles DRM-free or unlimited user?
A: When you preview the e-book in the Portal, you will see access restricted to three concurrent users. That is just the preview restriction and does not apply to the purchased title.
Q: I received an e-mail that a faculty member at my institution adopted an Open Textbook through the Portal. Am I supposed to do anything now?
A: It is entirely up to you whether or not you wish to follow-up with the faculty member. The notification serves more as a courtesy so that you may stay abreast of adoptions at your institution.
Q: How do I receive MARC records for titles purchased for my institution?
A: To enable discovery, you have two different options for MARC records. You may receive rapid MARC records through ECM, which is a complimentary service and the records are generally available within two hours of the purchase. You may also elect to receive MARC records through OCLC Collection Manager and this usually takes place 7-10 days after purchase. Please contact EBSCO to get set up for Rapid MARC records through ECM.
Last updated on September 27, 2023