Bridging worlds: Emerging models and practices of U.S. academic libraries around the globe

摘要

This book examines the processes and practicalities of United States universities that set up campuses in other parts of the world. The partnerships in this book are mainly in the Middle East and Asia, and the focus is on the libraries; how the physical buildings are constructed, how they are staffed, how they deal with technological issues in communication, tech support, and the delivery of information, and the cultural issues that may arise when American Universities establish a presence in another location in the world. Time zones, meeting times, physical distance, shipping, censorship, customs, staffing and training, collaboration, collection development, interlibrary loan, integrating systems, and library literacy are almost all issues all academic libraries face. Facing Facing these issues with campuses that are divided by continents and seas and cultures, present a whole different array of challenges, and this book delves into them through case studies, surveys, and thoughtful questions of staff who have been through the process. The librarians in the universities featured in the book share their real-life experiences and are honest in their portrayals of both the good and the bad. This is far more effective than if the book had dealt with the hypothetical. The book is divided into five sections with chapters consisting mainly of case studies and some inter-views/Q&A's.