Librarians connect to self-reflect: Collaboration among personal librarian coordinators at different institutions. Article uri icon

abstract

  • The coordinators of the Personal Librarian Program at two institutions, Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) and Fairfield University (Fairfield), started a dialogue about their respective programs. Through these discussions, they learned from one another, developed new initiatives, shared feedback, and expanded and modified their programs based on their combined knowledge and skill sets. This article provides background information on the growth of each institution’s Personal Librarian Program (PLP). Specific projects discussed include: transitioning to a new automated email campaign program - MailChimp, improving the design of email templates, developing staff training documentation, and improving outreach and marketing endeavors. It also demonstrates how, through continuous conversations and the sharing of resources, the PLP coordinators became each other’s peer-mentors. The article also discusses the lessons learned about sharing knowledge and networking with other librarians. In addition, possibilities for potential future collaborations among other Personal Librarian coordinators are proposed.

publication date

  • January 1, 2018