Alabama Virtual Library

1. Alabama Virtual Library FETC 2005 January 28, 2005

2. Presenters • Gina Sullivan • Manager, AVL Help Desk • gsullivan@asc.edu • Lisa Woodard • Director, Education and Outreach • lwoodard@asc.edu

3. What is the Alabama Virtual Library? • A collection of scholarly, essential, electronic information resources • Accessed through the Internet • school libraries and classrooms • public libraries • colleges and universities • remote authentication

4. Goals of the AVL • Equity • every student, teacher and citizen will have online access to current core of information • Economy • statewide licenses offer significant savings • Excellence • appropriate, accurate/reliable, scholarly, up-to-date information

5. How was it created? • Years of work • State technology conference provided the venue • Coalition of state agencies and associations • 1998 “seed money” to develop the project • Grassroots effort • post cards • video tape • Legislative advocates • Speaker of the House • Chairman of the House Education Funding Committee • AVL Advocacy Committee

6. AVL Partners • Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) • Alabama Department of Post-Secondary Education (DPSE) • Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) • Alabama State Department of Education (SDE) • Alabama Supercomputer Authority (ASA)

7. How is the AVL governed? • Council appointed by agency heads • 3 members from each agency • Bylaws • Committees

8. How is it funded? • Funds appropriated by the Alabama Legislature • Education Trust Fund • $3,000,000 initial funding (FY00 and FY01) • $2,814,000 (FY02 prorated 6.2% and FY03 level) • $2,532,600 (FY04 prorated 10%) • $3,565,109 (FY05)

9. Advocacy • AVL Executive Council agreed on a position paper • Identified what we wanted • Provided one message • Formed a legislative action committee • Based on funding committees in the state legislature • Trained a legislative action committee • Established weekly communication and updates to committee members • Advocacy Members committed to make weekly contact with their legislators from January through May. • Advocacy Members met with their legislators in the District and in Montgomery • Legislative Day • Same day as Education Entity Bill was introduced in House Committee

10. AVL Position Paper

11. Advocacy Theme Bookmarks Buttons Print Materials Communications

12. How is the money used? • License databases (95%) • Technical Support (3%) • Maintain hardware and software, manage and update webpage, manage 6 listservs, and provide helpdesk services • Marketing materials (2%) • Print materials, brochures, displays, conference fees, etc.

13. Alabama Supercomputer Authority • Technical Partner for AVL • Liaison between Vendors and Users • Single point of contact • IP authentication • Remote Access • Helpdesk • Answer questions • Fulfill requests • Usage/Statistics • Maintain Listservs • Maintain Website

14. AVL Resources • Quality information at the click of a mouse • News articles • Academic journals / magazines • Encyclopedias • Literature resources • Science and health / medical information • Business information • ALL citizens have access to ALLAVL Resources

15. AVL Website • Same layout for Home Access and Campus & Library • Organized by content & grade level • Layout evolved through suggestions from focus groups • Unique – individual databases are listed instead of vendor

16. Accessing the AVL • IP authentication • Public schools and public libraries • Remote access card (issued at public schools, public libraries, academic libraries) • Be a resident of Alabama • Have an Internet connected computer • Know the website address http://www.avl.lib.al.us

17. AVL Users • Public Libraries • K-12 Schools • Elderly • Disabled • Students • Teachers • Business

18. AVL Monthly SearchesOct ’03 – Dec ’04

19. AVL at a Glance *(January 1, 2004 – December 31, 2004)

20. AVL Tour & Demonstration

21. Questions?