Libraries beyond Their Institutions: Partnerships that Work

Citation

Barker, P. (2006), "Libraries beyond Their Institutions: Partnerships that Work", The Electronic Library, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 422-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470610671286

Libraries have always provided a very powerful mechanism both for preserving and for sharing information resources. They are therefore a valuable resource, both within organisations and within the multifarious societies that now make up modern civilisations. One important aspect of “modern‐day” libraries is their ability to “network” with each other and with other organisations, thereby providing richness and depth with respect to the resources that can be accessed. Indeed, in his introduction to this book, William Miller suggests that “in order to best serve those who need them, libraries must cooperate widely with entities other than themselves”. This statement therefore defines the basic thrust of the 14 contributions that make up this book. Each chapter describes one or more issues involved in expanding the remit of libraries beyond their own walls through appropriate cooperation and the development of collaborative activities. In many ways, this publication could be considered to be a “sequel” to a previous book by these editors, entitled Libraries within Their Institutions: Creative Collaborations (also published by Haworth Press). Undoubtedly, these two books complement each other in various ways, and one can be regarded as a companion for the other. The contents of this latest book have also been simultaneously published as Issues 1 and 2 of Volume 18 of the serial publication Resource Sharing and Information Networks.

The book presents a collection of essays by a team of authors who are mainly based in North American institutions. Although this may reflect some cultural bias in terms of authorship, with some minor reservations, much of what is said within the book (in terms of conceptual issues and underlying theories) could be applied to many other geographical settings. The various contributions to the book examine some of the many ways in which librarians work with community organisations, government agencies, professional organisations and city administrations in order to further their efforts to serve not just students in academic settings, but also to reach out, much more broadly, throughout all levels of society. The important topics presented in the book fall into a number of broad theme areas. One fundamental theme is that of “building bridges” – to support various technology‐based partnerships, for the creation of civic engagements (to strengthen participation in democratic processes) and the creation of library‐to‐library links. Another popular theme area is that of education. Naturally, supporting educational activities and providing training opportunities are a basic requirement for many libraries. Several contributions to the book therefore address these topics at a variety of different levels. Some examples of the educational topics that are covered include K‐12 information literacy, providing online learning opportunities, and the training of librarians to lead collaborative projects. Other contributions to the book deal with such topics as the creation of consortia (so as to purchase resources at more favourable prices), international collaborations and resource sharing, data literacy, the use of digital information and applications of the web (for example, to facilitate the delivery of research results to potential users and for the provision of online learning opportunities). Taken together, the contributions to this book illustrate the wide range of cooperative activities in which modern‐day libraries are now becoming involved, at local, national and international levels.