Enhancing Development Through International Collaboration by Schools of Librarianship and Information Studies

Abstract

This paper explores how international collaboration by Schools of Librarianship and Information Studies (SLIS) with other SLIS, other disciplines and the practitioner communities could make a significant contribution to the development of library and information services. Collaboration to date has had a limited impact. Based on a review of not only the literature of Librarianship and Information Studies, but also some of the literature on internationalization of higher education, and on collaboration in research and in business, the paper indicates the barriers to collaboration and actions that may contribute to successful collaboration. The support necessary to sustain international collaboration is more likely to be attracted by comparative research studies focused on the role of library and information services in facilitating developments that are widely perceived to be economically or socially important. An international context would facilitate a more rigorous comparison of the resources allocated to library and information services and the benefits derived. This would reveal more clearly the impact that variations in provision make on the achievement of government or organizational goals, and help make a stronger case for enhanced support. A UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair is proposed as a potential formal mechanism to provide strategic leadership for developing appropriate activities.