In Seven Countries and Six Time Zones: Working Together across the Globe to Serve Our Students

Abstract

At Webster University, solo librarians manage libraries on six campuses in Africa, Europe, and Asia. On the home campus in St. Louis, ten librarians at a traditional library serve faculty, staff, and students at metro and military campuses across the U.S., at international campuses, and online. To ensure consistency for users, librarians have constructed a network to communicate and collaborate across borders. The librarians meet on a monthly basis using WebEx software and collaborate asynchronously on instructional projects using LibGuides. Library committees have international librarian representation. The libraries have centralized cataloging and electronic resources at the home campus library. As librarians built an instructional webinar series, they worked together to brainstorm topics and partnered to deliver content to all students. This paper will discuss how this network was built, challenges to communication, and the benefits of tapping into the diversity and expertise of librarians around the world.

Keywords:

• International collaboration
• communication
• global librarianship
• service
• consistency