Let me share with you the experiences of the TUG librarians. TUG stands for the TriUniversity Group of Libraries and is comprised of the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University. These three Canadian institutions have entered into a comprehensive collaboration to enable the coordination of their services and resources in such a manner that the three libraries were perceived and experienced by their users as a single library. What the TUG librarians found was that collaboration even among willing partners is complex and requires a continuous organizational development. They found that effective collaboration is not accidental.
Collaboration introduces organizational changes that penetrate an institution's structure.
Institutional leaders and managers need to anticipate and prepare for the effects of change. The most important factor in successful collaborations is human relationships. The biggest investment will not be in hardware or in software, but in people. Sustaining the culture of the collaboration requires attention, protection, and vigilant maintenance. As leaders, we must constantly reinforce the value of collaboration.