Selle describes the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library's relationship with the University of Virginia Libraries as an unusual partnership from which the public library benefits. The university library, although open to the general public, is not easily accessible because of parking constraints. The public library has a daily courier service, and the university library provides materials on interlibrary loan and does online database searching for the public library. The university library and the public library have cooperated in the development of book and serial collections and now maintain a dialogue to keep each other informed of electronic resources acquired. Choices It was important to center the Monticello Avenue network at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library.
Community leaders describe the library as the physical heart and central focus of the community.
Further, these leaders say that without the library, the network may not have happened. Executive committee members expressed the view that it is important to continue the network as configured now with a library center. If the library's support were discontinued for some reason the private sector would pick it up, but perhaps with a different agenda and set of priorities. The Monticello Avenue network was built by taking advantage of opportunities. The mayor of the city of Charlottesville and the Albemarle County executive are supportive of the library and its management and have cooperated well on development of the network.