1. State of the Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE)
January 5, 2006

2. 7th Annual Users’ Conference
“All Together Now: Taking the Lead in Collaboration and Innovation”
17 Breakout sessions
10 Poster presentations
268 registrants
45 member institutions represented
Represents 87% participation

3. Thank You to Our Sponsors
Bowker
EBSCO
Elsevier
Gale
Lexis-Nexis
ProQuest
ReferenceUSA
Wiley
Wilson

4. Special Thanks to… VALE Conference Planning Committee
ACRL/NJ Collaborators
RU-SCILS student volunteers
Poster & Breakout session presenters
Rutgers University Libraries
Judy Avrin, WPUNJ

5. Major Accomplishments
Currently licensing 39 electronic databases at a cost of over $2 million
Major science & technology resources added as part of New Jersey Knowledge Initiative
New committees formed and charged
Digital Media
Cooperative Collection Management
24/7 real-time online reference

6. VALE Databases by Discipline

7. NJ Knowledge Initiative
$6 million to license science, technology & business resources through June 2007
Web site established at:
Priority to expand the number of participating businesses
Gather success stories & promote NJKI locally
Re-funding NJKI is the highest priority of the FY2007 budget priority of the New Jersey State Library
Advocacy must be high on our agenda to insure continued funding

8. Committee Chairs Assessment & Evaluation – Susan Beck
Bibliographic Control & Metadata – Juan Almodovar
Cooperative Collection Management – Mary Mallery
Digital Media – Greg Fallon
Electronic Resources – Luis Rodriguez
Publicity & Communications – Joan Getaz
Reference Services – Jane Crocker
Resource Sharing – Julie Maginn
Shared Information Literacy – Anne Ciliberti & Richard Sweeney
Training – Lynn Randall
Web Site – Ray Schwartz

9. Some Committee Highlights
Assessment
12 Libraries participate in LibQual
Bibliographic Control & Metadata
Creating catalog records for VALE electronic resources
Cooperative Collection Management
Survey conducted of member libraries to assess need & current status
WorldCAT Collection Analysis Tool workshop conducted

10. Committee Highlights / cont…1
Digital Media
Formed to plan for licensing streaming video content
Electronic Resources
Conducted survey to identify requested high priority resources for licensing in FY2007
Publicity & Communications
Planned & executed this wonderful conference!
Work on advocacy activities for NJKI

11. Committee Highlights / cont…2
Reference Services
Initiated and expanded academic queue with 14 participating libraries in QandA NJ
6,524 sessions in 2005 with students in higher education
Resource Sharing
Expanded reciprocal borrowing to graduate students for participating libraries
Updated all Web & fact sheets

12. Committee Highlights / cont…3
Shared Information Literacy
Database for promoting and sharing instructional materials available soon to members
Training
Classes focusing on NJKI databases
Web Site
Major re-design and update of Web site including logo standardization

13. Looking Ahead… Advocate for renewal of NJ Knowledge Initiative
Conduct planning activities in 2006 & 2007 to chart VALE’s future
Retreat in Spring 2006
Coordinate activities with Council
Visioning for libraries in Spring 2007
Assist libraries with remote authentication via use of proxy software

14. What’s on Your Mind?
Questions and comments…

15. Accomplishments Don’t Just Happen on Their Own
Very special thanks to…
Anne Ciliberti, WPUNJ
Judy Avrin, WPUNJ
Dave Hoover, Rutgers University Libraries
Ed Corrado, TCNJ
VALE Executive Committee Members
All Committee Chairs and Members