engleski

The Pulse of the “Heart of the University”: Exploring Higher Education Teacher–Librarian Partnership

While recognizing the role of a library within the university, often called the “heart of the university, ” this study focuses on the higher education teacher-librarian partnership. We are interested in the ways in which higher education strategies, policies and other relevant conditions are influencing and impacting this partnership. The aim of this study was to determine how higher education teachers and librarians at two Croatian faculties perceive their libraries and their role in teaching and researching. More specifically, the study explored the modes of cooperation between higher education teachers and librarians regarding curriculum development and actual librarian involvement in the teaching process. Because universities are historically institutions with a strong hierarchy, librarians are often excluded from higher level decision making. Also, their promotion is somewhat difficult and not often recognized. In times of crisis and reduced funding for higher education, library budgets are often the first cut, and librarians are often excluded from curriculum development decisions and not commonly involved in the teaching process. There are some efforts at individual levels aiming to deepen collaboration, but at higher levels, libraries are sometimes recognized only as a location for books and journals. In order to change that perception, the needs and capabilities of all involved parties should be examined. If there is a goal to establish a real partnership between higher education teachers and academic librarians, the hierarchy needs to be eliminated with a focus on established equal, collaborative relationships. In addition, the possible sphere of partnership viewed by several authors are collection development, information literacy courses and library services (Yousef, 2010 ; Coltrain, 2016). In this paper we posed the following research questions: In what ways do the existing higher education strategies, policies and other relevant conditions influence the higher education teacher and librarian partnership? How do higher education teachers and librarians perceive their libraries and their role in teaching and researching? The methodological framework used was comparative case study, as it involves the analysis and synthesis of the similarities, differences and patterns across two cases attempting to produce more generalizable knowledge about causal questions (Goodrick, 2014). In order to gain a deeper understanding of the cases and case contexts, multiple data collection methods we used were including interviews (6 higher education teachers and 4 librarians from two faculties) and document analysis. Changing patterns in higher education teacher-librarian partnership may rely on information literacy, not just as a possible course but as a basis for improving attitudes while also building a respectful, meaningful collaborative learning environment for all students and employees. Hence, the research findings contribute to the further development of the role of the academic librarians in today’s universities. As Munde and Marks (2009) stress “if libraries do not assess and report their contributions toward faculty success, and instead direct their findings toward improvements in collections and services, they run the risk of being viewed as general utilities within their institutions – perhaps no more than a convenience or amenity in the minds of administrators, faculty, and librarians themselves” (p. 111). Our research attempts to explore how to make meaningful connections between librarians and higher education teachers to build a more fruitful, collaborative, productive relationship.

higher education teacher-librarian partnership, emancipatory pedagogy, academic libraries, higher education policy

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