Promoting Collaboration with Faculty

LOEXMay 11, 2002

Margaret Fain, Bob Stevens, Peggy BatesCoastal Carolina University

T R U S T

Create Conversations with Faculty• Meet faculty one-on-one.• Present library services at department meetings.• Offer workshops.• Participate in discussion groups, brown bag lunches.• Get involved in centers for teaching.• Create research components for workshops.• Write articles for journals outside our field.• Attend cultural, social, athletic events with faculty.• Offer an on-campus “information literacy summer

institute”.

Source: Young and Harmony (1999)

Recognize 3 types of research assignments

Match needs with service

Reactive Assignments

• Faculty developed.• No input from librarians.• No context for assignment.• Often no library instruction.

Cooperative Assignments

• Faculty developed.• Librarians have input.• Librarians make suggestions, help with

revisions.• Awareness of goals of class/assignment.• Library instruction session usually occurs.

Collaborative Assignments

• Faculty/Librarian work together.• Goals are complementary.• Assignment directly related to content and

outcomes of class.• Library research integral part of class.• Communication high between faculty,

students, and librarians.

Tact

Respect

Understanding

Support

Tenacity

TACT

• Art of diplomacy.• Method of approach.• Turns “bad” assignments into education

opportunities.• Betters relationships.

RESPECT

• Mutually affirming.• Collegial.• Reinforces “authority”.• Enables true listening to occur.• Three way: faculty, students, and librarians.

UNDERSTANDING

• Inform faculty of L.I. objectives.• Establish common ground with faculty.• Learn faculty expectations.

SUPPORT

• Needed on all levels.• Reach out to faculty.• Be prepared.• Present solutions.• Provide the big picture.• Continually educate.

TENACITY

• Persistence.• Take advantage of all opportunities.• Try every approach imaginable.• Follow-up.• Try, try, again and again,

and again . . . .

Collaboration starts small.

Learn from failure and success.

Success reinforces success.

Don’t be afraid to experiment.

COLLABORATION

TRUST