W&M Libraries adds resources to maintain a relevant collection, aligned with researcher and teaching needs. Beyond the general selection criteria outlined in our collection development policy, electronic collections require additional factors to be taken into consideration, including accessibility, remote availability, vendor support, long term access for perpetual purchases, the availability of usage statistics for subscriptions, and other technical concerns.
W&M Libraries is a member of several consortia which negotiate group discounts for and/or shared access to electronic collections. These include The Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), The Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Lyrasis, and Virginia Research Libraries (VRL). W&M Libraries leverages all possible consortia options before negotiating terms on our own. Cooperative purchases through VIVA and VRL seek to reduce overall state spend for resources across Virginia, but may also reduce flexibility for each individual institution.
Due to budget constraints, database acquisitions were extremely limited in FY2025. The library was able to negotiate current vendor contracts and leverage private funds to add the following: