Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

Member Library Interviews (2017-2019)

VIVA Featured Member Library: Regent University

An interview with Dr. Esther Gillie, Library Dean, on August 30, 2017

What are three points of pride in your library?

• When students and visitors enter the library for the first time, they always comment on the beautiful building, with its colonial style architecture.  We often receive comments on how the building promotes an atmosphere conducive to study and contemplation.
• Our ILL department continually receives top scores on our student satisfaction surveys.  Students really appreciate the fast, efficient, and free service.
• Above all, we are proud of our team of librarians and staff.  They have shown great flexibility in keeping up with changes on campus, while always providing excellent customer service.  

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

• The two most popular spots in the library are both on the first floor, near a row of windows that provides plenty of natural light. The “Gallery” is an area where we sometimes hold special events and exhibits. Students like it because it has comfortable furniture that they can move around to suit their needs.  The other first floor study area contains large tables that students can use to spread out with lots of resources, or work together in groups. We often see students heading straight back to one of these two areas as soon as they come in to the building.

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

• We are very thankful that VIVA includes the private schools and gives us the opportunity to take advantage of its many services and resources. We especially appreciate the opportunities for professional development and collaboration with other Virginia schools.  This has enabled us to accomplish things that we wouldn’t be able to do on our own.