Institute of Chinese Academic Leaders held at Ohio University (Athens)
In a small, intimate setting at the restaurant 9 Tables in The Plains near Athens, I spoke to Ohio University’s Institute for Chinese Academic Leaders about shared collections and services and the challenges and opportunities for academic library consortia. After giving a brief overview of OhioLINK to a group of about 15 people, including leaders from Beijing Normal University and Northeast Normal University, I spoke about the practicalities of building and sustaining a consortium model. Consortia models exist in all shapes and sizes, and I enjoyed the opportunity to speak about OhioLINK and to give a brief overview of several other models here in the United States. Academic library consortia have many different membership models, resources and services.
Conversation was lively thanks to the extraordinary talent of my interpreter, Yan He, the curator of the Dr. Shao You-Bao Overseas Chinese Documentation & Research Center at Ohio University. With her skill in conveying the many questions from the participating librarians, we were able to pass the time quickly with a discussion of how OhioLINK was built, how it operates and how they might think about meeting library user needs in the future, both collectively and at individual institutions.
My favorite question was “Why do the biggest OhioLINK universities borrow heavily from other libraries?” It was an excellent opportunity to explain that even the most comprehensive libraries don’t have everything that patrons want, and that certain kinds of cooperative collection development can allow libraries to save money while ensuring the widest possible access to materials. I used the OhioLINK music libraries as an example. Each music library in the consortium specializes in different contemporary composers, spreading the cost of new scores across the different libraries while ensuring that these materials will be available to all OhioLINK users. (see https://oh-tech.org/blog/music_librarianship_tune_patron_needs for more on OhioLINK music librarians).
Dinner provided for a relaxed atmosphere, and it was wonderful to have other influential leaders in the conversation. Joan Lippincott, associate executive director for the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) joined us for dinner after speaking earlier in the day about new technology spaces, promoting library services and creating a sense of community.
Scott Seaman, dean of libraries and host of the Institute, welcomed the participants and Kelly Broughton, assistant dean for Research & Education Services was there to assist. Ohio University Libraries have a full schedule planned for the next two weeks as those participating in the Institute are afforded several small group settings to interact with American library leaders representing a significant breadth and depth of experiences in academic libraries. The focus provided through the Institute will explore the commonalities and differences in delivering state-of-the-art library services in the respective cultures.
I was honored to speak at the first iteration of this Institute, and I hope to see the partnership continue into the future. This year’s theme of “Valuing the Best of Tradition While Strategically Managing Change” is something all academic librarians have on their minds. This is not Ohio University Libraries’ only cross-cultural initiative with librarians. OU Libraries also founded the International Librarians Internship Program in order to train librarians from developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Librarians learn about a variety of topics, including buildings and design, special collections, serving international students and researchers, innovative services and strategic planning for the next generation of academic libraries.
Ohio University Libraries, as a charter member of OhioLINK, has been working alongside other Ohio academic institutions to improve library resources since 1994. As a national leader in library consortia, OhioLINK offers unique access to services for anyone affiliated with one of the 121 member libraries, including access to over 100 databases, 50 million library items, 20 million eJournal articles, more than 100 thousand eBooks, and more than 50 thousand theses and dissertations from Ohio graduate programs. This was a wonderful opportunity for discussion with international library leaders on the unique challenges consortia face globally, and I was honored to share more about what we are doing here in Ohio.
Attendees:
- Fan Bin 范斌, deputy director at Southeast University Library
- Gu Ping 顾萍, director and professor at Southern Medical University Library
- Liu Wanguo 刘万国, director and research librarian at Northeast Normal University Library
- Li Yuhai 李玉海, director and professor at Central China Normal University Library
- Li Xin 李欣, deputy director and research librarian at East China Normal University Library
- Li Tiehu 李铁虎, director and professor at Northwestern Polytechnic University Library
- Huang Ying 黄颖, head of Research and Development at Northeast Normal University Library
- Li Yanling 李雁翎, professor of College of Computer Science and Information Technology, Northeast Normal University
- Liu Bin 刘斌, deputy director at Beijing Normal University Library
- Xinhao Liu, doctoral student in biological sciences, student translator, Ohio University
- Xinyue Ren, doctoral student in educational studies, student translator, Ohio University
Sources:
https://www.library.ohiou.edu/2015/06/libraries-valuing-tradition-while-managing-change/
Contributors:
Kelly Broughton, Assistant Dean for Research & Education Services, Ohio University Libraries
Eileen Theodore-Shusta, Director of Planning, Assessment & Organizational Effectiveness, Ohio University Libraries
Kathleen Mason, Coordinator of Communications & Assistant to the Dean, Ohio University Libraries
