Location
CTICC- ROOM 2
Session Number
3B3
Description
Globally, universities are rethinking traditional models of service delivery to better serve the new generation of students entering our campuses.
Academic libraries are evolving from their traditional passive role as information repositories to proactive participants in the academic enterprise. However, student support divisions, in this case, UCT Careers Service, are often overlooked as areas in need of library liaison and possible collaboration.
Historically there had been no relationship between UCT Libraries and the Careers Service; neither informal nor infrequent interaction occurred. A new Director was appointed to the UCT Careers Service in 2011. Faced with the task of aligning service delivery to the emerging university teaching and learning strategy, the incumbent forged strategic relations with various university constituents and hence future relations and collaboration were scoped with UCT libraries.
It transpired that the UCT Careers Service personnel needed to learn more about the UCT Libraries resources relevant to their needs. Evident was also that many students were not necessarily aware of the need to research career and postgraduate study options.
With innovative outreach and liaison activities, librarians and careers service staff can form important alliances outside of core service delivery, resulting in new outward facing opportunities. A successful partnership has been forged between the university libraries and the careers service office going forward.
This paper will demonstrate how innovative collaborative activities have helped to forge and develop a partnership between UCT Libraries and the University’s Careers Service. It will further emphasise how the aforementioned partnership benefits university students, librarians, and career services personnel.
Included in
A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP: LIBRARIES AND CAREERS SERVICES
CTICC- ROOM 2
Globally, universities are rethinking traditional models of service delivery to better serve the new generation of students entering our campuses.
Academic libraries are evolving from their traditional passive role as information repositories to proactive participants in the academic enterprise. However, student support divisions, in this case, UCT Careers Service, are often overlooked as areas in need of library liaison and possible collaboration.
Historically there had been no relationship between UCT Libraries and the Careers Service; neither informal nor infrequent interaction occurred. A new Director was appointed to the UCT Careers Service in 2011. Faced with the task of aligning service delivery to the emerging university teaching and learning strategy, the incumbent forged strategic relations with various university constituents and hence future relations and collaboration were scoped with UCT libraries.
It transpired that the UCT Careers Service personnel needed to learn more about the UCT Libraries resources relevant to their needs. Evident was also that many students were not necessarily aware of the need to research career and postgraduate study options.
With innovative outreach and liaison activities, librarians and careers service staff can form important alliances outside of core service delivery, resulting in new outward facing opportunities. A successful partnership has been forged between the university libraries and the careers service office going forward.
This paper will demonstrate how innovative collaborative activities have helped to forge and develop a partnership between UCT Libraries and the University’s Careers Service. It will further emphasise how the aforementioned partnership benefits university students, librarians, and career services personnel.