Library and Information Science Commons^™

Review Of Working Together: Collaborative Information Practices For Organizational Learning, Minna Sellers

Collaborative Librarianship

A review of:

Mary M. Somerville, "Working Together: Collaborative Information Practices for Organizational Learning." American Library Association, 2009.

Editorial Introduction, Ivan Gaetz

Collaborative Librarianship

Having completed this past fall our first year of publication, Collaborative Librarianship looks forward to another good year of promoting, critiquing, and expanding library collaboration across all kinds of boundaries spanning all types of libraries.

Guest Editorial: Partnerships And Collaborations In Tough Times, Joan Frye Williams, George Needham

Collaborative Librarianship

We don’t need to tell anyone that these are tough times for libraries and library workers. And sometimes it feels natural to just try to hunker down and wait it out, like we might cocoon through a blizzard.

Evolving In Collaboration: Electronic Thesis And Dissertation Workflows In North Carolina, Mary G. Early, Anne Marie Taber

Collaborative Librarianship

Thirty-seven colleges and universities in North Carolina offer advanced degrees, and most require a thesis or dissertation. The websites of thirteen (35%) indicate they accept or require electronic submission of dissertations and/or theses (ETD). How do these institutions handle the interdepartmental communication and collaboration needs of ETD programs? To begin answering this question, this study examines current practices among ETD administrators in North Carolina and in current national literature, paying special attention to communication, collaboration, workflows, and divisions of labor. The literature review surveys current (since 2003) library and higher education articles on topics related to collaboration, workflows, and divisions …

Library Collaboration And The Changing Environment: An Interview With Rick Lugg, R2 Consulting, Rick Lugg, J. Cory Tucker, Chris Sugnet

Collaborative Librarianship

An interview with Rick Lugg of R2 Consulting.

Connecting Researchers With Funding Opportunities: A Joint Effort Of The Libraries And The University Research Office, Leslie M. Delserone, Julie A. Kelly, Jody L. Kempf

Collaborative Librarianship

In early 2007, staff from the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Office of the Vice President for Research began a collaboration to present a workshop covering grant resources. The session introduced faculty, staff, and graduate students to four key databases of external granting opportunities as well as intramural funding sources. We explain the context, development, and implementation of this ongoing, popular workshop; mention extensions of the workshop effort; and hope to inspire fellow librarians to identify and explore routes to broad institutional engagement.

Rethinking Libraries In Terms Of Learning And Working Collaboratively: An Interview With Mary Somerville, Mary M. Somerville, Ivan Gaetz, Janet Lee

Collaborative Librarianship

An Interview with Mary Somerville.

The Medium Is Still The Message, Mitchell Davis

Collaborative Librarianship

About nine months ago, I got a serious reality check. I was at a local art-fundraiser and ended up chatting with a young guy. He was a software engineer, so our conversation accelerated pretty quickly. For the past few years when I mention to strangers at such functions that I work with books, I am often asked about e-book readers.

Review Of Academic Library Outreach: Beyond The Campus Walls, Barbara M. Pope

Collaborative Librarianship

A review of:

Nancy Courtney, ed. Academic Library Outreach: Beyond the Campus Walls. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2009.

Editorial Introduction, Ivan Gaetz

Collaborative Librarianship

Although Collaborative Librarianship is based in the United States, the journal wishes to address issues related to collaboration in other countries around the world.

Libraries And Sustainability In Developing Countries: Leadership Models Based On Three Successful Organizations, Athena Michael

Collaborative Librarianship

The purpose of this study is to examine leadership styles highly effective in building sustainable libraries in developing countries. The author studies the leadership of three organizations: Room to Read, Central Asia Institute (CAI), and the Hester J. Hodgdon (HJH) Libraries for All Program, each focusing to some extent on libraries and literacy in developing countries. Following a review of the history of sustainability in the library community, aspects of Andy Hargreaves’ and Dean Fink’s principles of sustainable leadership are referenced in an analysis of the leadership styles found in these organizations. The author concludes that, although Room to Read, …

Consortia Building Among Libraries In Africa, And The Nigerian Experience, Ngozi Blessing Ossai

Collaborative Librarianship

This study focuses on consortia building among libraries in Africa, with special attention given to Nigeria. It covers the various forms of library consortia: formal and informal as well as cooperative interchanges, including partnerships for resource sharing. Affirming the aim of consortia building as strengthening libraries and library services, the study considers the problems and prospects that are associated with consortia building in Africa and proposes a way forward. It concludes with an affirmation of the need to embrace consortia building among libraries in Africa and an emphasis on the key role ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) plays in consortia …

Assistance Across Borders: American Academic Libraries In Afghanistan And Qatar, Carole Thompson, Zoreh Raein Frouzan, Jim Malone, Bijan Esfahani, Michael Hanson

Collaborative Librarianship

A recent outreach project brought together the American University of Afghanistan and four world renowned US universities with branch campuses in Qatar’s Education City. Librarians in Qatar often collaborate with each other, but this unusual effort was the first time their collaboration reached across international borders to extend assistance to another country. The experience became a cultural exchange that brought together these dramatically different worlds. By utilizing technologies that make connecting and collaborating so easy these days, four librarians with backgrounds in public and technical services worked together to share their expertise, culminating in a learning visit by an AUAF …

Libraries In Mexico: Context And Collaboration. An Interview With Dr. Jesús Lau, President, Mexican Library Association, Jesús Lau, Janet Lee

Collaborative Librarianship

An Interview with Dr. Jesús Lau, President of the Mexican Library Association.

Collaborative Research, Nicole C. Engard

Collaborative Librarianship

Research is one of those things that can be done well either in a group or solo. For me, I always work better in a group, sharing resources, picking colleagues' brains, coming up with new ways to look at something I’ve reviewed a hundred times before. In some fields collaborative research is a must.

Lyrasis: A Collaborative Success Story, Kathy Anderson

Collaborative Librarianship

As LYRASIS ends its groundbreaking first year, we conducted in-depth personal interviews with the library pioneers and change agents who participated in the creation of the nation’s largest membership organization serving libraries and information professionals, formed from legacy organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region (PALINET), the Southeastern region (SOLINET), and the New England region (NELINET). LYRASIS was a watershed in library collaboration, unprecedented in scale and with far-reaching industry implications.

Review Of Public Libraries, Archives And Museums: Trends In Collaboration And Cooperation, Amy Sarah Alexander

Collaborative Librarianship

A review of:

Yarrow, Alexandra, Barbara Clubb and Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Public Libraries, Archives and Museums: Trends in Collaboration and Cooperation (The Hague: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Professional Reports, No. 108, 2008), http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s8/pub/Profrep108.pdf

Review Of Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning Through Modern Board Games, Christine Baker

Collaborative Librarianship

A review of:

Mayer, B., & Harris, C. (2009). Libraries Got Game: Aligned Learning through Modern Board Games. ALA Editions.

The Only Constant Is Change: A Narrative On Ten Years Of Collaborative Chat Reference Service At San Jose Public Library, Ronna C. Nemer

Collaborative Librarianship

This article documents and highlights the evolution of collaborative, web-based chat reference service at a large metropolitan public library from 2000 to 2010.

Along A Continuum: Moving In Theory And Practice Through The Collaborative To The Transformative In Teaching College And University Students To Use Government Documents In Research, Stephanie Braunstein, Mitchell J. Fontenot

Collaborative Librarianship

Government documents have been a neglected resource in research among college and university students. While collaboration is recognized as an important element in teaching more effectively the nuances of using government documents, some librarians at Louisiana State University have discovered, based on insights into educational theory and process, that collaboration is not enough. A genuine enthusiasm about government documents is needed and this has led to certain transformations among teachers and students alike at LSU where the manner in which government documents is taught has fundamentally changed, as well as how the these materials are used by students.

Student Affairs Connection: Promoting The Library Through Co-Curricular Activities, Kathryn M. Crowe

Collaborative Librarianship

Librarians at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) University Libraries developed the “Student Affairs Connection” program in order to market the Libraries to students in co-curricular settings and to collaborate more closely with the Student Affairs Division. The program also provides the opportunity to seek student input on Libraries’ services and resources and to communicate directly with them in a variety of ways. The program has multiple facets: a liaison program where librarians are assigned to specific student organizations and services such as Student Government and Residence Life, a Student Libraries Advisory Council (SLAC) representing diverse groups of …

K-State Grant Opportunities Encourage Librarian/Faculty Collaborations, Regina M. Beard

Collaborative Librarianship

Academic librarians are expected to reach out to faculty to promote library services to the university community and to represent our departments in library meetings. But beyond these functions, faculty may not consider librarians as potential collaborators, especially on projects unrelated to the library. One prime opportunity for librarian/faculty collaboration at Kansas State University is the Tilford Incentive Grants. The grant’s stated purpose is to “encourage the infusion and assessment of the Tilford multicultural competencies with the educational experiences of our students”. This paper discusses the proposal and outcomes of one such collaboration between a journalism faculty member and the …

Open Access Advocacy: Think Globally, Act Locally, Bette Rathe, Jayati Chaudhuri, Wendy Highby

Collaborative Librarianship

While the open access movement is a global movement, University of Northern Colorado librarians acted locally and collaboratively to make changes to their scholarly communication system. Authors of this article describe how global advocacy affected their local, institutional open access activities that resulted in a library faculty open access resolution at University of Northern Colorado Libraries. This article is based on the “Advocating for Open Access on Your Campus” presentation at the Colorado Academic Library Consortium Summit on May 21, 2010.

Frustrations, Challenges And Opportunities In Public Library Collaboration: An Interview With George Jaramillo, Library Director, Taos Public Library, Taos, New Mexico, George Jaramillo, Ivan Gaetz

Collaborative Librarianship

An Interview with George Jaramillo, Library Director of Taos Public Library, Taos, New Mexico.

The Collaborative Web, Nicole C. Engard

Collaborative Librarianship

When we think of collaboration we think of two or more people working on a project together, but I think that you can be part of a collaborative project without even realizing it. The web today is an ever-growing organism. We’ve heard it referred to as the “Read-Write Web” and even the “Collaborative Web.” But how can a bunch of people all creating content for themselves be “collaborative”’?

Review Of Biblios.Net—Collaborative Cataloging, Wendy Austin

Collaborative Librarianship

Biblios.net is a free, web-based, open source cataloging productivity suite hosted by Lib-Lime with a focus on collaborative cataloging.

Editorial Introduction, Ivan Gaetz

Collaborative Librarianship

With this issue we complete two volumes of publication covering 2009 and 2010. Carrying forward the mission of Collaborative Librarianship, a new set of articles and reviews are offered that contributes to the professional and scholarly literature on library collaboration.

Helping Libraries Thrive: Keeping Our Eyes On The Strategic Objectives, Tom Sanville

Collaborative Librarianship

Library consortia leaders all have a common objective—to help their library members succeed. Consortia were formed based on the premise that collaborative action would provide more success than individual library actions. Consortia will exist only as long they are needed to deliver on this premise.

Return On Investment For Collaborative Collection Development: A Cost-Benefit Evaluation Of Consortia Purchasing, Denise Pan, Yem S. Fong

Collaborative Librarianship

This paper describes the cost-benefits and the return on investment of one consortium comprised of five separately administered libraries in the University of Colorado (CU) System. With a long history of collaboration, the libraries have developed an ideal cooperative arrangement for acquiring electronic content that is accessible across all campuses. The size and flexibility of this institution-based consortium allows it to be responsive and successful in collaborating across four campuses despite different sized budgets and unique local and institutional constraints. To demonstrate the value of jointly leveraging library budgets to university administrators, the authors conducted a consortium level cost-benefit analysis …

Enriching The Academic Experience: The Library And Experiential Learning, Amy York, Christy Groves,, William Black

Collaborative Librarianship

This article will describe how academic libraries can (and should) be involved in experiential learning. The authors detail the impact experiential learning can have on the relevance of academic libraries to their universities. They discuss the benefits to libraries as well as students. In particular, the authors describe experiential learning at the James E. Walker Library and the partnerships formed, projects completed, lessons learned, and the benefits realized.