70 Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses The benefit of working with strategic partners is the opportunity to share resources toward planning and funding our efforts, as well as sharing an audience/people to attend/participate. The benefits include sharing of costs, marketing efforts, planning efforts, and staffing for events. We also see better engagement with campus and the community through closer partnerships. There’s not enough space here! We learn more about the student and faculty experience, we are able to make wiser decisions about what improvements to make in our services, we help each other grow, .... We are able to bring in more stakeholders with the expanded resulting networks, and we are able to work more efficiently when combining efforts. (Efficiently from the point of expense, time, and workflows.) We are able to reach more users and let them be more aware of the wide variety of services and collections we provide. We’re also able to insert our services strategically where our users might need them. We extend the scope of our reach if we work with strategic partners and tag-in to pre-existing programs and events. We also make relationships with other professionals on campus and can get invited to participate in upcoming events because we aren’t forgotten by our partners. We have greater impact on the communities we are supporting. Many times, we (libraries) bring unique expertise and support services to the partnership that is different than the expertise that our partners bring. Working with strategic partners enables Libraries’ personnel to promote and share the Libraries’ resources and faculty expertise and overall value. Working with strategic partners reduces barriers for students, faculty, and staff. It promotes greater visibility for all partners. It avoids duplication of effort, which can strain resources and reduce attendance. Working with partners brings a level of perspective shifting that encourages creativity. Volunteer recruitment becomes easier. 29. Please briefly describe any challenges of working with strategic partners. N=43 Being sure that they understand the processes that we have to follow as a public institution. Challenges include differing or unrealistic timelines, unreliable partners, and potentially soured relationships if an event or initiative goes wrong. Communication and event planning and coordination. Sometime partners volunteer to do more than they are actually able to do finding a common ground for program goals sometime space and finances need to be negotiated. Communication, timelines, coordination Continuity and sustainability unrealistic demand for services of the libraries and librarians over- committed by faculty member to students. Coordinating logistics and timing deciding on finances determining how formalized the partnership will be (e.g., developing memoranda of understanding) Coordinating schedules and meetings. Coordination of effort, communication Different reporting structures, budgetary lines, decision-making processes Differing expectations, logistical preferences Differing priorities, timelines, audiences, and desired outcomes at times
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