ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 560 /C&RL News IN fo ru m : Building strong partnerships By C h a rlo tte H ess a n d G erald B e rn b o m A n experiment in professional development collaboration Early in 1993 librarians and technologists at Indiana University began discussions that grew into an ambitious collaborative prog o f professional development called INforum. An early report on this program appeared in C&RL News in 1993.1 This article updates that story, through the first year of this program and its continuation into a second year. About INforum INforum is a collaborative program in profes­ sional development for librarians and technol­ ogists developed at Indiana University (IU). Key participants in the development of this program have been librarians from the Bloomington Li­ brary Faculty Council’s Continuing Education Committee, information technology (IT) pro­ fessionals from University Computing Servic­ es, and a member of the faculty from IU’s School of Library and Information Science. Planning for INforum began in the spring of 1993, leading to a series of six program ses­ sions d ev elo p ed and delivered during the 1993-94 academic year. Two themes were com­ mon to all the INforum programs: the impor­ tance of collaboration to the library and infor­ m atio n te c h n o lo g y p ro fe ssio n s; a n d th e significant challenges that networked and elec­ tronic information present to both professions. Grassroots origins and professional development INforum began and evolved at the grassroots level. Awakened to the idea of the need for increased collaboration, a handful of librarians and technologists began informal discussions of this common theme. Other colleagues were brought into the discussions, which consistently enriched the breadth and scope of the ques­ tions and possible directions. ram Once the momentum was started, the par­ ticipants made a deliberate decision to main­ tain a grassroots orientation for INforum. The intention of the planners was to allow the great­ est possible freedom and creativity in the de­ sign of the programs. It was hoped that each planner would feel free to view the questions from the perspective of: “What is important and interesting to me?” It was also a deliberate choice to make “professional development” the program direction for INforum. Professional developm ent p ut the focus o f attention for INforum on the individual, not on the organi­ zation; it emphasized individual development rather than organizational change; and it pro­ ceeded from a belief that real impact depends at least as much on people as on the structures they work in. A program of professional development also emphasized the importance of understanding as the basis for action. As a project of collabo­ rative learning, INforum was intended to de­ velop shared understanding among profession­ als from different backgrounds, to create the common conceptual ground that would be the key to joint action by librarians and technolo­ gists in the future. Early planning for INforum began with an open-minded approach toward questions of the future of the professions. Program design was based on the belief that information skills are Charlotte Hess is director o f library a n d information services at Indiana University, Bloomington, e-mail: hess@indiana.edu; Gerald Bernbom is assistant director a n d senior information technology architect at Indiana University, e-mail: bembom@indiana.edu. mailto:hess@indiana.edu mailto:bembom@indiana.edu October 1994/561 important to technologists, and that technical u n d e rs ta n d in g is im p o rta n t to lib rarian s. INforum was created to promote a positive cli­ mate and foundation for the future, an open- ended future based on professional partnerships and collaboration. The focus on professional development en­ couraged intellectual exploration and individ­ ual expression/participation. The undertaking would require groups from both the libraries and the computing organization who were com­ mitted to its execution. The Continuing Educa­ tion Committee of the Library Faculty Council and the ad hoc group from University Com­ puting Services provided this basis o f commit­ ment. Both groups w ere encouraged by the local environment: the organizational climate in the libraries and in computing services was favorable, not hostile, to such an undertaking. The library administration was particularly en­ thusiastic about this theme and new approach to professional development. While primarily a grassroots endeavor, the connection with the Libraries’ Continuing Edu­ cation Committee and the Computing Services’ group o f senior staff and managers did allow access to some traditional organizational struc­ tures of the university. This level of legitimate sponsorship facilitated the use of basic servic­ es needed for the program: scheduling rooms, reserving equipment, duplicating handouts, etc. In other words, this venture was low budget, but not no-budget. While the details of the IU design are unique to our environment, what we did can apply to other institutions. The leadership for programs on this scale can come from many places: stand­ ing committees, ad hoc committees, individual library faculty, or computing professionals. In­ deed, leadership can be found among any pro­ fessional individuals or groups w ho have some degree of independence, some amount of dis­ cretionary time, and a favorable organizational climate. The bottom line is that library and IT professionals do not need to wait for senior administration to initiate professional activities. How did it w o rk in practice? The process of planning INforum had both a macro- and a microstructure. On the macro level, the group began by establishing goals for the INforum program; deciding on logistics of session format, time, and location; and se­ lecting six general session topics to be devel­ oped during the year. On the micro level, the group defined a plan­ ning structure and process. Each of the six ses­ sions had a designated planning team com­ p rise d o f at least o n e lib ra ria n a n d o n e technologist. Each team refined the topic, found appropriate speakers (preferably representing both professions), and coordinated the deliv­ ery and content of the presentations. In addi­ tion, the team was responsible for the descrip­ tions, advertising, equipm ent reservations, and other details of the programs. Session teams gave periodic updates on its planning to the full INforum group, which offered feedback and suggestions. The planning group made the decision not to administer evaluation forms to the audience at each session, but rather to rely on self-eval­ uation by the INforum planning group. As a means of self-evaluation, the full planning group met after each session to review the program, considering such factors as attendance, audi­ ence participation, personal observation, and audience feedback. Only after the final INforum session of the year was there a request for eval­ uation of the overall series, primarily to help in considering possible directions for the next year. Sharing information about the INforum pro­ gram with the library and IT communities was a priority for the program planners. Each ses­ sion was prom oted to the library and IT com­ munities using various e-mail distribution lists. A gopher archive was set up to publish sched­ ules, announcements, and summaries o f the sessions.2 Responding to expressed interest from other campuses after the first session, the remaining programs were recorded on video­ tape.3 W hat did w e do? The six INforum sessions offered during the 1993-94 academic year were a series of varia­ tions on the themes of collaboration and net­ w orked information. Each session had a spe­ cific focus, based on local interests and the timeliness of the topic. Most important to the goals of the INforum program, each session provided individual librarians, technologists, faculty, and others with the opportunity to share their experiences and insights with an audi­ ence of their colleagues. The sessions A brief summary of these six sessions will give some sense of the range and substance of the dialogue that INforum fostered. 5 6 2 / C&RL News IN fo ru m 1: “M ak in g C o n n e c tio n s : N a­ t io n a l a n d L ocal In itia tiv es in N etw o rk ed In fo r m a tio n .” This session was a panel pre­ sentation by several information professionals w ho described some of IU’s local initiatives in netw orked information, and gave the audience an overview of many of the national organiza­ tions within each profession that work on is­ sues in this area. The session provided tech­ nologists w ith som e con tex t o f w h at w as happening in the library profession, and vice versa. It was chosen as the best starting place for the INforum series: a get- acquainted meet­ ing for librarians and technologists, and an in­ troduction to each other and to each others’ professions. IN fo ru m 2: “T w o W o rld s/T w o Cultures: H o w T w o P r o fe s s io n s A p p ro a c h th e W il­ d e r n e s s o f In te rn et R e so u r c e s.” This session was a dialogue among librarians, technologists, and faculty from library and information sci­ ence. The discussion provided substantive in­ formation about networked information, today and tomorrow, and gave the audience a range o f insights into the Internet phenom ena and w hat it means to the information professions. This program w as a g ood second step for INforum: a dialogue am ong the professions about a common set of interests, and a step toward the discovery of common ground and shared concerns. IN foru m 3: “T h e Library E lec tr o n ic T ext R e s o u r c e S e r v ic e (LETRS).” This session brought together library faculty and staff, hu­ manities faculty, and technology professionals to describe a case study of collaboration in prac­ tice betw een the library and technology pro­ fessions at IU. The focus of the session was on electronic text research in the humanities, the support of this research by the library and IT communities, and the creation of a collabora­ tive organization (jointly managed by a librari­ an and an information technologist) to provide this support. IN forum 4: “C o p y rig h t,In tellectu a l P ro p ­ erty, a n d E lec tr o n ic In fo r m a tio n .” This ses­ sion brought together a diverse group—a li­ brarian, a law professor, a publisher, and a library autom ation technologist—which pro­ vided substantive information on copyright law and its interpretation, and offered some con­ flicting viewpoints regarding the application of copyright law to electronic information. IN foru m 5: “In fo r m a tio n A n a r ch y an d In fo r m a tio n O rder in th e E lec tr o n ic A g e.” This panel discussion explored themes of an­ archy and order as they relate to inform a­ tion quality and delivery o f service by li­ b ra ria n s an d tech n o lo g ists. T he p an elists discussed standards and classification for tra­ ditional and electronic information, and of­ fe re d several p ra c titio n e rs’ v iew p o in ts— a library cataloger, a campuswide information system s m anager (CWIS), an SLIS faculty member, and a subject-area librarian—about creating order, or living with anarchy. IN foru m 6: “T h e N a tio n a l In fo r m a tio n In fr a stru ctu r e (N il): N a tio n a l I s s u e s a n d L ocal Im pact f o r T e c h n o lo g is ts a n d Librar­ ia n s .” The final INforum session of the aca­ demic year invited the dean of the libraries and the associate vice-president for information technology from IU to address the topic of the National Information Infrastructure (Nil) and to respond to issues and questions posed to them by individual librarians and information technologists regarding the local impact of this national initiative. This session, which was tele­ cast systemwide, also summed up the year’s discussion and reprised the overall INforum theme: bridging the gap betw een the library and technology professions, and focusing on their commonality as information professions. O ur final program ended the year by looking forward: examining the Nil as a major force in the future of librarians and technologists. A successful endeavor As w e reached the end of a successful year with the INforum program, the joint planning group of librarians and technologists asked it­ self the questions: How should we proceed? Should we continue? What’s next? Looking back at the previous year’s activi­ ties, INforum did make real the potential for ongoing communication between librarians and technologists. The topics, presenters, and par­ ticipants at the individual INforum sessions began building a better understanding betw een these two professional groups, and identified several areas of shared interest and concern. The overall program provided a public forum for this dialogue, and gave a wide variety of information professionals the opportunity to reflect on, and share their insights into, some common problems of information technology and information management. More than thir­ ty individual technologists, librarians, library staff, and university faculty members partici­ pated as speakers in the six INforum sessions October 199 4/56 3 of 1993-94. Total attendance over the six ses­ sions num bered several hundred. Progress tow ard our deeper goal, to build professional respect based on mutual u n d er­ s ta n d in g , w as a c h ie v e d in large m e a su re through the quality and thoughtfulness of the dialogue am ong the presenters at each session, and betw een the presenters and their audiences. Professional respect was built, too, through the collaborative planning process that b rought INforum into being. W hat's next? The joint planning group decided to continue INforum during the 1994-95 academic year. The Continuing Education Committee of the Library Faculty Council renew ed its commitment to co­ sponsor the program. The ad hoc committee o f com puting services professionals expanded its m embership. O ur colleague from the Library and Information Science faculty agreed to par­ ticipate for a second year. Feedback on the first year’s INforum, gathered via e-mail from the overall program evaluation after the final session, has given guidance to planning the second year o f this program. T h e b a sic g o a ls o f IN forum c o n tin u e . INforum has also refined and reshaped its ac­ tivities in response to both survey results and our ow n self-evaluation. Some of the ideas that are shaping the program this year are: 1) fo­ cusing outw ard on the shared service mission o f librarians an d technologists—their similar roles in supporting the information needs of faculty, students, and scholarly activities o f the university; 2) experimenting with other formats, in addition to the group presentations and panel discussions that w ere the basis of the first year’s INforum program; 3) engaging more technolo­ gists and librarians in active dialogue through INforum; specifically, developing at least one ongoing discussion or working group on a topic o f mutual interest; 4) delivering at least one program of widespread interest to librarians and technologists and other information profession­ als, featuring speakers of national reputation. Conclusion . . . or w h a t you might do What advice can w e offer to colleagues at o th­ er institutions w ho are interested in this a p ­ proach to professional development and library/ IT collaboration? Dialogue and grassroots lead­ ership, more than any specific content or pro­ gram structure, have been the keys to the suc­ cess o f INforum. Find a librarian (or a technologist) and have lunch. Share your ideas, ask questions, raise concerns, discuss the issues that are important to you at the local level. As you talk and share ideas, imagine w hat you could do next to make som ething happen. W hen you look for part­ ners, try to find the thinkers, the enthusiasts, and the doers, rather than just the “experts.” Approach this endeavor with an o p en mind. Above all, be willing to talk and listen. Notes 1. Charlotte Hess, “W hen worlds combine: Indiana University’s INforum,” C&RL News 54 (O ctober 1993): 514-15. 2. The online INforum archive can b e found as follows: gopher client access: connect to g o pher.indiana.edu, port 70, and follow the m enu path: ==> The University: Information Services and Telnet Access ==> INforum - Li- brary/UCS/SLIS P rofessional D evelopm ent; W orld Wide W eb Uniform Resource Locator (URL): g o p h e r ://g o p h e r .in d ia n a .e d u :7 0 /l/l/ theuniversity/inforum . 3. Videotape recordings of INforum presen­ tations are cataloged and available through in­ terlibrary loan. INforum 2 (Z674.82 .159 T85 1993), INforum 3 (Z674.5 .14 L47 1993), INforum 4 (KF2994 .C59 1994), INforum 5 (dam aged during production— unavailable), INforum 6 (TK5105.5 .N375 1994). Ed. note: Through the cooperation o f CAUSE a n d ACRL, a com panion article to this one appears in the f a l l 1994 issue o f CAUSE/EFFECT. ■ lU -B lo o m in g † o n to ho st v id e o c o n fe re n c e O n October 28, 1994, Indiana University, Bloomington, will originate “Networked In­ formation and the Scholar,” a national satel­ lite videoconference featuring internation­ ally know n panelists. The conference will focus on the growing use o f netw orked in­ formation and how it can support the goals o f h ig h er e d u catio n . T he pan elists will present their perspectives on the impact of electronic information and com puter net­ w orks on teaching and research. For more information contact Margaret Lion or Eugene Brancolini at (812) 855-2101; fax: (812) 855- 0729; e-mail: televis@ucs.indiana.edu. gopher://gopher.indiana.edu gopher://gopher.indiana.edu:70/l/l/ mailto:televis@ucs.indiana.edu