Resource Sharing Begins at Home: Opportunities for Library Partnerships on a University Campus

Typical discussions of academic library resource sharing focus on activities between and among institutions: interlibrary loan, reciprocal borrowing, document delivery, group acquisitions, etc. But there is another equally important type of cooperation, i.e. working with other campus units to provide better service, more convenience, and enhanced resources for library users. Sometimes referred to as campus collaboration or convergence, this activity also advances institutional priorities, in particular that of student success. Library partners include information technology services, student development, writing centers, academic departments, and centers for teaching excellence, among others. This paper explores these relationships, their advantages and disadvantages, goals, the importance of assessment, project planning, etc. Types of collaboration are presented to illustrate the possibilities. The author concludes by encouraging cooperative activity of this nature, emphasizing the need to collaborate, not compete, with other campus units.