Learning outcomes:
1. Demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies.
2. Use service concepts, principles and techniques to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant and appropriate information.
Overview:
Community Partnerships helped me to imagine a number of collaborations with local organizations – all with the potential of being very beneficial to the college and our students. I was most impressed with the environment of support emanating from the discussion forums and I took some of the suggestions from peers to enhance my final project. Professor Pershing encouraged us to “think outside the box” when considering partnerships as we studied unique projects and to focus on why they were successful to their particular community.
Favorite assignment:
My three favorite case studies from Librarians as Community Partners
The textbook, Librarians as Community Partners edited by Carol Smallwood, had several scenarios that I could easily transfer to my own institution. The most promising was a program at Kent State University where the librarians partnered with the on-campus Students Achieving and Reaching Success (STARS) program to introduce library services to a cohort of African-American students in the summer prior to their freshman year. Four workshops were created over four weeks and during the last workshop student presented in teams what they had learned using multimedia tools from the college’s digital media lab.
I can see my college’s First Year Experience students attending similar workshops but we would first have to convince the program to begin introducing students to services during the summer months. At this time, the program begins with the fall semester and once it is started, it is difficult to schedule library workshops based on my experience. However, with our new Technology Lending Program, it may be just the incentive needed to introduce library services prior to the beginning of the semester.
Final Project:
This quick four-week class gave me enough ideas to initiate two short-term projects that I think the library could get off the ground within a semester. In each of these partnerships, the library is collaborating with both a local organization and a college department. I’ve initiated the conversations for each of these projects and will update the status on the blog page.
- Project I: Partnership with Montalvo Art Center and the college’s Fine Arts Faculty
- Project II: Partnership with Bill Wilson Center, the college’s Health Services Department and Mission College’s Hospitality Management Program