Keywords
Citation
Fitzsimons, E. (2001), "Joint-use libraries come to town", The Bottom Line, Vol. 14 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2001.17014aab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
Joint-use libraries come to town
Joint-use libraries come to town
Keywords: Academic libraries, Public libraries, Management structure, Library services
Dateline: San Jose, CA
In 2003, the San Jose Public Library and San Jose University will open a joint-use library. This is a first in the US, and the impetus was quite simply fiscal needs. Both the public library and the university needed new facilities, but it is unlikely that they could have both replaced their libraries with available funds. The state-of-the-art library, to be situated on the edge of the university campus in downtown San Jose, will have joint management by the two institutions and carries a price tag of $177.5 million. The plan calls for a 26,000 sq.ft reference area, a fully integrated collection, a central reference desk, and satellite desks with computers near various subject collections. Although there were those who saw this as a visionary step that made good sense, at the university there were those – mainly students, but also some faculty – who protested the joint effort with petitions and open demonstrations. As is common in any merging of collections and services, there were fears on each side that the other institution would get the better deal – both in decision making and in services. Two of the main points of contention were borrowing privileges (the city insisted that the public be allowed to borrow materials from the university's collection) and reference services (some university librarians and faculty members were convinced that it would be too difficult to combine the services; most of the public librarians were convinced it could be done). With the help of a consultant and several surveys, it became clear that the reference services were more alike than many had thought and that combining them was likely to work quite well. If the project is really able to meet the goals set, this will be a unique library that will serve as a model for other institutions who can not maintain state-of-the-art collections on their own.
(Source: Conaway, P. (2000), "One reference service for everyone?", Library Journal, Vol. 125 No. 12, pp. 42-4).