Background

Victoria's Virtual Library (VVL) is the public library portal for the State of Victoria. The VVL is a library and information gateway with quality content and value-added services for all Victorians and is available 24 hours per day. It consolidates existing online information resources and provides library services for Victorians that are not provided in other ways.

Victoria's Virtual Library was launched in May 2000. The Virtual Library was initially funded through Multimedia Victoria's (http://www.mmv.vic.gov.au)  Libraries Online project which was part of the Victorian Government's Connecting Victoria Strategy. VICNET has managed Victoria's Virtual Library since May 2000, and since July 2001 has assumed financial responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the website.

Mission

Victoria's Virtual Library will organise and provide access to selected online and web resources that are essential to the educational, intellectual and informational needs of the people of the state of Victoria and to the Victorian public library community.

Scope

The Scope of Victoria's Virtual Library is aimed at the Victorian Community in general and the Victorian public library community in particular, particularly the Infonet.

Content Development Policy

Resources connected to the site are to be consistent with the overall mission of VICNET and the State Library of Victoria.

There will be links to all sorts of multimedia resources without prejudice.

Links from all agencies with which Victoria's Virtual Library has either formal or informal agreements can be added without prejudice to the web site.

Links may be provided to commercial sites once determination has been reached as to the relative value of such materials to our user's informational needs.

Links may be provided to sites which require a license agreement, with the understanding that users of such products through affiliation with a library service have access to them.

Links should only be made to sites that have sufficient levels of content to be of value.

Hot Topics provide links on current issues. Sites are selected by librarians in the Victorian public library community. Sites are assessed for their accuracy and currency before being included. There is also an emphasis on the material being Victorian and Australian, although international events are also included.

Ask a librarian is an online reference service staffed by public libraries on a monthly rotation basis. Questions are logged on a database, which can be searched. The ask a librarian service is aimed primarily at Victorians, but questions from other states and from overseas are also answered. Every effort is made to ensure the questions are answered within the turnaround time of 48 hours.

Open Road collection of multilingual resources aimed at people of Non-English speaking background and members of the Victorian library community to assist them in locating appropriate online materials. Links are chosen for their informational value and to the communities in question.

Gulliver suite of online databases which have been funded through subscription fees by Victorian public libraries, Victoria's Virtual Library and several libraries in New Zealand. Content of these databases is determined by the Gulliver Steering committee. Generalist- aimed at the informational needs of the general public. Victoria's Virtual Library is a gateway to access to Gulliver databases for these libraries.

Reference Bookshelf is a directory of web-based reference resources. Content is selected by reference librarians in Victorian Public libraries. Sites are assessed for their relevance and content before being included. There is an emphasis on Victorian and Australian sites, however, international sites will be included if assessed as being appropriate.

Zine is a fortnightly newsletter aimed at library staff and those interested in online resources. Content for this Zine relates to news about Victoria's Virtual Library, websites of interest, news about search engines and online databases. Content is suggested by staff from Victorian public libraries and by staff at Victoria's Virtual Library.

Victorian Biography Resource Centre provides online information about famous Victorians. The aim of the Victorian Biography Resource Centre is to present brief information about the individual and to link to more comprehensive information through external links. The site is aimed at the general public and is not intended to be a comprehensive research tool.
A link to the State Library of Victoria's catalogue is available for researchers to search records which the State Library of Victoria holds. Information such as brief biographical details, links to biographical websites and photographs (subject to copyright) will be displayed. People who have been born in Victoria, or who have made a significant contribution to Victoria will be included. Significant Victorian buildings and structures will also be included.

Infonet

The Infonet is an extranet for Victoria's Public Library Community. The Infonet will act as a document register for library organizations. Infonet will provide links to

• Peak Victorian library organizations and associations
• training opportunities,
• jobs in public library sector,
• news,
• archives of e-conferences
• e journals
• meeting calendar

Other components include Tips and Tricks- aimed at libraries and will provide technical information, and news of new software.

Information will be provided by staff from Victorian public libraries.  Types of information will be in the form of minutes, policy papers, articles and hypertext links to other resources.