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Digital fluency is part of the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand but there is evidence that early childhood kaiako (teachers) lack confidence in this area of their work. Although many public library services maintain ongoing partnerships with early childhood education (ECE) providers, the extent to which these collaborations support digital fluency remains unclear. This research investigates the extent and nature of public library partnerships with ECE providers with a specific focus on collaboration on digital fluency. It explores the benefits and challenges associated with these partnerships in supporting the digital fluency curriculum in Aotearoa. A questionnaire consisting of multiple choice and open-form questions was sent to all public library services in Aotearoa gathering data on the types of programmes public libraries currently offer to ECE services, any focus on digital fluency, the benefits and challenges of the current partnerships, and plans and strategies for future collaboration. The findings reveal that most participating libraries have established partnerships, offering learning opportunities through storytimes, makerspaces, and various other activities. The use of digital devices, apps, and websites to support learning is evident, suggesting significant potential for public libraries to collaborate more extensively with ECE providers in fostering young children's digital fluency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries support a range of health and wellbeing activities, however little research has been done into the provision of library adult walking groups. This paper reports on a unique study exploring how widely adult walking groups are provided through Scottish public libraries, as well as library staff perceptions of the benefits, challenges and opportunities of these services. A rich qualitative research approach was used, involving Freedom of Information requests to the 32 Scottish local authority regions, an online questionnaire with 106 complete responses, and 8 follow-up interviews with Scottish public library staff, with and without walking group experience. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes from collected data. Results show that adult walking groups are not widely provided through Scottish public libraries. However, respondents identified benefits for user groups, including but not limited to: improvements to participants' health and social wellbeing; and increased engagement with library services. A range of opportunities for public libraries were highlighted, including staff interest, partnership working and a current focus on health and wellbeing. Challenges encompass resource restrictions, variations in partnership working and lack of effective networking. This original study provides valuable insights into the provision of public library walking groups in Scotland. It suggests that many factors can potentially influence the success of this library health and wellbeing service, with a range of different possible approaches. Results indicate that successful provision of a public library walking group may require close partnership working; adequate networking and information-sharing between public library staff; as well as sufficient resources; and staff interest. This exploratory study provides transferable insights and a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library programs and services serve communities, and they aim to increase information literacy, knowledge, increase access and decrease barriers. These benefits can be enhanced through partnerships between libraries and outside organizations. To explore what types of partnerships exist among libraries and discover more about resulting community benefits, a literature search was conducted looking for examples of shared experiences of different libraries. The literature search was completed utilizing a health focused database, an educational focused database and a library focused database: PubMed, Educational Institution of Educational Sciences (ERIC) and Library & Information Science Abstracts (LISA). A combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary were utilized that best described the topic of library partnerships and collaboration which support health initiatives. The articles retrieved highlighted three thematic concepts of community benefits from library collaborations such as increased engagement and satisfaction with programs, increased learning for library staff and increased access to resources for community members. Partnerships between individual libraries as well as partnerships between libraries and outside organizations have the potential to provide positive, equitable and tangible benefits for both libraries and the communities they serve. More research and investigation in the area of library partnerships and community benefits is recommended to help continue the progress and success that has already been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison library staff play a central role in supporting prisoners with their educational, informational, recreational and cultural needs during incarceration. Their role is unique within the wider library profession, as they require both expertise in library and information management as well as the skills and knowledge required to operate in a prison environment. There has been little research exploring the experiences and perspectives of library staff who manage and deliver prison library services in the United Kingdom (UK). This paper addresses this gap in knowledge and seeks to amplify the voices of those working in an often overlooked profession. Findings are drawn from the first phase of a broader doctoral study which explored prisoner engagement with library services. A mixed-methods approach was taken, combining both a questionnaire and follow-up interviews with prison library staff across the UK. The questionnaire received 31 responses from library staff and 10 respondents participated in a follow-up interview. Findings offer a contemporary overview of the management and delivery of prison library services in the UK and underline common themes and concerns among prison library professionals, namely the implications of dual management, the impact of the unique social context in which they work and the importance of communication and liaison in providing effective library services. The paper concludes with recommendations for combatting the professional isolation felt by those working in this sector and for the promotion of prison library services both within and outside the prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article details the development and pilot deployment of Rise Up: A Program for At-Risk Youth, which was created by the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) in partnership with the County District Attorney, County Social Services, City of Gilroy and the South County Youth Task Force. The project focused specifically on youth at risk for drug or violent activity, as well as their caregivers and the adults in Gilroy serving these youths and their families. The process of rolling out Rise Up demonstrated the benefits of adjusting assumptions and how flexibility opens the way to future opportunities. Rise Up also taught the library valuable lessons about the need for improved equity—fulfilling basic needs like childcare and food security can go a long way in ensuring that at-risk youth and families can take advantage of learning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this project profile we discuss a drop-in writing project initiated by the University of Pennsylvania's Critical Writing Program in partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia. We explain our drop-in writing project and rationale for a model embedded in the neighborhoods in which we live. Aware of our own constraints and opportunities living in a diverse urban area, we examine how an approach of practicing in place has allowed us to gain some success, but the nature of this flexible approach has also created a series of challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of radical socio-economic-technological developments, the Library and Information Science sector in Greece is undergoing a series of changes in a dialectic relation with technological changes. Libraries in Greece have a long history, from the Academy of Plato and the Lyceum of Aristotle in the 5th century BC to the transition of the National Library of Greece at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. This paper aims to provide an overview and record the milestones signifying the beginning of the changes happening in every aspect of the Greek LIS landscape. In addition, it aims to highlight the changes in the Greek library scene, extending from synergies and networks to new library buildings, as well as the role of LIS education and lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library workers are exploring ways to provide support to their communities. In this practice-based pilot project, an academic library partnered with academic advisors on a college campus to increase the support services and supportive mechanisms for students. Academic advisors and librarians increased their skills and areas of content expertise, and passed this learning on to the students. By offering a course for reinstated students and academically at-promise students, with a focus on persistence and success through failure and trial and error, a partnership between the academic library makerspace and the Advising and Academic Success Center was created. Though more research is needed to determine which strategies are key elements for success, all library workers can benefit their communities through partnerships with support professionals, including counselors, social workers, nonprofit agencies, and academic advisors, in order to increase their role in providing support for their community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities routinely employ research impact assessment mechanisms and tools for grant proposals, resource allocation decisions, and funding budget requests. These impact metrics are often displayed in interactive visualizations and dashboard displays. There is a growing trend for libraries to be cooperatively involved in the gathering and provision of research intelligence and impact data. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library has developed a system for generating research impact visualizations for research groups within the newly established Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Using the Elsevier Scopus database Applications Programming Interface, we have created a series of scripts to extract article, conference paper, and book chapter metadata and build supporting database tables. From the database, a dashboard visualization of scaled and clickable display bubbles and publication number labels is generated for each individual researcher. The interactive visualization can retrieve articles and papers published over the last five years, citation information (as cited by number) for each researcher, National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grant matches, and a visualization of the coauthored papers for each author within the cohort. These activities enhance the role of the library in supporting knowledge management and scholarly communication and in fostering campus partnerships and collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay is adapted from a lightning-talk presentation given at the annual conference of The Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU), held at the University of British Columbia, May 30-June 1, 2016. The conference theme was Intersections. The presentation and essay highlight the emerging library partnerships between Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture Library and various groups in downtown Sudbury, Ontario that are leading to expanded services and positive community engagement. Cet essai est une adaptation d’une présentation « éclair » offerte lors du congrès de l’Atelier annuel sur la formation documentaire, plus communément connu sous son acronyme anglophone WILU (Workshop for Instruction in Library Use), qui a eu lieu à l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique du 30 mai au 1er juin 2016. Le thème du congrès était « Intersections ». La présentation et cet essai portent sur des partenariats en émergence entre la bibliothèque de l’École d’architecture McEwen de l’Université Laurentienne et divers groupes situés au centre-ville de Sudbury, Ontario qui mènent vers une prestation élargie des services et un engagement communautaire positif.

Saskatchewan’s Multitype Library Board (MLB) celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016. It was established under the passage of the provincial government’s The Libraries Co- operation Act in 1996 to facilitate the co-operative development of the multitype library system in Saskatchewan. This legislation is unique in Canada. The MLB is a Minister of Education Advisory Board and it provides a forum to promote and facilitate co-operation among over 320 public libraries in 10 provincial systems, 25 post-secondary libraries, 755 school libraries, several special libraries, and other information providers. Major milestones of the MLB include helping to eliminate the Provincial Sales Tax on library subscriptions, establishing a provincial digitization plan, and creating a cross-sector database licensing program that has resulted in a projected value of 14.8 million dollars to Saskatchewan users in 2014. The development of the MLB and the impact of the programs it has initiated will be discussed, and recommendations for developing a collaborative initiative will be provided. Le Multitype Library Board (MLB) de Saskatchewan fête son 20e anniversaire en 2016. Il était établi sous l’Acte The Libraries Co-operation du parti Libéral en 1996 pour faciliter le développement coopératif du système de bibliothèque Multitype en Saskatchewan. Cette législation est unique au Canada. Le MLB est un comité consultatif du ministère de l’Éducation et il fournit un forum pour promouvoir et faciliter la coopération entre plus de 320 bibliothèques publiques dans dix systèmes provinciaux, 25 bibliothèques postsecondaires, 755 bibliothèques scolaires, plusieurs bibliothèques spéciales, et d’autres fournisseurs d’informations. Les étapes importantes du MLB comprennent, à aider à éliminer les taxes de vente provinciale sur les abonnements aux bibliothèques, à établir un plan provincial de numérisation, et à créer un programme de licence transsectorielle de base de donnée qui a donné lieu à une valeur projetée de 14,8 millions de dollars aux utilisateurs en Saskatchewan. Le développement du MLB et l’impact des programmes qu’il a initiés seront discutés, et les recommandations pour le développement d’une initiative collaborative seront fournies.

This essay is adapted from a lightning-talk presentation given at the most recent annual conference of The Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU), held at the University of British Columbia, May 30-June 1, 2016. The conference theme was Intersections. The presentation and essay highlight the emerging library partnerships between Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture Library and various groups in downtown Sudbury, Ontario that are leading to expanded services and positive community engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter discusses Launching through the Surf: The Dory Fleet of Pacific City, a project which documents the historical and contemporary role of dory fishers in the life of the coastal village of Pacific City, Oregon, U.S. Linfield College's Department of Theatre and Communication Arts, its Jereld R. Nicholson Library, the Pacific City Arts Association, the Pacific City Dorymen's Association, and the Linfield Center for the Northwest joined forces to engage in a collaborative college and community venture to preserve this important facet of Oregon's history. Using ethnography as a theoretical grounding and oral history as a method, the project utilized artifacts from the dory fleet to augment interview data, and faculty/student teams created a searchable digital archive available via open access. The chapter draws on the authors' experiences to identify a philosophy of strategic collaboration. Topics include project development and management, assessment, and the role of serendipity. In an era of value-added services where libraries need to continue to prove their worth, partnering with internal and external entities to create content is one way for academic libraries to remain relevant to agencies that do not have direct connections to higher education. This project not only developed a positive "town and gown" relationship with a regional community, it also benefited partner organizations as they sought to fulfill their missions. The project also serves as a potential model for intra- and inter-agency collaboration for all types of libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ever-changing patron base, with increasing knowledge of basic technologies and comfort with ubiquitous computing, affects the library's ability to provide reliable support for research questions. Models for reference and research help have evolved over time; they seem to be trending toward increasingly distributed services and collaborative models offered at the point of need. Reference services continue to change with the advent of various technologies that are readily integrated into the academic library environment. This article addresses these issues and examines the concept of “reference as place,” the importance of a location for reference services, and its applicability to the contemporary academic library. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper reports on a collaborative education model involving library education, faculty and public library practitioners preparing under-represented and culturally diverse individuals for employment as support staff in public libraries. The Urban Library Program (ULP) is an intensive ten month education certificate at the para-professional level, training students from communities under-represented in the library workforce to provide service in Minnesota's public libraries. ULP, which evolved from a partnership between the College of Saint Catherine and the Saint Paul Public Library, was awarded a grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2003. Minneapolis Public Library joined the original partners in a second successful proposal to IMLS in 2006 allowing the program to expand beyond its original vision. As of June 2006, ULP has 31 graduates representing 12 nationalities with 61% employed in libraries and 35% pursuing other educational opportunities. Assessment of the Urban Library Program demonstrates that collaboration between public library administrators and staff, with faculty in library education programs can be successful in combining classroom instruction with praxis learning. The program assessment also identifies issues needing further study. The success of this program, the challenges it still faces, and the future of educating a diverse workforce will engage the partners for the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western Michigan University Libraries partnered with the university administration's recruitment efforts on campus. Library staff created and hosted an evening of instructional games to provide experiential learning, social interaction, and fun in the library for scholarship-seeking millennials. Students discovered information in archival materials, compared search results in a library database and Google, examined plagiarism issues, formatted citations, and used the catalog to locate specific items throughout the library. In their evaluations, students reported they learned about finding library materials and plagiarism issues. They rated teamwork, the archival challenge, and catalog activities most enjoyable. The event built positive relationships within the library, across campus, and with future students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As librarians involved with various technology initiatives, we have harnessed flew technologies to create information systems and services to increase access to digital information for marginalized communities. The focus of this article is to share information about our work with two technology projects, the Chicano/Latino Network and the Community Digital Initiative, and the partnerships that were formed with organizations beyond the library in the process. In this discussion, reflections on the lessons learned from these experiences will be provided as well as the strategies used for forming successful partnerships with community institutions such as non-profit organizations, professional associations, local governments, and schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular for engaging public interest in medical science while promoting health awareness, Mini-Med School (MMS) programs also afford important if largely unrealized opportunities to improve the health information literacy of attendees. With a growing population using the Internet to make health decisions, needed venues for improving Internet Consumer Health Information (CHI) literacy may be found in MMS platform. Surveyed directors of MMS programs understand the need to include CHI, and successful programs at SUNY Stony Brook and elsewhere demonstrate the potential for collaboration with affiliated health sciences libraries to integrate CHI instruction into MMS curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Community outreach and collaboration are always goals for librarians and librarianship. This paper discusses the partnership initiated between the Lovelace Health Systems Medical Library (LHS) and the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Inc. (AAIHB) whose objective was to develop a relevant literature database specifically addressing the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in American Indian communities. A primary challenge of this project was to provide information across the continuum of available technology resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]