TOC 96 College & Research Libraries March 2000 Editorial Joint-Use Libraries: Thinking Out of the Box In a sense, the joint use of libraries by dif­ ferent types of patrons is not new. Since their beginning, public libraries have been serving all community constituents. Li­ braries serving both schools and the pub­ lic have been with us for decades. These endeavors have generally been straight­ forward in nature and meaning. In recent years, “joint-use libraries” have taken on a different meaning and a higher level of complexity. This is par­ ticularly true for the joint-use facilities serving academic and public constitu­ ents. Examples of one library serving both an academic institution and a pub­ lic constituency include the Point Park College and the Carnegie Public Library, in Pittsburgh; San Jose State University and the City of San Jose (California); and the Nova Southeastern University and Broward County (Florida) Public Li­ brary. It is uncommon to find any two joint-use libraries that are identical in the way they operate. For instance, the Point Park College–Carnegie Public Li­ brary serves a private college and a pub­ lic library. Point Park College provides the library space and the Carnegie Pub­ lic Library manages the facility (e.g., staffing, processing of materials). The San Jose State University–City of San Jose are two public entities dependent on funding from the public trough; the joint facility, when built, will have a single technological infrastructure. Nova Southeastern University is a large private university located in the central p a r t o f B r o wa r d C o u n t y. B r o wa r d County is providing funds to cover 50 percent of the construction costs of the joint-use library (to be built on the NSU campus) and 40 percent of the annual operating expenses of the shared facility. Nova South­ eastern University will be in charge of the facility, and the staff employed by the funds provided by Broward County will become employees of the univer­ sity. These are only three examples of academic–public joint-use libraries, and they are not intended to be inclusive. Realizing More from Collective Efforts The decision to engage in a joint-use li­ brary partnership is made for a number of reasons, including economies of scale, cost savings, efficiencies, greater depth/ breadth in the collection, and improved services. Joint-use libraries can realize more via collective efforts than they can through independent efforts. The quality and quantity of services, for example, can increase dramatically for both constitu­ ents. Two entities can build a larger li­ brary than a single entity can. Evolving technology is providing fod­ der for the case for more joint-use librar­ ies. Shared databases, computing labs, multimedia centers, teaching/learning and literacy classrooms, and compressed video centers are examples of compo­ nents that can be shared in a joint-use academic–public library. The days are over when any library can lay claim to having its own crown jewels. The em­ phasis has to be more focused on improv­ ing services, rather than boasting about a library’s inventory count. Sharing a single library between two or more enti­ ties certainly makes good sense, particu­ larly when one considers how best to offer more and better services for the users. 96 Editorial 97 Change, Anxieties, and Resistance Charles Handy stated: “Those who are always learning are those who can ride the waves of change and who see a chang­ ing world as full of opportunities. They are the enthusiasts and the architects of new ways, forms, and ideas.”1 Joint-use libraries bring with them notable changes in procedures, policies, and practices. They offer common problems and un­ common solutions. Academics will ques­ tion how the joint-use library will affect the mission of the institution. C. James Schmidt believes the mission of the San Jose City Library and the mission of the San Jose State University Library are more similar than many believe.2 Public library proponents will question the commit­ ment of academic librarians to providing necessary services for the public. Challenges and opportunities should receive the emphasis, not problems and negative perspectives. Evidence from joint-use libraries shared by schools and the public sector reveals that the mutual benefits received by both entities far out­ weigh the negative aspects. These success stories stress the “oneness” approach over the “we and they” perspective. Explicit Agreements Joint-use library agreements remind me of Robert Frost’s “good fences make good neighbors.” Writing a good, comprehen­ sive joint-use library agreement makes good library partners! One cannot overem­ phasize the importance of the joint-use agreement. Of course, lawyers for each constituent must be involved in develop­ ing the agreement. And the agreement must be endorsed by individuals at the highest level of commitment (e.g., presi­ dent of institution of higher education and president of governing board of the public library). A memorandum of understand­ ing (addressing operational aspects of the joint-use library) should be formulated af­ ter the agreement. These very important documents represent a relationship built on trust and aimed at maximizing the mutual benefits for both parties. What to Expect in the Future Joint-use libraries will become more com­ mon in the twenty-first century. They make sense, have the capacity to give bet­ ter service, and can provide more re­ sources than an individual library can provide by itself. Overcoming self-inter­ est, anxiety, fear of the unknown, and re­ luctance to engage in transformational thinking will be the major challenges fac­ ing shared facilities. Technology will cer­ tainly be a useful tool in making the goals and objectives of joint-use libraries achievable. Some joint-use libraries will take a leadership role in offering the nucleus for an electronic village. Future “town-and-gown” collaborations will be energized by the example offered by the joint academic–public library. Joint-use libraries offer an opportunity to break away from habit and begin think­ ing creatively. They encourage leadership in the introduction and implementation of a new order of things. In sum, Oliver Wendell Holmes stated it best: “The hu­ man mind, once stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimen­ sions.” DONALD E. RIGGS Editor Notes 1. Charles Handy, The Age of Unreason (Boston: Harvard Business School Review, 1989), 58. 2. Ilene Rockman, “Joint Use Facilities: The View from San Jose. An Interview with C. 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