Collaboration in Libraries and Learning Environments

Book excerpt: The changing environment in higher education requires different approaches to be taken to the provision of professional support services. This may result in the development of outsourced shared services, the convergence of many different student-facing services or the development of more active collaborative networks. This collection of essays considers the changing context and broad principles affecting the ways in which we need to manage and provide services and offers case studies of changes that have already taken place. This book recognizes and uncovers the innovations that leaders and practitioners are implementing to transform and develop the provision of sustainable and creative support services. Such innovations are resulting in diverse models of service delivery and the development of more active collaborative networks and commercial partnerships. The essays are drawn from a broad spectrum of professionals working inside and outside library and information services as well as those responsible for leading multiply converged or joint service teams. Key topics include: The changing higher education context and how to build service success in uncertain times Connecting with the student perspective Working with professional associations Culture, values and change: observations from three consortia in Canada Managing complex change collaboratively and creatively Leaders and influencing skills of the future The role of technology in enabling collaboration and the role of shared data in extending the library?s value Space: changing the boundaries and the communal nature of the academic library Collaborative service provision through super-convergence Joint use libraries and transformational change. Readership: Library leaders and practitioners and students of LIS.|The changing environment in higher education requires different approaches to be taken to the provision of professional support services. This may result in the development of outsourced shared services, the convergence of many different student-facing services or the development of more active collaborative networks. This collection of essays considers the changing context and broad principles affecting the ways in which we need to manage and provide services and offers case studies of changes that have already taken place. This book recognizes and uncovers the innovations that leaders and practitioners are implementing to transform and develop the provision of sustainable and creative support services. Such innovations are resulting in diverse models of service delivery and the development of more active collaborative networks and commercial partnerships. The essays are drawn from a broad spectrum of professionals working inside and outside library and information services as well as those responsible for leading multiply converged or joint service teams. Key topics include: • The changing higher education context and how to build service success in uncertain times • Connecting with the student perspective • Working with professional associations • Culture, values and change: observations from three consortia in Canada • Managing complex change collaboratively and creatively • Leaders and influencing skills of the future • The role of technology in enabling collaboration and the role of shared data in extending the library’s value • Space: changing the boundaries and the communal nature of the academic library • Collaborative service provision through super-convergence • Joint use libraries and transformational change. Readership: Library leaders and practitioners and students of LIS.