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Our Origin

ABOUT THE LIBRARY

The Adventist Virtual Library, now known by its acronym BiVA, is a non-profit organization. It is a dependency of the Education Department of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

The BiVA is a virtual electronic library whose servers and programs are owned by the Inter-American Division. The BiVA website is located in the virtual domain of interamerica.org, specifically under the subdomain biva.interamerica.org.

The purpose of this educational service is to provide support in academic training and intellectual development of users residing in the territory of the Inter-American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Objectives

  • Provide permanent, high-quality support to the education system in the territory of Inter-America.
  • Provide an efficient service with a wide range of academic content for the professional development of each user.
  • Make contributions that will satisfy the academic, research, technological and information needs of users.
  • Provide valid, reliable, and safe resources for all users to develop the habit of research, study and reading.
  • Provide access to scholastically validated information appropriate to the different educational curricula.

What identifies us

The BiVA also aims to support the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church by spreading the message of salvation through Christocentric digital resources, reaching those who do not yet know the Savior.

MISSION

To foster in its users a culture of intellectual pursuit, reading habits and inquisitive research, all in an environment of intellectual freedom.

VISION

To be a virtual library that provides support to all its users, facilitating access to extensive Christ-centered and quality academic and cultural digital resources. Striving to ensure that these resources are also secure and technologically dependable.

VALUES

Integrity, quality, accessibility, communication, respect, loyalty, institutional commitment, technological innovation.

What distinguishes us

BiVA allows its users to connect to the world of knowledge thanks to the resources it offers. This virtual library represents a solid source of dependable, secure, and accessible information for students and teachers in the Adventist educational community of Inter-America.

  • Its content is reliable and validated.
  • Its contributions cover broad aspects of human knowledge.
  • The suppliers build trust as they are certified.
  • The library is continuously updated thanks to the relevance of its subscriptions.
  • Its contents add value to teaching performance because it can be accessed at any time of the day.

MORE THAN A DECADE
OF HISTORY

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2007 - 2014

CREATION, MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The Adventist Virtual Library was established in 2007 as an initiative of Dr. Moisés Velázquez, the then Director of the Education Department of the Inter American Division. Dr. Velázquez was the first administrator of the Virtual Library and his wife, Evelyn Luciano, the first librarian whom we thank for the legacy they left in the education system of our Division.

2014 - 2018

RELATIONSHIP WITH HERBERT FLETCHER UNIVERSITY

In 2014, the administration and direction of the BiVA was assigned to the Herbert Fletcher University (HFU), due to its affinity with this other virtual institution of the Inter-American Division. During this four-year period, Dr. Carlos Robles functioned as director and administrator of the library, with the collaboration of Sherleen Oyarzabal and Professor Raúl Cervantes.

2019 - 2021

PANDEMIC TIMES

During these years, Dr. Carlos Robles continued to manage and direct this resource with the support of Professor Olga E. Pérez as librarian. During this difficult period they provided valuable technological information to the Adventist Virtual Library users.

2021 – Present

THIRD PHASE

In November 2021, Dr. Yanet Cima was appointed by the Inter-American Division as director and administrator of the Adventist Virtual Library. On the other hand, Professor Olga E. Pérez continued as librarian until April 2023 and that is when Mtra. Heidi Báez assumes this position.

The current administrative team also has the valuable help of Ing. José Oliva, who oversees the technological maintenance of the library.

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Sessions

2.5 M+

Pages consulted

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Media

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Editorials
People who make it possible

Our Team

Yanet Cima

Director/Administrator

Edy Echenique

IT Support

Heidi Báez

Librarian