Learning from Each Other | From the Bell Tower

Steven Bell -- Library Journal, 04/16/2009

As an adjunct LIS instructor, I know that much of what my students learn will become obsolete during the term of their careers—probably sooner rather than later. And there’s only so much we can cover in one semester. That’s why much of the content and the class project are geared toward learning from other academic librarians.

We librarians can be introverted and hesitant to reach out beyond the boundaries of our own institutions. So, to counter this tendency, I give my students an early push to savor the experience of visiting other academic libraries and talking to their future colleagues. The challenges facing our profession will surely change, but the value of collegial information exchange will serve us well if we take advantage it. Two recent visits from groups of international librarians reminded me of just how valuable these visits can be.

Campus visits are as old as the profession itself, and face-to-face interaction still thrives even in an age of instant virtual communication. A few months ago, a librarian from Japan brought up the idea of arranging a visit to learn about Blended Librarianship among other things, such as the information commons. A much larger group, 16 librarians from Scandinavian countries, sought to discuss reference services, outreach, and information literacy. Despite the distance between us, these visits needed little more coordination than the programs I regularly arrange with librarians from two similar university libraries in my own city.

Visitors from afar
Three Japanese colleagues arrived first. Despite some minor language barriers we became fast friends and found no lack of subjects to discuss. My co-workers and I spent just as much time asking them questions. We were fascinated by both the higher education system in Japan and the differences in their practice of academic librarianship. 

Tomoe Hanzawa, chief of staff of the User Service Section at the Engineering Library Tohoku University, and head of the group, explained her interest in visiting American libraries: “Visiting another library and communicating with librarians there is always a useful learning experience because it gives me a chance to see my library and my own thoughts through a new lens. It makes my eyes widen more than by my experience in my own country." 

Our discussions about information literacy and Blended Librarianship were truly eye-opening for both groups because academic librarians in Japan , at least at Tohoku University, are far removed from the teaching and learning process. Their faculty colleagues still perceive them as limited to building and maintaining print collections and waiting for reference questions. Our visitors left inspired to get more engaged as librarian-educators with the Tohoku faculty, and we’re continuing our conversations online.

Face-to-face exchange
A few days later the group from academic libraries in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden arrived in four taxis, having just visited our cross-town friends at the University of Pennsylvania. After a library tour we engaged in an afternoon of great conversation. They wanted to know about our information literacy initiative, our roaming reference service, and our outreach to faculty offices. We heard about their library cooperatives, and their unique higher education system. We discovered and discussed our common core services and vital technologies.

According to Annsofie Oscarsson, director at Mälardalen University Library, “visiting libraries and meeting with colleagues in other countries are important ways to pick up trends around the world. This is of utmost importance particularly in times of rapid changes and development in libraries today.” Why travel so far, we wondered, especially when we can meet in online conference rooms?  

“The Internet world creates never-ending possibilities for contacts and opportunities for networking activities," Oscarsson explained, "but individual meetings, on-site visits and eye-to-eye discussions gives more understanding and depth.” I think that makes for an elegant statement about the value of visiting other libraries, in one’s own country and abroad.

Works both ways
While international visitors present a wonderful learning opportunity, there is also great value in traveling abroad to visit other academic libraries. Just recently my Temple University colleague, David Murray, history subject specialist and Latin American bibliographer, traveled to Guatemala to spend a week as the guest of the Universidad Francisco Marroquín. 

Murray's primary reason visiting was to share his knowledge about delivering and establishing information literacy initiatives. His hosts even made a video of Murray discussing information literacy. But Murray also learned a great deal from the experience, getting a firsthand look at the university and the role of academic librarians there. In all, it was an authentic learning experience for both the hosts and visitor.

I know there are many academic librarians with extensive experience traveling to libraries around the world.  But I also know there are many academic librarians who rarely venture off campus, let alone beyond our borders. I urge all academic librarians to take advantage of opportunities to visit any academic libraries they can, whether across town or an ocean away. There may be grants available for travel, an offer of a speaking engagement as Murray had, or association-related trips abroad—but really any reason will do. So get busy and start making plans to visit another campus soon.

Steven Bell is Associate University Librarian, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.  For more from Steven visit his blogs, Kept-Up Academic Librarian, ACRLog and Designing Better Libraries or visit his web site.

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