Download Collaboration - Common Solutions Group

Collaboration
Common Solutions
Group
May 10, 2002
Joan K. Lippincott
Coalition for Networked Information
Overview
 Collaboration,
cooperation, and
exchange relationships
 Types of IT/library collaboration
 Improving collaboration
CNI: a collaborative organization
 Sponsors
- EDUCAUSE and ARL
 Programs
 Working
Together
 New Learning Communities
 University Presses
 Assessment
What does it mean?
 Collaboration
 Partnerships
 Teamwork
 Cooperation
 Exchange
relationships
Exchange relationships
 One
entity works for another
 One unit sets goals and parameters
 Another unit carries out work and
receives something in exchange
 NOT collaboration
Collaboration
 Mutual
goal-setting
 Each unit contributes resources
 Each entity or individual contributes
unique skills
 Group and individual accountability
 Both benefit from the product
Do you want to collaborate?
 Requires
more time than
cooperation
 Requires input of resources
 Does not require merger
 May result in a richer product
Collaboration
Promoting
Institutional goals
 Need for skills
 Pooling resources
 Institutional
mindset

Hindering
Lack of admin.
Support
 Stereotypes
 Budgetary control
 Silo mentality
 Time

Examples of collaboration
 Infrastructure/middleware
 Services
 Campus
information products
 Policies
 Education
and staff development
 Digital content development
 Facilities
Infrastructure/Middleware
 Authentication
 DRM
 Metadata
 Course
management systems
 Security
 Preservation
 Assessment
Services
 Information
commons
 One stop shopping
 Information/Help Desk
 Reference/Consulting
Campus information products
 Seamless
environments for student
services
 Campus portals
 “My University”
Policies
 Intellectual
property
 Privacy
 Acceptable
behavior
Education and staff
development
 Faculty
workshops
 Student teaching/learning
 Staff workshops
Digital content products
 Digital
library projects
 E-journals
 Large databases
 Institutional repositories
Facilities
 Information
commons
 Teaching,learning, technology
centers
 Media centers
 Development opportunities
Collaborative facilities
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~collab/
Improving collaborations
 Communication
 Group
composition
 Group process
Communication
 Spend
time developing a common
vision and shared meaning
 Understand what each member of
the group does
Communication
 Develop
a shared vocabulary
 Focus on goals for the institution or
user community
Group composition
 Rationale
for participation
 Balance groups, committees, and
teams
Library/IT
 Gender
 Skill sets

Group process
 Discuss
and develop a common
approach to the work process
Do librarians value discussion and
believe it’s important just to talk?
 Do computing professionals want to
make quick decisions and get to
work?

Group process
 Large
carrier ship vs. speedboat
 “Meeting culture” vs. “Meetings are
anathema”
 “Think it over carefully” vs. “Just
figure it out”
Successful collaborations
 Shape
a common purpose
 Agree on performance goals
 Define a common working
approach
 Develop complementary skills
 Hold the group accountable
Katzenbach and Smith, 1993
Contact information
Joan Lippincott
[email protected]
www.cni.org