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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
2020
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| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED619145 |
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| _version_ | 1867181304348409856 |
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| author | LaFleur, LeRoy Jason |
| author_facet | LaFleur, LeRoy Jason LaFleur, LeRoy Jason |
| collection | Education Resources Information Center |
| contents | The Collaborative Commons: Collaboration and Leadership in the Academic Library Learning Commons LaFleur, LeRoy Jason Academic Libraries Educational Cooperation Academic Support Services Leadership Library Services Librarians School Personnel Success The academic library Learning Commons continues to be a prominent model for organizing co- located research and academic support services for students on college and university campuses. While numerous reports have highlighted the value of partnerships in providing these services, little research exists on the nature of collaboration between the departments operating in these spaces. This dissertation focuses on the academic library Learning Commons as an organization and the role of collaboration and leadership among its partnering departments. The modern Learning Commons represents an evolution of the 1990s "information commons", which primarily focused on integrating campus computing resources with library research collections and staff. As currently configured, the Learning Commons expands on this mission, bringing together library research and computing support, along with access to multimedia production technologies, makerspaces, and services for teaching and learning, such as an academic writing center or campus tutoring service. The goal of this design is to create a supportive environment in which students can receive a range of services from professional staff and a space where they can also work collaboratively with both peers and instructors. As a hallmark of the Learning Commons is the integration of support services for student learning, knowledge of whether and how partners work together in providing these is critical to our understanding of its success. Often these service partners officially report to different campus departments rather than to the library administration and, as a result, may have little official connection beyond their mission of providing service to students and their proximity to one another within the Learning Commons. The dissertation employs a case study approach, employing a combination of group and individual interviews with librarians and their partners to examine the motivations, challenges, and opportunities of this working arrangement from the perspective of those involved in leading and providing these services. In doing so, it seeks to answer questions about how and why partners collaborate with one another and whether they perceive and realize advantages through their collaborative efforts. This study also explores the role of institutional and individual leadership in the success of these organizations from a variety of different perspectives, including that of the Learning Commons librarian. The qualitative nature of this research focuses on the human elements that play a critical role in advancing the work of the Learning Commons. In this regard, the results of this study may impact the planning for current and future Learning Commons spaces, with specific reference to organizational design, and may pave the way for future studies on collaboration and leadership between libraries and student support organizations in academic institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] |
| format | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| id | eric_ED619145 |
| institution | ERIC Institute of Education Sciences |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| record_format | eric |
| spellingShingle | The Collaborative Commons: Collaboration and Leadership in the Academic Library Learning Commons LaFleur, LeRoy Jason Academic Libraries Educational Cooperation Academic Support Services Leadership Library Services Librarians School Personnel Success The Collaborative Commons: Collaboration and Leadership in the Academic Library Learning Commons LaFleur, LeRoy Jason Academic Libraries Educational Cooperation Academic Support Services Leadership Library Services Librarians School Personnel Success The academic library Learning Commons continues to be a prominent model for organizing co- located research and academic support services for students on college and university campuses. While numerous reports have highlighted the value of partnerships in providing these services, little research exists on the nature of collaboration between the departments operating in these spaces. This dissertation focuses on the academic library Learning Commons as an organization and the role of collaboration and leadership among its partnering departments. The modern Learning Commons represents an evolution of the 1990s "information commons", which primarily focused on integrating campus computing resources with library research collections and staff. As currently configured, the Learning Commons expands on this mission, bringing together library research and computing support, along with access to multimedia production technologies, makerspaces, and services for teaching and learning, such as an academic writing center or campus tutoring service. The goal of this design is to create a supportive environment in which students can receive a range of services from professional staff and a space where they can also work collaboratively with both peers and instructors. As a hallmark of the Learning Commons is the integration of support services for student learning, knowledge of whether and how partners work together in providing these is critical to our understanding of its success. Often these service partners officially report to different campus departments rather than to the library administration and, as a result, may have little official connection beyond their mission of providing service to students and their proximity to one another within the Learning Commons. The dissertation employs a case study approach, employing a combination of group and individual interviews with librarians and their partners to examine the motivations, challenges, and opportunities of this working arrangement from the perspective of those involved in leading and providing these services. In doing so, it seeks to answer questions about how and why partners collaborate with one another and whether they perceive and realize advantages through their collaborative efforts. This study also explores the role of institutional and individual leadership in the success of these organizations from a variety of different perspectives, including that of the Learning Commons librarian. The qualitative nature of this research focuses on the human elements that play a critical role in advancing the work of the Learning Commons. In this regard, the results of this study may impact the planning for current and future Learning Commons spaces, with specific reference to organizational design, and may pave the way for future studies on collaboration and leadership between libraries and student support organizations in academic institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] |
| title | The Collaborative Commons: Collaboration and Leadership in the Academic Library Learning Commons |
| topic | Academic Libraries Educational Cooperation Academic Support Services Leadership Library Services Librarians School Personnel Success |
| url | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED619145 |