The King and I screenshot from tvtropes.org
In the Library with the Lead Pipe has two fantastic posts on librarian-faculty collaboration, a topic of particular interest in our field. Part I talks about why it's important for librarians to shake off the academia inferiority complex and how to go about making connections at the faculty level, and Part II provides more specific examples of projects and approaches at various levels of collaboration.
This means going beyond the one-shot research session or supporting a particular assignment and moving into actively partnering with your faculty members to shape the curriculum - which involves aligning goals and making adjustments on both sides. I'm glad that someone has acknowledged this point: when librarians and faculty work together, we each have to adjust our working styles and goals. Even though we are (hopefully) equals, we do work in different contexts on campus and in our professions.
What I found most refreshing about this two-part feature was its emphasis on the human element. Building relationships is at the heart of librarian-faculty collaboration, and that means connecting on a personal as well as a professional level.
I also loved the emphasis on specific strategies - a battle plan, if you will - that goes beyond attending departmental meetings and sending out email bulletins (which are likely deleted as soon as received). After all, the first question you need to answer when approaching someone on campus is, 'Why would I want to work with you?' In other words, 'Why should I care?'
Building these relationships is intensive in every way - it requires time, personal effort, and an ongoing commitment. But as the posts illustrate, the rewards are worth the effort; rich scholarly projects at the faculty level and a dynamic curriculum that cohesively addresses students' needs in their programs are the fruits of successful librarian-faculty collaborations.
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