Creating a Collaboration Guidebook for Library-Faculty Partnership Success

In order to frame collaborations with faculty for success, the University of Virginia Library has created a Collaboration Guidebook. While intended for use with all types of collaborations and partners, a particular use case that was a driver in the Guidebooks’s development is teaming with faculty on digital scholarship projects. Born of necessity based on previous projects wherein the goals and expectations of each party were not clarified, this document is framed as a forward looking guide to creating positive partnerships with faculty for creation of innovative and sustainable projects. Building on the work of the University of Texas at Arlington, the Guidebook provides in-depth guidance and advice on shaping an idea into a project proposal, identification and inclusion of stakeholders across the Library who will be integral to success, and understanding the importance of articulating achievable goals with timelines and end dates. Also included are a workflow that with a robust review cycle and templates and instructions for writing formal memoranda of understanding (MOU) to document agreements