Behold the Power of the Donut: A Successful Case Study of a DE Library, Departmental, and Faculty & Student Collaborations.

Creating and maintaining a successful library distance education program, even given ideal variables, can be a huge challenge. This article will discuss how the library distance program was planned, implemented, and evaluated in a three-year span. A staff of three–five librarians utilized organizational partnerships, grassroots marketing and easy-to-use software to plan and implement the program. Key features of the plan will be discussed, including a books-by-mail system, interlibrary loan, online workshop creation, online streaming events, general distance learner engagement, and faculty inclusion. This case study is unique due to the accelerated development of the program, with success in less than three years, and the size of the online population served, approximately 15,000. Examples of unique collaborations with other university functions will also be shared, including career development, graduation, orientation, and touring. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]