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VIVA: College of William & Mary Featured Member Library

Virginia's Academic Library Consortium

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VIVA Featured Member Library: College of William & Mary

An interview with Carrie Cooper, Dean of University Libraries, on November 3, 2017

College of William & Mary

What are three points of pride in your library?

  • We are very proud of our newly renovated Reeder Media Center, a space dedicated to supporting students’ multimedia projects and teaching digital literacy skills.
  • We have fantastic special collections, including a first edition copy of Isaac Newton’s Principia; hand-written letters by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and James Monroe; and one of the largest collections of fore-edge painted books in the nation.
  • As the third point of pride, I would choose being named one of the top university libraries in the nation for 2017 – #13 to be exact – by the Princeton Review. We are especially excited about this designation as it is based on student feedback. The fact that William & Mary students catapulted us into the top 20 means we are doing something right.

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

  • One of the busiest places in our main library, Swem Library, is our Read & Relax Area, located on the first floor. This area is the largest open space in the library and is where most students meet to collaborate and socialize. It includes four very popular massages chairs and a treadmill desk. It’s a great spot for people watching too!

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

  • The Resource Sharing network with expedited delivery among VIVA institutions enables us to provide materials to our users much more quickly than we could otherwise. Also, the new provisions in VIVA contracts that let us share entire e-books with other libraries is truly extraordinary.