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Practice Makes Perfect? A Retrospective Look At A Community Of Practice, Ramirose Ilene Attebury, Robert Perret, Jeremy Kenyon, Deborah Green

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Communities of practice have been touted in the organizational literature as an effective form of professional development in the workplace. When the University of Idaho Library faculty created one in the fall of 2008, they hoped the group would enhance new librarians’ understanding of publication requirements and research methods. Although the community seemed healthy during its first year, problems arose in subsequent years that led to its decline. Seeking to understand the nature of this decline, the authors conducted a survey and initiated a focus group discussion of former members. Analysis of data led the authors to identify three themes …