Leveraging grants to gain faculty collaboration with the library.

2. WHO ARE WE?

3. WHO ARE WE?
Laura Francabandera
Instructional Technology Specialist,
Credo Reference

4. WHO IS MORGAN STATE U?
Maryland’s Public Urban University
1. 7,546 students ( 35% out of state )
2. Founded in 1867 ---- 1939 became part of the State
of MD system
3. Carnegie Classification: Doctoral / Research
university
4. Campus covers more than 143 acres in a residential
section of Baltimore, Maryland
5. New library constructed in 2008
6. 2 Information Literacy Librarians
7. 1 Administrator – Teaching Librarian

5. LIBRARIAN STAFFING OPTIMAL #’S
1 Librarian per 500
students
= 14 Librarians
Applegate, Rachel. Charting academic library staffing data from national surveys. College & Research Libraries.
2007.
http://crl.acrl.org/content/68/1/59.full.pdf

6. THE GRANT SOURCE
“The Department of Education currently administers a budget of $68.4 billion in
discretionary appropriations…” --- www.ed.gov
TAKE-AWAY:
• Identify grant sources on campus, locally, regionally, nationally
• www.grants.gov
• Annual Register of Grant Support
• Office of Institutional Research

7. TITLE III PART B - SAFRA GRANT
SAFRA
The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act ( H.R. 3221 )
• September 22, 2009
• Create a savings of $87 billion for the federal government by funding student
loans
• Through the Department of Education, one element of SAFRA was committed to
invest $2.55 billion ( 2.9% of the savings ) in Historically Black Colleges and
Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions through 2019
The Morgan Library successfully obtained approximately $600,000 ( over a 5-year
period ) --- 2010 – 2014

8. TITLE III PART B –
GRANT DISTRIBUTION

9. ECONOMIC/ACADEMIC
ENVIRONMENT
1. Flat or decreasing budgets
2. Understaffing
3. Growing student population
4. Changing skill set requirements
5. Increasing work demands
2010 = Morgan Library = SAFRA Grant

10. THE GRANT’S CHARGE
Develop a sustainable Information Literacy Program
1. Teach/Influence a specific number of students each federal fiscal
cycle
5 years --- 1,500 – 3,000
2. Purchase a specific number of books to support the initiative
OPPORTUNITY!! --- Morgan Library +
Faculty

11. GRANT FUNDING ON CAMPUS

12. GRANT FUNDING ON CAMPUS?
1. Competitive
2. Territorial
3. Limited projects funded ( 6 SAFRA projects )
4. Limited to ‘no’ sharing of project funds
5. Limited to ‘no’ sharing of ‘intellectual ideas’

13. BRIDGING THE GREAT DIVIDE: IMPROVING RELATIONS
BETWEEN LIBRARIANS AND CLASSROOM FACULTY
WADE R. KOTTER - 1999
LIBRARIAN-FACULTY COLLABORATION
“…the goal of improved librarian-faculty relations is a chimera.” pg.
295
“…the differences between the roles of librarians and classroom
faculty create an inherent set of structural and psychological
tensions that can never be entirely eliminated.”
“…there is nothing to be gained and much to be lost if librarians ( or
classroom faculty ) adopt the defeatist attitude that each is the
other’s eternal adversary.”

14. KOTTER’S SOURCES OF TENSIONS
Faculty…
1. May not know that librarians are willing to
help
2. May feel that librarians do not have the time
to help
3. May feel ashamed to ask a librarian for help
because it might be viewed by their
colleagues, and by the librarian, as
unscholarly
4. May be reluctant to admit that librarians
have any contribution to make
5. May be reluctant to admit that librarians
actually made a contribution to their work

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Faculty…
1. May not know that librarians are willing to
help
2. May feel that librarians do not have the time
to help
3. May feel ashamed to ask a librarian for help
because it might be viewed by their
colleagues, and by the librarian, as
unscholarly
4. May be reluctant to admit that librarians
have any contribution to make
5. May be reluctant to admit that librarians
actually made a contribution to their work

16. FUND IT, …THEY WILL COME!
Translation
SHARE YOUR ICE CREAM

17. WHAT MORGAN STATE AND
LITERATI DID …
1. A set of information literacy
videos giving students and faculty
a basis in finding resource in
library, information literacy, and
basic info about the grant.
2. Faculty projects: Distance
Learning, Social Work, and
Education.
3. English Comp modules (set of
three)

18. GETTING TO “YES”
Throw out the old “us vs. them” model of negotiating.
There are no “territories” when it comes to student
success.
• Separate the people from the problem
• Invent options for mutual gain
• Focus on interests, not positions
Take-away: Instead of “librarians vs. faculty” think of
yourselves as problem solvers and co-collaborators.

19. GETTING TO “YES”
Do this: “We both know that students are not coming
into your class with the information skills they need to
succeed. What can I do to help give you back 2 hours of
your course time?”
Not that: “The reason students aren’t doing well is
because you don’t have library instruction scheduled.”

20. METHODS / APPROACHES
1. Understand your users /
Informal interviews with faculty/students
a. “The library just stays in their space. They don’t reach out to us.” --
- F
b. “They don’t seem like they want to help us.” --- S
c. “I’ve asked for things, I don’t ever get a response.” --- F
d. “I really don’t have any time in my syllabus to give to a librarian.
I’ve got too much content to cover.” --- F
e. “I’m scared to ask anything. That guy looks mean at the desk.” ---
S
f. “The book set up looks confusing/intimidating.” --- STake-away: Deal ‘head on’ with the issues
articulated by your patrons,…real or perceived.

21. METHODS / APPROACHES
1. Understand your users
Staffing reality – 1 person with 2 w/ limited skills
Credo’s Literati
Take-away: Deal ‘head on’ with the issues
articulated by your patrons,…real or perceived.

22. METHODS / APPROACHES
2. Understand your environment
* Know your org charts and levels of authority.
* Know your institutional culture
* Know how the library fits within the university
* Know the library’s past experiences with faculty
Take-away: Know your institution and
infrastructure.

23. METHODS / APPROACHES
3. Identify your communication strategy
* Identify the key people that make things happen
* Do a “top-down, bottom-up” approach
* Keep a call/email log
Take-away: Identify the key people and prime
movers of your institution

24. METHODS / APPROACHES
4. Plan your program
* Make a plan for the entire program
* Find a vendor partner like Literati
* Now-Next-Later approach to planning
Take-away: Identify the key people and prime
movers of your institution

25. METHODS / APPROACHES
5. Hit the Pavement
* Start calling, emailing, and talking to the key contacts
* Always talk about your main points/problem solvers
* Keep asking – do not give up
Take-away: Get out there – do not expect them
to come to you.