Engaging Users and Building Community through Collaborative Processes

When: 10:00am -11:00am Tuesday 28 November 2023

Where: RHG24  or   https://vuw.zoom.us/my/simsim

Johnston’s presentation will explore the varied collaborative approaches employed by libraries to transform and improve their services and spaces. As part of her current partnership in the BALTIC UKH project, which aims to provide public authorities and others with tools and methods for the participatory design of accessible and attractive informational spaces and services, Johnston is in the process of constructing a research-based toolbox for the collaborative design of hybrid information hubs. Johnston’s preliminary findings from a scoping review on collaborative efforts in libraries will consider the conceptual frameworks that underpin library service and spatial development. Attention will be given to the diverse array of collaborative approaches taken by libraries to meaningfully engage with diverse user groups and foster the development of new and enhanced services and spaces. Focus will also be placed on understanding the distinct roles undertaken by library staff in these collaborative efforts. Lastly, initial explorations toward examining how libraries establish and engage in dialogue with collaborators during the initial stages of collaborative projects will be proposed. After all, it takes a village, and they need to find a way to talk together!

BIOGRAPHY:

Jamie Johnston serves as an Associate Professor in library and information science at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. She holds a Master's degree in library and information science from the University of Arizona (USA), another Master's degree in international migration and ethnic relations from Malmö University (Sweden), and a PhD in library and information science from Oslo Metropolitan University – OsloMet (Norway). Johnston collaborates on the Erasmus+ project "NIAGARA: Navigating the digital landscape: universities partnering for change," which is funded by the European Union (EU). Additionally, she is involved in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “BALTIC UKH,” which is also co-funded by the EU. Her research interests focus on library practices that promote social inclusion, community/user engagement, participation, and democracy, with a specific emphasis on how libraries facilitate intercultural encounters and dialogue. Johnston has published articles in Information Research, International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies (LIBRI), Journal of Documentation, Journal of Library and Information Science, Library and Information Science Research, as well as contributed to numerous book chapters.

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