Mapping Collaborations Between Academic Business Libraries and Career Centres: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Supporting student retention and success are important outcomes for academic libraries. Preparing students for career opportunities can be highly rewarding for academic librarians. One way to expand on this work is through collaboration with campus partners. Collaborations between academic libraries and career centres are becoming increasingly popular yet the types of interactions may vary from campus to campus. Universities’ strategic partnerships may foster new areas of services and resources for students seeking career research and development support. This paper explores how these collaborations are formed and maintained by presenting exploratory data that highlights common activities, interactions, practices and challenges, based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with academic business librarians and career counselors from four different institutions.