Strength through partnering: new professional development opportunities in academic libraries

Abstract

The pace of change in Australian academic libraries has been rapid and shows no signs of diminishing. Transitioning the existing workforce to support the new information landscape has become a primary area of focus in academic libraries. Australian and New Zealand academic libraries recently identified developing and planning the workforce as their most pressing challenge (Council of Academic University Librarians 2013).

The University of Western Australia Library is proactively seeking opportunities to consolidate the Library’s position as a highly valued service, integral to the University’s core functions and the student experience, by partnering with other campus units to deliver priority projects where both parties have an interest in mutually beneficial outcomes. These collaborations offer powerful development pathways for librarians engaged in informal workplace learning opportunities, as demonstrated in cases studies in both teaching and research contexts.