Librarians and archivists employ different tools, expertise, and standards to evaluate, process, and utilize collections of materials. While our goals of making collections accessible to users have many commonalities, an awareness of the differences in our methods can be an asset when working collaboratively across departments, with donors, and with our audience. Strong working relationships can be developed between the librarian and archivist when both parties bring their differing approaches and backgrounds into processing, teaching with, and promoting archival and special collections. Partnerships between the expert collection managers, the archivists, and the library's most visible outreach face, instruction or specialized research librarians, allow both to advocate for the collections using their connections, shape the outward perception of an archive or special collection, and bring a deeper understanding of the practical applications of archival material to the patrons.
Panelists in this interactive session will encourage attendees to explore the ways that librarians and archivists can effectively share ideas and approaches to collaborative projects across departments. Librarian and archivist attendees will engage in terminology exploration, voluntary roleplaying exercises, and discussion to strengthen our understanding of interdepartmental communication. Participants will also be given the opportunity to share their own successes or failures in collaborating with their fellow librarians or archivists.
Learning Objectives
- This session will provide attendees with communication approaches based upon project experience provided by the panelists in order to illustrate to attendees the successes, failures, tensions, and resolutions reached in real-life situations.
- This session will guide attendees through real-life scenarios of communication failures and tensions in order to encourage participants to find more effective solutions for communicating and problem solving.
- This session will provide guided and open discussion about issues affecting communication and collaboration between librarians and archivists/special collections librarians in order to assist attendees with fostering better communication and working relationships at their institutions.
