1. VALE Annual Users’ Conference
“Strategic Planning: Promoting Our Resources, Promoting Ourselves”
January 7, 2004

2. Today’s Users Conference
184 registered attendees
Largest number ever
46 out of 52 VALE member libraries represented

3. New VALE Mission Statement
The Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE), a consortium of New Jersey college and university libraries, and the New Jersey State Library, is dedicated to furthering excellence in learning and research through innovative and collaborative approaches to information resources and services.

4. Strategic Priorities
Expand and sustain an effective funding stream through collaboration
Advocacy and public relations efforts
Shape a communications plan to enhance visibility
Develop and implement a remote reference service

5. Strategic Priorities (cont.)
Develop and implement a shared information literacy Web site
Secure funds to publish on the Web, appropriate and unique local databases
Identify other potential areas of collaboration
Conduct ongoing assessments to measure accomplishments

6. Goal: Expand Access to Scholarly Resources
29 different electronic resources were licensed Total cost = $1.6 million
Access by 248,400 FTE student equivalents statewide
4.623 million searches were executed averaging 17 searches per FTE
Academic Search Premier provided to all VALE Libraries by NJSL
Web-based recommendation form

7. VALE Databases by Discipline

8. Most Heavily Used Resources
Academic Search Premier (1,797,852)
Lexis Nexis Academic (700,000) est.
ABI Inform (531,462)
Literature Resource Center (369,093)
PsycINFO (269,820)
ERIC (225,447)
MLA Bibliography (124,202)

9. Goal: Learning to Use Information Resources
Shared Information Literacy Committee formed
Create online tutorials, explain research process, how to cite resources
Prototype tutorial developed that is
Template based
Open-source
Shareable
Composed of multiple modules

10. Goal: Assessment and Evaluation
2-part survey conducted in June 2003 for librarians and directors
87% report outstanding database choices
70% could not afford on their own
Assessed satisfaction and areas for future priorities
Deeper discounts, e-book licensing, cooperative collection development, knowledge of new technologies
Recent workshop on usage statistics

11. Goal: Round the Clock Reference
Reference Services Committee charged to investigate
Tested QandANJ software
Recommended participation by academic libraries
Some academics are participating in the statewide initiative 24/7
Develop an academic queue in the future to filter higher level requests

12. Goal: Communicating with Members
VALE Users’ Conferences
Collaboration with NJ/ACRL
Expanded VALE Web site (
Includes committee updates
Recommendation forms
VALE Listserv

13. Goal: Making Print Collections More Accessible
Resource Sharing Committee projects
Created the VALE Reciprocal Borrowing agreement facilitating improved access
46 participating VALE libraries
Z39.50 compliant union catalog created
Users can easily locate needed resources
Ease of identifying resources for ILL

14. Goal: VALE Finances Finance Committee created in FY03
Review database licenses and assist in budget preparation
Developed Preferred Licensing Terms for vendors
Prepared Memorandum of Understanding for member signature
Implemented a 2.6% service fee

15. Current and Future Projects
VALE e-resource licenses to go up on the Web site with a summary table
Web-based calendar of VALE activities and meetings
Link to the VALE Union Catalog from the main VALE Web page
Participate in statewide initiative to add science, technology, and business resources
Support of the NJSL marketing campaign
Establish ad hoc committee to study “last copy” and print repository

16. What’s on Your Mind?
Questions & comments….

17. Accomplishments Don’t Happen on Their Own
Very special thanks to:
Norma Blake, New Jersey State Library
Anne Ciliberti, WPUNJ
Judy Avrin, WPUNJ
Dave Hoover, RU
Ed Corrado, Listserv Administrator
VALE Executive Committee
Chairs and members of all VALE Committees

18. Most Notably Stand up and say thank you to: For her:
Marianne Gaunt, Rutgers University Librarian
VALE’s first Executive Committee Chair
For her:
Vision, Leadership, Spirit of Collaboration and Fellowship