Creating and Sustaining Academic-Public Library Collaborations in the Triangle Area of North Carolina

Collaboration occurs when two separate organizations come together to achieve a unified goal. Library literature identified program-based, resource-based and service-based collaborations formed to provide better services and resources for library users. This study examined academic-public library collaborations within the Triangle Area of North Carolina through conducting semi-structured interviews with both "sides" of the collaboration by asking: What factors are most important in determining a continued successful collaboration between academic and public libraries? And, how can librarians and library administrators sustain collaborations, especially within this economic climate? Interviews were conducted with six librarians and resulting interview data was analyzed to identify emerging themes. Collaborative partnerships were unique, but commonalities for success were discovered to include managerial support, geographic proximity, availability of resources, a willingness to pilot and accept the failure of new programs, and positive professional relationships. This study can serve as a resource for creating and sustaining academic-public library collaborations

"You can't read your way out of racism": Creating anti-racist action out of education in an academic library

Purpose Under the transformational leadership of the University Librarian, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries shifted from having an education- and programming-based “diversity committee” to a council of librarians advocating for action, anti-racism, and social justice, both within our organization and across campus. As our "you can't read your way out of racism." Approach With support from library leadership, the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Council has advanced anti-racism work in the libraries by serving as facilitators for a book discussion series, organizing a 21-day racial equity challenge, supporting staff in integrating anti-racism practices into their daily work through brown bag conversations, and facilitating the development of inclusion-focused performance management goals. Findings What does an anti-racist library look like, and how does our organization envision this future? These questions anchor the IDEA Council’s strategies. The libraries have witnessed a positive shift in staff participation: two-thirds of library staff participated in a Racial Equity Institute Groundwater presentation and in a library-wide book discussion series; approximately half the staff committed to our 21-day racial equity challenge. Participants were asked to reflect in conversation and through surveys. Originality/value The first wave of a newly established grant program funded eight staff-led projects to advance social justice in the libraries. Additional steps included caucusing by racial identity, staff-wide discussions about racial equity, and a second wave of funding for the grant program. We approach this work with cultural humility: seeking to learn from one another, our peers, and fellow activists

University Libraries 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge Syllabus

As part of the University Libraries Reckoning Initiative, Library staff engaged in a voluntary 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge to further skills around understanding racism, bias, and racial inequity. The University Libraries 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge inspired participants to engage, act, and reflect on race and racial equity in personal spaces as well as in the organization and the profession