November 2017 563 C&RL News Anne Marie Gruber Community engagement in higher education Online information sources Anne Marie Gruber is instruction and liaison librarian at University of Northern Iowa, email: anne.gruber@ uni.edu © 2017 Anne Marie Gruber internet resources In an age of challenging public discourse and increased pressure for educational accountability, many colleges are renewing their commitments to the public purposes of higher education. In fact, presidents and chancellors at more than 450 institutions signed Campus Compact’s 30th Anniver- sary Action Statement1 in 2016, reaffirming their dedication to preparing students for engaged citizenship, to changing social and economic inequalities, and to contributing to their communities as place-based institu- tions. In practical terms, many campuses are placing increased emphasis on real-world learning experiences for students through opportunities such as service-learning, in- ternships, and community-based research. The Carnegie Foundation defines com- munity engagement as “collaboration be- tween institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.”2 Communities can be local, re- gional, statewide, national, or international. The Carnegie Foundation emphasizes that such partnerships not only address societal concerns and contribute to the public good, but also can enhance teaching, learning, and research, preparing students to be engaged citizens.3 Service-learning is one pedagogical approach to incorporating community engagement into the curricu- lum. One commonly-accepted definition from Robert G. Bringle and Julie A. Hatcher characterizes service-learning as “a credit- bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity.”4 Research suggests that such experiences have positive implications for student re- tention and success as well as students’ understanding of course content and sense of civic responsibility. Academic library involvement in com- munity engagement can include providing resources and instruction for researchers and community partners, providing physi- cal and online spaces for planning and sharing projects, and taking part directly in library-community collaborations. For instruction librarians, becoming involved in service-learning courses may provide some practical ideas for applying the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Educa- tion.5 Supporting community engagement projects can help library faculty and staff leverage their position on campus and demonstrate the library’s value to various stakeholders both on campus and beyond. Academic libraries’ own community proj- ects may include partnerships with area schools, public lectures and events, exhib- mailto:anne.gruber%40uni.edu?subject= mailto:anne.gruber%40uni.edu?subject= C&RL News November 2017 564 its, and other activities. Library-community connections are likely to continue growing. The key resources included below will help librarians learn more about community engagement, with a focus on the academic library’s role in supporting this common campus priority. Professional and higher education organizations • Campus Compact. Campus Compact is a national, institutional membership or- ganization advancing community engage- ment and the public p u r p o s e s of higher e d u c a - tion. There a r e m o r e than 1,100 member institutions. Goals include strength- ening practitioner networks, building capac- ity, and educating students to be engaged citizens. State chapters offer local and regional conferences, professional develop- ment programs for engaged faculty (includ- ing research support), and support through AmeriCorps VISTA programs. Access: https:// compact.org/. • Civic Learning American Asso- ciation of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). AAC&U provides many resources for strengthening civic and social respon- sibility, including white papers, campus models and case studies, assessment tools, and publications. This is an institutional membership organization, though many resources are also available to nonmembers. Access: https://www.aacu.org/resources /civic-learning. • Engagement Scholarship Consor- tium (ESC). ESC, an institutional mem- bership organization, supports university- community partnerships with an emphasis on research and scholarship. In addition to an annual conference and publishing two journals, ESC also offers an annual, selective Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop for doctoral students and early-career faculty interested in community-engaged scholar- ship. Access: https://engagementscholarship. org/. • International Association for Re- search on Service-Learning and Com- munity Engagement (IARSLCE). This key organization advances research focused on community engagement. It offers an annual conference and provides resources such as a journal, Graduate Student Network, job postings, an email newsletter, webinars, and awards/recognition for faculty and graduate student scholarship. Access: http://www. researchslce.org/. • National Service-Learning Clear- inghouse. This searchable database of free online service-learning resources includes assignments, articles, activities, reflection prompts, and more. It includes both K–12 and higher education resources. Access: https://gsn.nylc.org/clearinghouse. • Swearer Center for Public Service, Brown University. The center coordinates the elective Community Engagement Clas- sification for higher education institutions (formerly coordinated by the Carnegie Foundation, 2006-2016). Criteria includes institutional mission, reciprocity of commu- nity relationships, assessment, scholarship, and other areas. Access: https://www.brown. edu/academics/college/swearer/carnegie -community-engagement-classification. Academic library’s role • C o l l o q u i u m o n L i b r a r i e s a n d Service Learning. This small conference coordinated by Jennifer Nutefall, dean of libraries at Santa Clara University, was held for the first time in 2014 and has been held annually since 2016. Sessions focus on intersections between libraries and service- learning projects in all disciplines. Session materials are archived and downloadable. Access: http://scholarcommons.scu.edu /libraries-and-service-learning/. • The Role of Libraries in Engage- m e n t Wo r k . T h i s C a m p u s C o m p a c t Knowledge Hub is curated by Sarah https://compact.org/ https://compact.org/ https://www.aacu.org/resources/civic-learning https://www.aacu.org/resources/civic-learning https://engagementscholarship.org/ https://engagementscholarship.org/ http://www.researchslce.org/ http://www.researchslce.org/ https://gsn.nylc.org/clearinghouse https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/swearer/carnegie-community-engagement-classification https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/swearer/carnegie-community-engagement-classification https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/swearer/carnegie-community-engagement-classification http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/libraries-and-service-learning/ http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/libraries-and-service-learning/ November 2017 565 C&RL News Goodwin Thiel, community engagement librarian at University of Kansas Librar- ies. This guide focuses on librarians as relationship-builders and provides links to key resources and exemplars. Ac- cess: https://compact.org/resource-posts /role-libraries-engagement-work/. • Service Learning and Civic En- gagement LibGuide, Elon University. This guide provides information about how to conduct research for community projects, with relevant databases and free online resources. It is a good example of a place-based emphasis, providing local data. Note there are many other relevant Lib- Guides beyond the two examples provided here. Access: http://elon.libguides.com /civicengagement. • Service Learning and Community Engagement LibGuide, University of Nebraska Omaha. This guide includes key definitions and components of service- learning, information about the Barbara A. Holland Collection for Service Learning and Community Engagement, syllabus/assign- ment examples, and a bibliography. Access: http://libguides.unomaha.edu/SLCE. • Service Learning, Information Lit- eracy, and Libraries. This volume (Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited) by Jennifer Nutefall, connects the parallel histories and related goals of the information literacy and service learning movements. Each chapter is by a different librarian or library-faculty team, providing a wide variety of case stud- ies. Access: E-book available at http://www. abc-clio.com/LibrariesUnlimited/product. aspx?pc=A4912P. • Service Learning Librarian blog. Posts on this blog are by Maureen Barry of Wright State University Libraries and guest contributors. The focus is on intersections between information literacy and service- learning, and additional resources include a bibliography. Access: https://www.libraries. wright.edu/community/servicelearning/. Inspiration from multiple library types • Civic and Community Engage- ment, Urban Libraries Council. The Urban Libraries Council awards public library honors for innovative community projects in a variety of categories. This webpage describes honored projects that could be modified for any library type/ size. Access: https://www.urbanlibraries. org/civic-and-community-engagement -pages-530.php. • C o m m u n i t y E n g a g e m e n t a n d Outreach, Public Library Association. ALA provides resources to help libraries engage with their communities through the Libraries Transform campaign, universal access principles, and various outreach strategies. They also provide resources fo- cused on working with community groups. Access: http://www.ala.org/pla/resources /tools/community-engagement-outreach. • Libraries Foster Community En- gagement, ALA Connect. This online community provides a venue for discussion and sharing focused on library-led commu- nity engagement. Both ALA members and non-members can use ALA Connect, though nonmembers have some limitations. Access: http://connect.ala.org/node/64933. • Museums, Libraries and Com- prehensive Initiatives: A First Look at Emerging Experience. A collaboration between the Local Initiatives Support Cor- poration and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this report discusses library and museum roles as “community anchors” supporting in community revitalization, with an emphasis on economically disadvan- taged areas. Access: https://www.imls.gov/ sites/default/files/publications/documents /museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitia- tives.pdf. Open access journals • Community Works Jour nal. A https://compact.org/resource-posts/role-libraries-engagement-work/ https://compact.org/resource-posts/role-libraries-engagement-work/ http://elon.libguides.com/civicengagement http://elon.libguides.com/civicengagement http://libguides.unomaha.edu/SLCE http://www.abc-clio.com/LibrariesUnlimited/product.aspx?pc=A4912P http://www.abc-clio.com/LibrariesUnlimited/product.aspx?pc=A4912P http://www.abc-clio.com/LibrariesUnlimited/product.aspx?pc=A4912P https://www.libraries.wright.edu/community/servicelearning/ https://www.libraries.wright.edu/community/servicelearning/ https://www.urbanlibraries.org/civic-and-community-engagement-pages-530.php https://www.urbanlibraries.org/civic-and-community-engagement-pages-530.php https://www.urbanlibraries.org/civic-and-community-engagement-pages-530.php http://www.ala.org/pla/resources/tools/community-engagement-outreach http://www.ala.org/pla/resources/tools/community-engagement-outreach http://connect.ala.org/node/64933 https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/museumslibrariesandcomprehensiveinitiatives.pdf C&RL News November 2017 566 publication of the Community Works In- stitute, this journal supports teaching prac- tices that build community. Themes include service-learning, sustainability, and the importance of place. Access: http://www. communityworksinstitute.org/cwjonline/. • Diversity & Democracy. This jour- nal provides support for civic learning and democratic engagement in higher educa- tion, including focusing on global learning and engaging students with diversity in many forms. Access: https://www.aacu.org /diversitydemocracy. • International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. Published by the Interna- tional Association for Research on Service- Learning and Community Engagement, this journal focuses on scholarship related to engagement. It aims to be rigorous, multi- disciplinary, comprehensive, and interna- tional in scope. Access: https://journals.sfu. ca/iarslce/index.php. • Journal of Community Engage- ment and Higher Education. This jour- nal includes a balance of research and practice, with many case studies. Access: https://discovery.indstate.edu/jcehe/index. php/. • Journal of Community Engage- ment and Scholarship (JCES). JCES includes the integration of teaching, research, and engagement, emphasizing “community-participatory processes.” Opportunities are available for students to volunteer as editorial liaisons. Access: http://jces.ua.edu/. • Journal of Higher Education Out- reach and Engagement (JHEOE). JHEOE seeks to be the premier interdisciplinary journal focused on community engagement theory and practice. Access: http://open- journals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe. • Journal of Public Scholarship in Higher Education. This journal provides a venue for disseminating knowledge across disciplines as a product of campus- community partnerships. Access: https:// jpshe.missouristate.edu/. • Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. The journal encourages research and pedagogical scholarship to inform and expand the community of service- learning practitioners/researchers. Access: https://ginsberg.umich.edu/mjcsl/. • Partnerships: A Journal of Service- Learning and Civic Engagement. Partner- ships focuses on improving campus-com- munity collaborations through theory and practice. Articles coauthored with community partners and students, as well as intercampus projects are particularly encouraged. Access: http://libjournal.uncg.edu/prt. • Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning and Community-Based Re- search. This journal welcomes intellectual and reflective works by undergraduate students, encouraging student voice in community engagement research. Ac- cess: http://berks.psu.edu/undergraduate -journal. Notes 1. “30th Anniversary Action Statement of Presidents and Chancellors,” Campus Com- pact, March 20, 2016, https://compact.org /actionstatement/statement/. 2. “Carnegie Community Engagement Classification,” New England Resource Cen- ter for Higher Education, http://nerche.org /index.php?option=com_content&view =article&id=341&Itemid=618. 3. Ibid. 4. Robert G. Bringle and Julie A. Hatch- er, “Implementing Service Learning in Higher Education,” The Journal of Higher Education 67 (2): 221–39, www.jstor.org /stable/2943981. 5. ACRL “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education,” www.ala.org /acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues /infolit/Framework_ILHE.pdf. http://www.communityworksinstitute.org/cwjonline/ http://www.communityworksinstitute.org/cwjonline/ https://www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy https://www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy https://journals.sfu.ca/iarslce/index.php https://journals.sfu.ca/iarslce/index.php https://discovery.indstate.edu/jcehe/index.php/ https://discovery.indstate.edu/jcehe/index.php/ http://jces.ua.edu/ http://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe http://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe https://jpshe.missouristate.edu/ https://jpshe.missouristate.edu/ https://ginsberg.umich.edu/mjcsl/ http://libjournal.uncg.edu/prt http://berks.psu.edu/undergraduate-journal http://berks.psu.edu/undergraduate-journal https://compact.org/actionstatement/statement/ https://compact.org/actionstatement/statement/ http://nerche.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=341&Itemid=618 http://nerche.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=341&Itemid=618 http://nerche.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=341&Itemid=618 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2943981 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2943981 http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/Framework_ILHE.pdf http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/Framework_ILHE.pdf http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/Framework_ILHE.pdf