Collaboration is the secret of success : strategies for integrating information services with learning, teaching and research

Working closely with teaching and research staff is critical to the success of libraries and information services. Indeed, the degree of integration with a University's academic work is one of the factors that distinguish a successful service from a poor one. This paper will consider the relationship between information services and how universities operate. Using the challenges facing institutions as a starting point - including the move towards a single European higher education market - the impact of information provision on institutional strategies will be explored. Information resources underpin all learning, teaching and research activities and the presentation will consider the professional practice which ensures that libraries and computing services are fully exploited. The focus on the experience of students is leading some institutions to integrate information services with a wide range of other activities and the paper will consider the opportunities and challenges which this brings, including the need to build working relationships with a broader range of professional groups