Sara Mautino and Amy Hunt (Oklahoma State University), and Stefanie Hilles (Miami University)
Sara, Stefanie and Amy’s talk was a fascinating insight into the changing perceptions of librarians from the point of view of an architecture faculty in the US.
The impetus for their project stemmed from research showing that in 1975, architects only asked for a librarian’s help as a last resort, and little had changed by 1996.
They sent out a survey consisting of 24 questions to architecture academics which resulted in 10 follow up interviews, and 7 Zoom interviews.
3 themes emerged from their initial findings which resonated with all of us in the room:
- Broken integration between the library and faculty
- Lack of time preventing collaboration
- Lack of connection and confidence to use the library
One innovative idea, which I wish I had witnessed, and which could help in connecting with the library, was one of a librarian in the US using an old ice-cream cart full of books which they wheeled around the university. Another idea to help build integration between the library and faculty was the use of pop-up areas in the faculty where librarians could sit with a laptop and help their users.
Although a deeper analysis of the survey data is needed, the overriding message that came out of the findings was to foster a continual engagement between the library and faculty throughout the curriculum. As one academic replied in the survey, “the librarian is a superhero wearing glasses” so we need to build on those superpowers and invest in making those vital connections and collaborations with academics.
Liz Peet, Manchester Metropolitan University
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