Barbara Via has worked for the University Libraries since 1979. For most of those years, she was based in the Government Thomas E. Dewey Graduate Library. In 2006, she was named Assistant Director of University Libraries for the Science and Graduate Library and Circulation Services. On March 28, 2008 Barbara retired from her full-time position in the libraries. She is now working on a temporary, part-time contract as Special Assistant for Reference Services.

Barbara has been an active member of the State University of New York Librarians Association (SUNYLA), and the Eastern New York Chapter, Association of College and Research Libraries (ENY/ACRL). She has held leadership positions in both organizations, including serving as President of each organization. In 2001, Barbara was named ENY/ACRL Librarian of the Year.

She has an active record of Library and University service, including, most recently, service on the Council on Promotion and Continuing Appointment, and the Libraries, Information Systems and Computing Council.

Barbara's research interests include issues surrounding journal publishing in the field of Library and Information Science and library reference services and trends. She regularly teaches IST 605, Information Sources and Services in the Department of Information Studies, College of Computing and Information.