michigan library association communities of practice & malc
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Presentation made to the Michigan Academic Library Council on Nov. 7, 2008, about MLA's Communities of PracticeTRANSCRIPT
Michigan Library Association: Communities of Practice
Michigan Academic Library CouncilNovember 7, 2008
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 2
Overview• Transitional Leadership Forum
• Communities of Practice theory
• MLA Pilot COPs
• Academic libraries at MLA
• MALC as a pilot COP
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 3
MLA Today
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 4
Communities of Practice & TLF
Transitional Leadership Forum (TLF)• Charge – study and recommend a plan to
establish COPs to provide members an opportunity to network and pursue topics of interest.
• Result – bold vision for the future of MLA
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 5
Communities of Practice & TLFTLF Outcomes for COPs1. Open access to all and broad participation
of members2. A supportive forum for networking and
discussion3. A simple, clear, easy process to get involved4. A ‘warehouse’ of member-created resources5. The incubation of new initiatives6. A positive, rewarding culture within MLA7. A powerful, united presence in the
community at-large
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 6
Communities of Practice Theory
Etienne Wenger
http://www.ewenger.com/
“Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 7
Communities of Practice Theory
3 characteristics• The domain:
– Identity defined by shared domain of interest
– Shared competence and commitment
• The community:
– Build relationships, learn from each other
– Discussions, help each other, share info
– Not just a website
• The practice:
– Members are practitioners
– Build shared resources
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 8
Communities of Practice TheoryRoles• Required:
– Leader – guides the community’s purpose and strategic intent
– Member – participates and contributes/receives knowledge
• Optional:– Champion – promotes the value of membership
across the group – Facilitator – fosters and facilitates interaction – Subject Matter Experts – knowledgeable and
experienced members of the community – Content Editor – maintains accuracy of
community content
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 9
Communities of Practice Theory
Lifecycle
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 10
MLA Pilot COPs“Looking for a Few Good COPs”• Pilots
– play, experiment, discover
• Variety – different goals, results, technologies:
• Group that only wants to meet online
• Group that wants to meet online and in person
• Group that wants to work on a project, publication or program idea
• Be innovative
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 11
MLA Pilot COPsIdeas for academics
– Academic Libraries for the 21st century– Embedded / Solo Librarians – Economic Gardening– Consumer Health– Best practices in Information Literacy– Open Access
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 12
MLA Pilot COPsWhat Will the Pilots Do?• Document their experiences• Experiment with technology• Participate in a Community Day about COPs• Communicate progress• Report at 2009 MLA Annual Conference
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 13
MLA Pilot COPsBenefits for academics• Opportunity to network with peers on topics of
interest or concern• Virtual – Inclusive• Be a leader and take initiative
– Meet tenure and promotion requirements – Research, scholarship, publishing– Presentations, creative activities – Leadership
• Make it what you need it to be• Ideas bubble up from members
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 14
Academic Libraries at MLAPublishing• MLA Forum, peer-reviewed, open access
– Looking for articles for 2008 and 2009 issues • Articles for Michigan Libraries
– 6 issues per year– News, columns, reports
• Publications created by COPs, author/editor
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 15
Academic Libraries at MLAPresenting• Opportunities to present at annual conference
and workshops• Open call for 2009 conference proposals
– early 2009– juried process
• COPs involvement can lead to program proposals
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 16
Academic Libraries at MLAService• Opportunity to serve on or chair workgroup or
committee– Call for volunteers, early 2009
• Communities of Practice– Propose, lead, take on significant role– Share subject expertise
• COPs can be part of a “career path” through MLA:
COPs leader Committee member Committee chair Board member
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 17
Academic Libraries at MLA
Michigan Library AssociationInstitutional Membership
September 30, 2008
Public74%
Academic17%
Special9%
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 18
Academic Libraries at MLA
196
394
41
125
110
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Public - 50% of Market Academic - 33% of Market Special
Michigan Library AssociationInstitutional Membership Compared to Market as of Sept. 30, 2008
Market information provided by MALC lists for academic institutions and the Library of Michigan for public institutions.
MLA Institutional Members
Institutional Market
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 19
Academic Libraries at MLA
Michigan Library AssociationIndividual Membership
Public64%
Students13%
Academic12%
Not Classified8%
Special2%
K-121%
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 20
Academic Libraries at MLA• 189 Academic Members (as of 10/31/08)
• Breakdown by job categories– 28 Dean/Director– 20 Manager/Dept. Head– 141 other job categories
• Breakdown by library type– 98 COLD– 50 DIAL-M– 26 MCCL– 15 Other
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 21
MALC as a Community of Practice• COP characteristics
– Build relationships / network– Shared practice / domain of interest– Community built resources / knowledge sharing– More than just a website
• Membership– Only academic directors– Closed group
• Technology – MLA can provide discussion list– MALC website continues
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 22
MALC as a Community of Practice• Advantages
– We’re looking for a pilot COP that wants to meet once or twice a year in person
– MLA staff can coordinate meeting logistics – MALC members can continue collecting
data and building member resources– Increased academic membership at MLA =
Increased emphasis on academic issues– Speak with one voice
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 23
MALC as a Community of Practice
It’s up to you!
November 7, 2008 Kathy M. Irwin 24
Contact informationKathy M. Irwin
– Senior Associate Librarian– University of Michigan-Dearborn– 2008-2009 MLA President– 313-593-5598– [email protected]
Michigan Library Association– Gretchen Couraud, MLA Executive Director,
[email protected] – 517-394-2774 – http://www.mla.lib.mi.us