SPEC Kit 328: Collaborative Teaching and Learning Tools · 47
Funding them at a public university can be tricky.
Getting the word out about available equipment.
Instructors are not always supportive or interested in their students using these resources.
Publicizing what we have is a challenge.
Some faculty and staff (including library staff) do not understand why the library is involved in providing these tools to
users.
Staff Workload N=8
Collaborative tools require staff to handle the troubleshooting. This can be very time consuming.
Introducing, teaching and supporting use of these products are resource intensive.
Limited staff time to learn to use equipment and help users learn to use it.
Making time to learn to use them ourselves.
Managing more expensive technologies [while] reference librarian/staff presence is being reduced.
Managing the circulation of such items and their return.
Must maintain a bigger workload with the same number of hours in a day.
Staff time involved in maintenance of various devices.
Space Needs N=6
Creating spaces for users to be able to use collaborative tools.
How to facilitate, staff the space.
Identifying infrastructure, technology and furniture to satisfy a variety of applications.
It’s hard to carve out space for group rooms in the current footprint of our buildings.
Space to house the students using the devices.
They challenge users’ and librarians’ traditional definitions of libraries as quiet, study spaces.
Keeping up with User Demand N=4
Balancing a variety of equipment with availability of high-use equipment.
Having enough equipment especially during peak times.
Keeping up with user demand and expectations.
Often “crunch” time of semester where demand exceeds equipment.
Security N=4
Coordination between library needs and the parent institution’s IT security measures.
Funding them at a public university can be tricky.
Getting the word out about available equipment.
Instructors are not always supportive or interested in their students using these resources.
Publicizing what we have is a challenge.
Some faculty and staff (including library staff) do not understand why the library is involved in providing these tools to
users.
Staff Workload N=8
Collaborative tools require staff to handle the troubleshooting. This can be very time consuming.
Introducing, teaching and supporting use of these products are resource intensive.
Limited staff time to learn to use equipment and help users learn to use it.
Making time to learn to use them ourselves.
Managing more expensive technologies [while] reference librarian/staff presence is being reduced.
Managing the circulation of such items and their return.
Must maintain a bigger workload with the same number of hours in a day.
Staff time involved in maintenance of various devices.
Space Needs N=6
Creating spaces for users to be able to use collaborative tools.
How to facilitate, staff the space.
Identifying infrastructure, technology and furniture to satisfy a variety of applications.
It’s hard to carve out space for group rooms in the current footprint of our buildings.
Space to house the students using the devices.
They challenge users’ and librarians’ traditional definitions of libraries as quiet, study spaces.
Keeping up with User Demand N=4
Balancing a variety of equipment with availability of high-use equipment.
Having enough equipment especially during peak times.
Keeping up with user demand and expectations.
Often “crunch” time of semester where demand exceeds equipment.
Security N=4
Coordination between library needs and the parent institution’s IT security measures.
