Public Library-University/College Research Partnership Toolkit

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, economic shifts, the ageing of the population, technological advancements, and climate change, public sector institutions can draw on credible research to help navigate evolving societal challenges and opportunities. [1]2] Within the context of this toolkit, research is broadly understood as the systematic collection and analysis of materials or information to develop informed conclusions.To be systematic, research typically entails developing a research question, selecting appropriate methods for collecting and analyzing materials or information, and testing, revising, or developing a theory or an explanation that responds to the research question.Public libraries and publicly-funded universities and colleges (referred to as campuses for brevity) are both well-suited to and have much to gain in partnering to conduct research.These two institutions share a commitment to disseminating trustworthy information and contributing to the public good. [3]4][5][6] Likewise, they have distinct but potentially complementary mandates, strengths, and resources.As trusted community hubs, public libraries can support campuses in connecting with research participants, disseminating research findings, and identifying the needs, strengths, and challenges of their broader communities. [7]][9] By sharing research expertise and resources, campuses can assist public libraries in collecting, using, or sharing raw data and information to enhance, expand, and make strategic decisions about services and organizational practices. [10][1] Likewise, engaging in research can be a way that public libraries seek to address a community problem or need.Public libraries often have strong relationships with Library and Information Sciences (LIS) departments and academic libraries. [12][3] Grounded in a shared understanding of the practices, knowledge, and purposes of libraries; these partnerships can form naturally.With this shared foundation, public libraries and LIS departments can easily identify areas where each partner can support one another to achieve mutually-beneficial outcomes.What is less frequent, however, is partnerships with other campus divisions, such as social science, business, and engineering faculties.Despite lacking a common foundation in LIS, these partnerships promise to provide unique vantage points for investigating and understanding library services as they relate to community needs, challenges, and strengths (see for example Lenstra & D'Arpa's (2020) work on food justice). 14 Because partnerships with campus faculties external to LIS are less common, this toolkit aims to be a resource that supports public libraries throughout the process of forming and carrying out this type of public library-campus partnership.Library workers can use this toolkit to help guide their efforts in identifying research needs, strategically selecting campus partners, and developing research plans collaboratively that address each organization's roles and responsibilities.This toolkit is informed by a synthesis of literature relevant to supporting strong research partnerships.Several frameworks exist to promote sustainable, meaningful, and mutually-beneficial collaboration between distinct organizations. [15][6][17][18] While there is a wealth of knowledge on community partnerships, there is little tailored specifically to the context of public library-campus partnerships.In addition to relying on scholarly literature, the principal author also draws on personal experience