VIVA Special Collections Committee
Minutes

Attending: Ned Berkeley (UVA), Laura Smith (for Gail McMillan, Tech), John Kneebone (LOV), Nancy Marshall (Steering Committee liaison) and Betsy Pittman (VCU).

The meeting was called to order at 11:15. Nancy was introduced to the members of the committee and general announcements were made.

Old business:

1. Budget--Nancy was provided with background and additional information regarding the SCC budget request for the 96-98 biennium.

2. Cornell workshop--Gail McMillan will attend the January workshop on behalf of the committee. Upon her return, she will provide a report (to be distributed via the listserv) on the workshop and general training to the members of the committee.

3. Archives week--the weeek of OCtober 9-13 has been designated Archives week in the Mid-Atlantic region by MARAC. The committee has agreed try to "unveil" the Special Collections option on the VIVA homepage during this period. In all member repositories access is "under construction" but this still remains possible (or soon thereafter). Individuals, and steering committee members in particular, are invited to surf this portion of the VIVA Web and offer suggestions for additional materials or access points to be made available. The timing has been established to provide the committee mebers ample opportunity to "fine tune" whatever is necessary prior to the general presentation and budget request to the General Assembly in January.

4. Recent developments--John Kneebone announced that access to the LOV via WWW should be available by mid-November. In addition, a survey of over 500 identified repositories will be distributed by U.S. mail (and electronically) soon. The responses will provide the necessary information to update the 1988 Directory of Repositories and provide several search options (subject access) that will be explored at a future time by the committee members.

5. Presentations--Betsy informed the committee that the chair of the Spring 1997 MARAC Program committee has not made a decision regarding a session on the VIVA project (Special Collections aspect). Ned is on the committee and will forward our interest in such a presentation.

New business:

1. Calendar for the next meetings--our schedule of meetings for the coming year was decided upon as follows: November 3, 1995, January 5, 1996 and March 8, 1996. The actual time of the meetings is tentative at this point.

2. Plans--Members of the committee discussed future plans for their contributions to the VIVA project. For the immediate future institutions will continue to make guides to collections available and fine tune the Special Collections Homepage and several search options. Long term plans included a discussion of including the Virginia Historical Society, addition of a directory of Virginia Portraiture, on-line exhibits.

3. Questions about information to be presented on the VIVA SC Homepage were asked and discussed. Information will be sent to Gail concerning correct addresses and appropriate images to be used as "buttons". It was decided that insitutional logos would probably be the most appropriate, recognizable and acceptable option. The issue of standardization was discussed but it is the committee's considered opinion that individual institutions will have the most influence on the actual appearance of Homepages. Betsy will ask John Duke about standardization within VIVA. The draft of VIVA SC Homepage was discussed and decisions about its final form will be discussed prior to the next meeting (via e-mail) with the final draft to be decided upon at the November 3rd meeting (copies of the first draft will be sent to John and Nancy).

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 12:45.

Respectfully submitted,
Betsy Pittman, Chair