Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

Member Library Interviews (2017-2019)

VIVA Featured Member Library: Union Presbyterian Seminary

An interview with Dr. Christopher Richardson, Seminary Librarian, on May 30, 2018

What are three points of pride in your library?

• We are proud to offer a world-class theological research collection and a rare book collection that features masterpieces from the Protestant Reformation and the 16th century revolution in printing, literacy and scholarship. We are also proud to offer library users a beautiful building with inspiring spaces for research and study.  Most of all, we are proud of caring, dedicated library staff members who know our institution well and work in innovative ways to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse service community.

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

• Our Reference Room is vital to academic work on campus, so it is well-used and many students have favorite seats. The library's vaulted atrium is another popular spot, used not only for conversation but also for concerts, exhibits, worship services, and other special events.

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

• VIVA's Interlibrary Loan community is particularly valuable. We tend to loan much more than we borrow but ILL enables us to meet patron needs that fall outside the scope of our specialized collections