Community of Practice approach to deliver research support services within an academic library

What is it about?

Support for researchers in universities can be spread across the institution. This article shows how a Community of Practice approach can help to bring these services together for the benefit of the individual researcher. A Community of Practice is a way for people who have a common interest to work collaboratively and share best practice. There are several elements required for a Community of Practice to be successful, including: trust and a safe environment; a common sense of purpose; a sense of community; and a shared concern or passion. The paper interviews members to find out their views on what made this community of Practice successful and how they plan to use this approach in the future.

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Why is it important?

All too often, professional units within universities can work in silo's and organisational boundaries can prevent best practice being shared and acted upon for the interests of the end user. This research is important in analysing what makes a Community of Practice approach effective in maximising research support activities, particularly in university libraries where dedicated staffing resource for research support may not be available. Although the subject of Community of Practices is well served within the literature, there is very little research that discusses its use in university libraries and specifically in relation to supporting university research activities.

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