On Monday 14 June I was privileged to be involved in a seminar organised by the Museum Librarians and Archivists Group (MLAG), which discussed the general factors which make for successful collaboration, and collaborative projects and initiatives that the group might pursue in the future. The seminar was held in the conference rooms in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, under the auspices of Elspeth Hector (Head of Libraries and Archive at the National Gallery) and Richard Golland (Keeper, Department of Printed Books, Imperial War Museum), and attended by representatives of a range of museum libraries and archives. It might seem to be tempting fate to talk about successful collaboration in the context of an ongoing project (we’re only half way through Connected Histories, with a launch date of March 2011), but I was at least able to talk about some of the things that have worked well for us, and some of the things that we might have done differently! A common theme during the afternoon, which was also highlighted by the other two speakers (Ben Chaplin, Collections Manager, JISC Collections and Lucy Reid, Head of Information Services, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists & Chair, Consortium of Independent Health Information Libraries in London), was the significance of personal connections and pre-existing relationships, as well as the commitment and drive of individuals. In addition, a clear purpose and need for collaboration, good structures for communication and robust project management have a role to play. For Connected Histories, it has also been important to recognise that it is not just a partnership between the individuals and institutions named in the proposal, but also with the wider range of content providers whose support and enthusiasm is crucial for the project’s success, with JISC and the other projects which form part of the e-Content programme, and ultimately with our users.
In the wide-ranging discussion which followed the presentations it became clear that working in a research institution, with the opportunity to develop projects as part of core activity, is a relatively privileged position in which to be. The School of Advanced Study, for example, of which the Institute of Historical Research is part, even runs a small grants scheme which buys out the time of its academic staff to allow them to build partnerships and develop projects. This makes it possible to plan a portfolio of projects, and approach a range of different funding bodies, in a relatively co-ordinated fashion. It is much harder when collaborative activity is not part of your day-to-day work. There was, however, a very clear commitment to collaboration, through MLAG, and obvious gains to be made from working together to reduce costs and develop services. A number of avenues to pursue emerged in the course of the afternoon, and you can find out more about them as MLAG reports on the outcomes of the seminar.
