Library and Information Science Commons^™

What Collaboration Means To Me: How We Do & Don’T Collaborate At The Library Collective, Corey Halaychik, Ashley Maynor

Collaborative Librarianship

The Library Collective is a non-profit organization devoted to redefining the library professional development landscape by providing low-cost, high-value learning opportunities for librarians. At the heart of The Library Collective’s efforts is a unique style of collaboration. The following column outlines how the Co-Founders and Co-Directors use and don’t use collaboration to create a professional development environment that embraces creativity, celebrates failure, and doesn’t cost a fortune.

A Problem None Can Solve Alone: Ra21 As Collaborative Effort, Jill O'Neill

Collaborative Librarianship

Stakeholders in the information community recognize the challenges surrounding user authentication in the context of licensed information resources. Resource Access in the 21st Century (RA21) is one cross-sector initiative that is intended to reduce those challenges for both academic libraries as well as content and technology providers. Further collaboration by stakeholders may assuage some of the hesitations regarding RA21.

Redefining The Review Process For Collaborative Librarianship, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Why Can’T We Be Friends? Examining The Benefits And Challenges Of Maintaining Your Friends Of The Library, Maureen Rust, Julia Stringfellow

Collaborative Librarianship

One of the most fruitful collaborative relationships a library can have is with its Friends of the Library organization, providing that group is vibrant and progressive. This article provides insight into the history of the Friends of the Library group at a regional comprehensive university since its founding in 1962 to nearly becoming defunct in 2015. The steps taken in the transformation of the Friends of the Library since then from an inactive group with no clear direction, to a robust organization with an active board who have identified goals and strategies for successful library advocacy are described. The work …

Providing Access To Government Information: A Survey Of The Federal Depository Library Community, Laura Sare

Collaborative Librarianship

The mission of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is to provide free, permanent public access to federal government information now and for future generations. In the 20th century, depository libraries received tangible materials, in mostly print format, creating what is now often called the “legacy collection.” Currently the majority of government information is distributed in a born-digital format, sometimes with multiple avenues to online information through government agencies themselves and repositories collecting and digitizing materials. How are Federal Depository Libraries curating their government information collections, both tangible and digital? This study investigated what depository libraries are doing regarding collection …

Open Access And Its Impact On Access And Subscriptions, Michael Levine-Clark

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

In this paper the author examines from a library perspective some of the complications with transitioning to an open access model for journal publishing; how costs that support publishing efforts may shift from readers to researchers; what’s happening within the library community with regard to assessing the value of subscriptions; and what universities may come to expect from content providers as private funders take a more visible role in mandating the “openness” of research information.

The Liaison Connection Issue 11, University Of Denver, University Libraries

The Liaison Connection

Fall 2018 issue of the Library Liaison Advisory Group newsletter from the University of Denver, University Libraries. The newsletter provides information about library collections, services, and research instruction.

The Baked-In Bias Of Algorithms, Lori Bowen Ayre, Jim Craner

Collaborative Librarianship

Algorithms are created by and used by humans in software programs and in everyday tasks. They are composed of input data, a series of steps, and output. When it comes to computer algorithms, we often see the results of algorithms but we don't see the processing steps or the input data that has determined the output. It is important to be aware that all these components are subject to mistakes and biases - the input data as well as the processing steps.For this reason, we should seek transparency in the algorithms that are put to use and which affect our …

Creating Community: Drawing On Staff Expertise To Break Down Silos In Academic Libraries, Lori Birrell, Marcy A. Strong

Collaborative Librarianship

A discussion of the strategies and outcomes behind a special collections and metadata collaboration effort at the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries, to make finding aids more discoverable and interoperable. Through the use of a project charter and specific goals, the project managers sought to create buy-in and build a culture of teamwork amongst the participants, resulting in both improved finding aids and a model for collaborative work across departments.

Cultural Memory In Danger: Sustainable Information, Preservation, And Technology In The Humanities: A Theoretical Approach, Casey D. Hoeve

Collaborative Librarianship

Abstract

Management of library collections is an inherently collaborative process. Spanning multiple generations, materials are selected that support user communities, striving for the optimization of storage and access at the lowest cost.[i] While established partnerships are crucial for the survival of libraries, within any cooperative network, there exist opportunities for divergent practices. Alternative initiatives may have progressive intentions, but competing systems and groups have the potential to disrupt recognized standards and infrastructure, some of which can prove detrimental to information organizations.

Abrupt format changes and technological advancements have altered the way in which materials are currently acquired, accessed, and …

Librarians’ Roles In Establishing A Multidisciplinary Research Institute, Elizabeth Christian, Kathryn Balek, Sandy Hudock, Rhonda Gonzales

Collaborative Librarianship

This article describes how four librarians contributed to the founding and first-year activities of a multidisciplinary research institute at a regional comprehensive university. The Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) is the first multidisciplinary research institute on cannabis, an emerging and often controversial field. As faculty representatives on the institute’s steering committee and working groups, librarians were able to leverage interdisciplinary expertise to assist in organizing and disseminating cannabis research. Examples of the reciprocal benefit to both the institution and the library are shared.

What Collaboration Means To Me: Partnership As Praxis, Rhiannon M. Cates

Collaborative Librarianship

This column offers a reflective and theoretical perspective on the potential of collaboration to function as a tool to resist replicating dynamics of oppression and inequity, and as a strategy to challenge negative aspects of institutional climates and culture in library work.

Collaborative Leadership: Cultivating An Environment For Success, Kristin Calvert

Collaborative Librarianship

This paper details the importance (and limitations) of leadership to foster an environment that supports collaboration in library acquisitions. The conditions necessary to create successful teams are examined: creating a compelling vision, enabling effective communication, and building trust among participants. The challenges of effective leadership grow in more complex collaborative endeavors, when there are mismatched priorities, or when leading teams outside of traditional reporting structures. This paper offers guidance for navigating these pain points to produce better and more inclusive processes

What Collaboration Means To Us, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

History In The Making: Outreach And Collaboration Between Special Collections And Makerspaces, Erin Passehl-Stoddart, Ashlyn Velte, Kristin J. Henrich, Annie M. Gaines Mlis

Collaborative Librarianship

Makerspaces present unique possibilities for creative partnerships within libraries, including the opportunity for interdisciplinary use of emerging technologies with archival objects and primary sources. One example of this type of interdisciplinary collaboration is the fabrication of cultural heritage replicas via 3D scanning and printing of historical university objects in academic libraries. Two departments in the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives (SPEC) and the Making, Innovating, and Learning Laboratory (MILL), partnered on such a project as a way to broaden maker competencies across library departments, leverage interdisciplinary connections between emerging technologies and historic archives, and create innovative outreach …

Yours, Mine, Ours: A Study Of A Successful Academic & Public Library Collaboration, Sierra Laddusaw, Jennifer Wilhelm

Collaborative Librarianship

This article studies the development of a collaboration between the Bryan + College Station Public Library System (BCSPLS) and Texas A&M University Libraries. Desiring to increase program attendance and add greater value to the local community, the BCSPLS approached the University Libraries to propose collaboration on a variety of events. The successes of the collaborative programs have met the goals of the public library while also increasing Texas A&M’s collection visibility and strengthening A&M’s ties to the public. The study argues that academic/public library collaborations benefit the participating institutions and add value to the local community.

Learn By Doing: Cal Poly Pomona's Efforts To Modernize Archival Practices And Increase Student Life Records In Special Collections And Archives Through Collaborative Partnerships, Katie Richardson, Alexis Adkins, Elizabeth Gomez

Collaborative Librarianship

"Learn by Doing" focuses on the steps Cal Poly Pomona Special Collections and Archives staff have taken to modernize and align unit practices with other special collections and archival repositories in the field and their effort to increase the documentation of student life in their university archives. The article outlines steps taken, lessons learned, partnerships established along the way, and suggestions for those wishing to engage in a similar endeavor.

What We Can Learn From Wikipedia: Why We Should Jump On Board, Lori Bowen Ayre

Collaborative Librarianship

Wikipedia is a proven model for openly and effectively creating and distributing high quality information in a way that users can easily access it. Its success provides lessons for the library profession to learn and challenges some of our assumptions about how we might address the mission of providing free and open access to everyone. Wikipedia is a platform for librarians to put their professional skills to work adding content and improving the quality of the entries while addressing the gender imbalance of the male-dominated group of contributors that are currently doing this work.

What Collaboration Means To Me: Perspectives On Library/Vendor Collaboration, Erin Gallagher

Collaborative Librarianship

There is much librarians and content providers can do to challenge the narrative that we are constantly at odds, both within the legacy relationship of buyer and seller and within new opportunities for collaboration. This column offers insights and practical suggestions for enriched relationships and future collaboration from the unique perspective of working for and with both vendors and libraries.

Field Report On The Friendly Counter Guides, Lorraine Estelle Ms

Collaborative Librarianship

Since 2003, libraries and publishers have been working with and using COUNTER usage statistics as a core metrics. However, both the producers and users of COUNTER usage reports described difficulty in understanding and interpreting the Code of Practice which sets out the standard for recording and reporting usage of electronic resources. This issue led COUNTER to collaborate with many partners around the world to produce Friendly Guides. These are non-intimidating manuals which explain terminology, the purpose of the usage reports and provide tips how on how to use COUNTER data. This paper explains how collaboration has been essential in …

Expanding Our Impact Through Collaborative Practice: Models Of Engagement For Librarians, Jill Emery, Michael Levine-Clark

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Academic Librarian Positions Dedicated To Serving First Year College Students, Katelyn Angell

Collaborative Librarianship

Within library literature there are many articles that describe academic librarians’ experiences working with first year college students. For example, teaching information literacy skills, assessing student learning, and serving as a personal librarian. However, there is not much formal research that compiles and investigates the professional responsibilities, campus partnerships, challenges, and successes of librarians in a first year experience (FYE) role. The existence of numerous FYE librarian positions combined with a lack of scholarship exploring this important role necessitated an empirical study surveying these librarians to learn more about their jobs.

Rethinking The Troubleshooting Model, Jennifer Everson Brown

University Libraries: Staff Scholarship

In the various jobs I have held, most of them library-related, customer service has been a part of them all. I decided to apply a customer service-based approach to electronic resources as the Electronic Resources Manager at the University of Denver Libraries (DU). In order to implement a customer service-based approach with a larger staff, a standardized training procedure was necessary.

University Libraries Annual Report 2018, University Of Denver, University Libraries

University Libraries Annual Reports

2018 Annual Report from the University of Denver, University Libraries. The annual report highlights programs, projects, and activities that occurred during the year, as well as details of normal operations and brief statistics.

Examining The Role Of Liaison Librarians As Research Collaboration Partners: A Mixed-Methods Multiple-Case Study, Kawanna Michelle Bright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This sequential, mixed-methods study explored the professional relationship-building experiences of academic liaison librarians and university professors with a focus on research collaborations. A survey was administered and Chi-square and Spearman's rho analyses conducted on 2,650 responses to identify associations between organizational and individual factors and liaisons' work, perceptions of relationship-building experiences, and confidence in supporting faculty research. Following the survey, seven liaison-faculty pairs were identified and interviewed, and case study analysis utilized to explore specific liaison-faculty research collaboration relationships.

The study explored factors associated with liaisons' work, perceptions of faculty relationship-building, and confidence in supporting faculty research. The most salient …

Essentialism, Social Construction, Or Individual Differences, Jenelys Cox, Jeff Rynhart, Shea-Tinn Yeh

University Libraries: Staff Scholarship

Per the United States Department of Labor Women’s Bureau’s latest available statistics, the percentage of women employed in computer and information technology occupations was consistently lower than the average for all occupations. When broken down by selected characteristics, these numbers range from 12.4% in computer network architectures to 35.2% in web development. Is this trend reflected in the libraries? Although no comprehensive statistics are available for women in library IT, Lamont’s study does reflect the same trend in that the number of women as library IT department heads has been about one half that of men between 2004-2008. Why is …