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Completed Projects

Collaboration between libraries and education: Supporting the learner

CIRT was commissioned by Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, on behalf of the DfES demonstration projects working party, to undertake research to:

  • Investigate the impact of existing collaborative arrangements between libraries and education
  • Identify good practice and examples of successful working in collaboration
  • Recommend ways of establishing cross-sectoral collaborative arrangements.

The research aimed to identify the factors that enable collaborative projects including public, education and other libraries (for example health or business libraries) to establish effective arrangements that meet the needs of learners. The research was intended to guide the working party in developing strategies for encouraging and supporting cross-sectoral, collaborative arrangements that produce the best possible outcomes for learners.

The research:

  • Examined the impact of current and lapsed collaborative arrangements in England, including, as a minimum, collaborations between public libraries, FE and/or HE.
  • Determined, through in-depth case studies of existing projects, the impact that cross-sectoral collaborations have had on the communities in which they operate from the point of view of learners, professionals and policymakers.
  • Identified the barriers which prevent successful collaboration and steps that could be taken to mitigate them.
  • Reviewed the provision made by regional agencies to support cross-sectoral collaborations and to identify the need for and the role of such arrangements

Project Team
Dr Graham Matthews (Director of Research)
Pete Dalton (Research Development Manager)
Sarah McNicol

Publications
McNicol, S., Matthews, G, Kane, D., Lancaster, K., Thebridge, S., and Dalton, P. (2002), Collaboration Between Libraries and Education: supporting the Learner
available at

http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//I/id364rep_pdf_6808.pdf