Following Leads

1. Following Leads [ ] Using Faculty Focus groups to Spark Creativity and Enhance Collaboration Michael Stoepel, AUP Josiah Drewry, AUC

2. Research objectives • Starting point at AUP: ongoing discussion on re-prioritizing activities (re-organization process) • Starting point at AUC: awareness that faculty are at the center of everything • Belief that today’s faculty context, priorities, and practices have changed with regard to research and teaching • Idea of comparing faculty at AUC and AUP with regard to research and teaching • Use of feedback for further research, dialog with faculty

3. Why focus groups? • Exploring the subject/research interest; deep discussions instead of easy answers • Strengthening relationships • Unifying visions • Building surveys based on outcomes

4. Gathering Data • AUC: 5 focus groups with 25 faculty members from 7 disciplines (Fall 2012 and Spring 2013) • AUP: 3 focus groups with 14 faculty members from 10 disciplines (Spring 2012) • Recorded via iPad and then transcribed

5. Research questions • Our questions were almost identical • Core questions about research, e.g., “When doing research, what makes you decide to use the library instead of something else?” • Teaching needs, e.g., “What do you expect from your students with regard to research/use of the library?” • Collaboration with librarians, e.g., “How well do we make you aware of collections in your field?” • Other questions about services, library space, and improving the collections

6. Findings across groups: AUC and AUP • Each institution has its own culture • Faculty profiles, priorities, specifics of discipline • Many faculty do research outside • On the other hand, many others were surprisingly aware of what we had • Best practices, problems, and needs

7. Findings at AUC: faculty research • Requests for faculty-only space in the library. • More access for off-campus collaborators • Journal impact factors • Confusion about e-books and databases • “Oh, I didn’t know you did that!” • Sometimes faculty would teach each other • They want us to take on some of their roles

8. Findings at AUC: student success • Many requests for instruction, including a standardized set of research modules • Many didn’t realize they could ask for instruction. • Textbooks about the Middle East—only some chapters or cases • Different approaches to teaching research practices (lots of room for collaboration) • Desire for us to train their research assistants

9. Liaison work at AUP • “Librarian has to show enthusiasm” (Computer Science Professor) • “Liaison has to fit” (Classics Professor) • “Librarians need time to dedicate for liaison work” (Classics Professor) • “I think that you [librarians] have to come into the class room.” (Political Science Professor) • “Collaboration should not be an Band-Aid but should sustain.” (Global Communication Professor)

10. Following leads: AUC • Ordered materials they mentioned. • In some cases, one-on-one sessions and guidance (e-books, for example) • We are currently building modules that should work across the disciplines. • Reached out to some research assistants • Support for things the library has been considering, like faculty space in the library • Most important: strengthened relationships

11. Following leads: AUP • Outreach, communication, and teaching • Prepared faculty survey (AUP) • New contacts • Extra one-shot classes • Sign up for research networks (ResearchGate) • AUP Library New Webpage • Adding faculty tab, offered services (instruction menu) • Orientation • Higher awareness for new incoming professors • Collection development • Adding an extra librarian in weeding process • Change of librarian’s attitude • Being active (new contacts, follow-up emails) • More time devoted to liaison work • Importance of assessment - show your value in outcomes • More ideas: tea party, thesisseminar, knowledge portal

12. Barriers to Change • Budget is always an issue • There were some suggestions that are out of our hands, but communication solves some problems • The library’s mission evolves slowly. • Time, other priorities, politics • Active communication is hard to keep up • Staffing issues, turnover

13. Three things we took away Active, Informed, Strategy Faculty-library liaison crucial for libraries to show their value

14. Questions?Your experiences?

15. Thank you Josiah Mark Drewry User Experience Librarian The American University in Cairo jdrewry@aucegypt.edu Michael Stoepel User Services Librarian The American University of Paris mstoepel@aup.edu

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