Collaboration in Libraries and Learning Environments

As course management systems have become a popular support to distance learning on campuses, integration of library presence into the courseware has had a challenging agenda to academic librarians. This challenge applies especially to those with related position titles, such as a Distance Learning Librarian. It has been recognized that academic librarians must seek to integrate their resources into online courses delivered via course management systems, in order to ensure that libraries continue to remain vital to higher education. Collaborations are crucial to ensure successful integration of the library into the course management system. The changing environment in higher education requires different approaches to be taken to the provision of professional support services. This may result in the development of outsourced shared services, the convergence of many different student-facing services or the development of more active collaborative networks. This book, Collaboration in Libraries and Learning Environments, reflects the changing context and broad principles affecting the ways in which we need to manage and provide services and offers case studies of changes that have already taken place. This book distinguishes and exposes the innovations that leaders and practitioners are implementing to transform and develop the provision of sustainable and creative support services. Such innovations are resulting in diverse models of service delivery and the development of more active collaborative networks and commercial partnerships.