Adding pearls onto the string” a case study of collaboration providing library services to nursing students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)

CTICC – ROOM 1

Due to the restructuring of the higher education landscape in South Africa resulting from the new constitution adopted in 1994, a particular relationship has arisen regarding the training of nurses in the Western Cape. This relationship has resulted in collaboration with regard to the initial training of nurses being developed between the Western Cape College of Nursing (WCCN), a body of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Starting in 2006, the initial collaboration saw all staff at the Nico Malan campus of WCCN in Athlone, at that stage their only campus, being WCCN personnel. The students, on the other hand, were registered as CPUT students, and there was only an initial liaison staff presence from CPUT. Due to initial problems in the provision of library services, CPUT Libraries were asked to intervene and assist at Athlone and have had staff on site since then. This has not proved to be a static relationship, however, with the mandate of the WCCN undergoing changes. These changes have resulted in a geographic decentralization of training falling under the aegis of WCCN, with training sites being established at Worcester in 2010, and George from 2013. Students at these sites are also CPUT students and are therefore entitled to similar facilities and support as other students on the larger campuses - and this includes library services. This paper explores the collaboration between WCCN, the CPUT Faculty of Health Sciences and CPUT Libraries in providing library services to these new service points. The different roles of each in the provision of staffing, operational budgets, collection development and premises are all discussed. In addition the sensitive nature of the relationship between CPUT Libraries and the different role-players and how this impacts service delivery is also looked at. Although restricted to nursing education, the lessons learned in the value of collaboration can be applied on a wider scale.