VTLS Users' Group

Users' Group Meetings

Members of the VTLS Users' Group (VTLSUG) meet twice a year usually at a member library or VTLS headquarters. Meetings are important opportunities for learning about product development plans, new VTLS partnerships, customer needs, and the status of the company. They are also great opportunities to network with colleagues from other libraries and to learn about creative ways that VTLS software is being used.

Typically there are two conferences every year, one in North America, organized by the VTLSUG, and one in Europe, organized by the European Users' Group (EUG).

Members receive discounts on attendance fees, making it all the more affordable to attend meetings.

2008 VTLS Users' Group meeting

Email Discussion List

Members are encouraged to use the VTLSUG email discussion list to ask for information, seek advice, and share ideas. It is an excellent forum for exploring an idea or answering a question involving any VTLS product and service.

Full Web Site Access

The VTLSUG web site features profiles of member libraries, an annual report, a list of members of the VTLSUG executive committee, and information about VTLS customers. Access to some of the information on the web site is available to members only, including information about meetings, working committees, financial reports, and bylaws. In addition, for those interested in past VTLSUG activities, there are electronic versions of Vital Links, the group's newsletter, published from 1984 to 2000.

Advice to VTLS

VTLS seeks, listens, and acts upon advice given by VTLSUG members. Most recently, VTLS has followed up on suggestions to provide customer access to the company's online system designed to track software enhancements, to restructure the enhancements process to be more responsive to customer requirements (see below), and to adapt conference training sessions to meet customer needs.

Develop Product Enhancements

One of the most important activities of the VTLSUG is to provide structured and agreed upon input to VTLS about product enhancements. After having received suggestions for enhancements from members, standing committees prioritize enhancements for voting by VTLSUG membership. VTLS has established an allocation of guaranteed development resources for each product upgrade, and VTLSUG membership alone determines how the resources are spent. For example, versions 44, 45, and 46 of Virtua included a total of over 50 users' group determined enhancements.

Involvement in the Executive Committee and Standing Committees

Members are eligible to serve on the executive committee, where the direction of the organization is determined, priorities are set, conference agendas are established, and communications between the VTLSUG and VTLS are centered.

Standing committees prioritize enhancement requests from among hundreds that are submitted by VTLSUG members, leading to decisions about which ones are presented to general membership for voting. Individuals serving on standing committees respond to the many needs of users' group institutions to help ensure that their voices are heard and addressed through VTLS' enhancement process.