Date of Award

Spring 2-9-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Philip Pendley

Second Advisor

Linda Williams

Third Advisor

Walter Buster

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe potential value conflicts and operational concerns perceived by community college library personnel who participated in the development and implementation of newly formed partnerships between academic libraries and student services to build equity-focused student success programs enacted by the California legislature through categorical funding. An additional purpose of this study was to identify and describe actions necessary for the successful implementation of these partnerships.

Methodology: The target population was California community college library personnel who were directly involved in the new library-student equity partnerships. A total of 15 participants from 10 colleges were identified through purposeful sampling. Data was gathered through a semi-structured interview instrument.

Findings: The findings of this study indicated value conflicts in patron privacy, equal access to materials, and the use of restricted funding for library operations that influenced partnership formation. Operational and logistical challenges encountered by the partners were identified, as were strategies taken to mitigate those challenges. The study indicated that library personnel felt the partnerships had a positive impact on student success and helped integrate libraries into institutional priorities that advance student equity.

Conclusions: The researcher concluded that academic library personnel will be challenged to explore ways to fit deeply-ingrained library values into educational assessment activities as libraries participate in integrated student success initiatives. Library personnel who are partners in institutional initiatives require an expanded role in the decision-making process for resource allocation to ensure the successful development of specialized, categorically funded programs.

Recommendations: Recommended areas of further research included exploration of ways libraries can contribute to outcomes-oriented programs while maintaining guiding principles of privacy and equal access. Research into the unintended consequences of reliance on narrowly-defined categorical funding sources should also be explored. As libraries continue to expand their role in integrated academic support, there is also need to explore user perceptions of the academic library experience in order to continuously develop and provide essential user-centered library services.

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