Search

Cultures of sharing and collaboration are essential to supporting instruction practices, yet there is limited literature on how these cultures are successfully cultivated in libraries. In this paper, I explore cultures of sharing and collaboration among instruction librarians in Canadian academic libraries. I report on a series of semi-structured interviews (n=14) I conducted with librarians who support or provide information literacy at their institutions. The interview data was reviewed using a thematic analysis approach (Braun and Clark 2022) and coded in NVivo. I explore the barriers and supports to sharing and collaboration as documented in the interviews. Barriers include a) instructional silos caused by the liaison model; (b) a lack of trust in sharing one’s teaching with colleagues; (c) the lack of prioritizing instruction in institutions; and (d) limited time to engage in collaborative work. The supports for sharing and collaboration include (a) intentionally building personal relationships, (b) developing a structure for sharing, and (c) having dedicated time for collaborative work. Based on these findings, practical ways sharing and collaboration can be cultivated in libraries will be explored.

In March and April of 2021, my co-investigators and I conducted semi-structured interviews with academic librarians across Canada about their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included their thoughts about going “back to normal.” Most participants were resistant to returning to the “old normal” without myriad changes inspired by the COVID-necessitated adaptations. However, there were concerns raised about whether or not their ideas would be implemented or even heard by their administrations. Additionally, many participants felt caught between proving their value through productive (and measurable) labour and the care-work that felt necessary and pressing but was not externally validated. This paper highlights the need for refocusing on building library collegial governance structures that include all library workers. As well, there is indication that the COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to do so, as, removed from the “sacred space” (Ettarh 2018) of the library building, participants showed resistance to the austerity narratives typically invoked during a crisis. Embodying our values starts with establishing and building on shared library governance structures. If the changes inspired by COVID are to come to pass, then our vision of care and relationship-building must be inclusive to our own workers, to harness our collective power to build a future that works for everyone.

Is there room for war metaphor in academic libraries? Is there a good, or justifiable, reason for its use? In this paper, we argue the answer to these questions is no. The paper will discuss the nature of metaphor in general, the effects of its use, and why those effects matter. Grounded in this discussion, it will consider and analyze the use of war metaphor, specifically in the academic library world. Finally, it will offer suggestions for how, through individual and collective effort, the metaphor of war might be purged from the academic library lexicon.

Despite the nearly 40-year history of library councils in Canadian academic libraries, scholarly literature regarding library governance and decision-making processes within the context of Canadian university libraries is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a general disenfranchisement of librarians from significant decisions affecting library operations, resources, services, and the appointment and evaluation of senior administrative positions. Furthermore, it is evident that library councils in Canadian academic libraries, where they do exist, function primarily as information-sharing forums rather than as the collegial decision-making bodies they were originally intended to be. Through a close examination of the CAUT Bulletin, this paper traces the development of library councils in Canadian academic libraries. Within the framework of institutional theory and drawing from librarianship, management, and educational administration literature, the paper proceeds to critically discuss systematic barriers to collegial governance in academic libraries. Historical and anecdotal evidence suggests that administrative resistance is a continued and key obstacle to the democratization of decision-making processes in Canadian academic libraries.